What brings you here today?
Start where you are — each path opens the full guide for that stage, built by people who've been exactly there.
I just got hurt
Or someone I love did. Hospital, ICU, and the decisions coming fast.
Show me where to start → WEEKS – MONTHSI'm in rehab
Making every session count — and protecting your body for the recovery ahead.
Make rehab count → MONTHS – YEARSI'm back home
Rebuilding daily life: equipment, money, independence, and what's next.
Rebuild daily life → YEARS INI've been at this for years
Staying healthy, staying active, and staying ahead of complications.
Live well long-term → ANY STAGEI'm struggling with the mental side
Adjustment, grief, anxiety, sleep and coping — with the actual research, not platitudes.
See what the evidence says → ANY STAGEI'm a caregiver or family
Supporting someone with SCI — without losing yourself in it.
Support them (and you) →What SCI.help is
SCI.help is a free, ad-free spinal cord injury knowledge base written and maintained by people living with SCI, led by Jason Moore, who has an incomplete cervical injury (central cord syndrome, C3–C5, 2022). It pairs plain-language guides with four national databases the SCI community could not otherwise search in one place.
- 136 guides, hubs and tools
- 1,221 US rehab facilities rated on CMS quality data and CARF accreditation
- 2,171 SCI clinical trials tracked, all statuses, refreshed daily
- 1,244 library items: 1,123 searchable transcripts + 121 research summaries
- 612 adaptive sports and support organizations
- 537 wheelchair-van dealers
The database records are plain web pages too, not just search results. 1,140 rated facility profiles, a page for every state in all four finders, and 105 trial listings by state, treatment and country, all readable without JavaScript. The Research Library is the one part that still renders its individual items in the browser; per-item pages are being built.
Every health page names its primary sources, carries a review date, and states plainly where the evidence is thin or where published sources disagree. No ads, no paywall, no sponsored content, no gated email. Corrections are invited and published: see the editorial policy, how to cite this site, or the machine-readable site guide at /llms.txt.
1,244 episodes, talks & published reports. Every word, searchable.
SCI research podcasts, lectures, webinars, and education videos from 9 trusted sources — U2FP, Craig Hospital, Shepherd Center, PVA, and more — plus the landmark published studies and clinical guidelines themselves, summarized in plain English. Search the full transcripts and jump to the exact moment a therapy, a trial, or a hard-won tip comes up. Growing every month.
Tools built for this community
Rehab Finder
Compare U.S. inpatient rehab facilities on quality measures, SCI volume, and Model System status.
1,221 facilitiesClinical Trials Finder
Search current SCI research — filter by treatment, target (walking, hand, bladder…), and recruiting status.
2,167 trials · updated dailyResearch Library
Search full transcripts of SCI podcasts, lectures, and education videos — plus plain-English summaries of the landmark published research.
1,244 items · growingAdaptive Sports & Support
Adaptive sports programs and SCI peer support groups across all 50 states.
612 organizationsWheelchair Van Finder
Verified wheelchair-van dealers nationwide, with NMEDA accreditation badges.
537 locationsEquipment Exchange
Give and find used SCI equipment — wheelchairs, cushions, standing frames, and more.
Community-runSearch Everything
Know what you're looking for? Search every guide, tool, and article on the site.
309 pagesNew guides
The latest additions to the library. Browse all 136 guides →
Every guide, in one place
All 125 guides, hubs and tools organised by topic — medical, rehab, daily living, equipment, benefits, legal, caregivers, research. Filter by keyword.
Spinal Fusion & Stabilization: Every Way the Spine Gets Fixed
A plain-language map of every way surgeons stabilize or fuse the spine after a spinal cord injury: collars and halos, rods and screws, ACDF,…
Cervical Fusion & Neck Stabilization (ACDF, Posterior Fusion)
Every way the neck is stabilized after a cervical spinal cord injury: collars and halo vests, ACDF, corpectomy, posterior fusion with lateral mass…
Thoracic, Lumbar & Sacral Spine Surgery
Every way the mid-back, low back, and pelvis are stabilized after a spinal cord injury: TLSO braces, pedicle screw and rod fixation, corpectomy and…
Living With Spinal Hardware: How a Fusion Heals
What life with rods, screws, cages, and a spinal fusion is actually like after SCI: the healing timeline, restrictions, MRI and airport facts, and…
Paralyzed After Spine Surgery
Spinal cord injury caused by surgery: the six ways it happens, what the first 72 hours should look like, what can still recover, and how to get…
Health & Rehab essentials
The most-read guides — the body systems you manage now, and the skills that build independence. See all 49 medical guides →
Daily Living: Getting Your Life Back
Wheelchairs, home modifications, adaptive driving, bathing, dressing, self-care, parenting, fitness — 21 guides for the everyday stuff.
Autonomic Dysreflexia: The Emergency Protocol
What it is, the warning signs, and the step-by-step response. This one can save your life.
What to Expect by Injury Level
Function level by level, C1–C4 through sacral: self-care, mobility, driving, and independence.
Will I Recover? Prognosis & Realistic Hope
Recovery odds and timelines, the plateau myth, and "will I walk again?" — answered honestly.
Bladder Management After SCI
Catheters, medications, kidney protection, and UTI prevention — a practical guide.
Bowel Management After SCI
Programs, timing, diet, and troubleshooting — the guide nobody else writes honestly.
Pressure Injuries: Prevention & Response
Skin checks, cushions, offloading, and what to do at the first sign of trouble.
Navigating Health Insurance
Getting the wheelchair and rehab approved: prior-auth, denials & appeals, COBRA, Medicaid, Medicare.
Your Annual SCI Health Check-ups
A yearly maintenance checklist — the routine surveillance that catches complications early.
Research & Science
Where the science actually stands — and every tool to explore it, in one hub.
The Research & Science Hub
The searchable Research Library, 2,167 clinical trials updated daily, the Model Systems centers of excellence, and honest guides to stimulators, stem cells, and the road to a cure.
Spinal Cord Stimulators and Epidural Stimulation: What the Research Shows
Motor recovery vs. pain management, what results actually look like, who qualifies, and how to access active trials.
Stem Cells and Peptides for SCI: What the Research Actually Shows
An honest look at stem cell therapy, BPC-157, and other peptides — separating real science from hype and dangerous scams.
Is a Cure for SCI Close? The Real State of Research in 2026
What's actually FDA-authorized now, the real early human results, the trials that failed, and the breakthroughs still stuck in animals.
Browse by topic
All Guides A–Z
Every article, hub and tool on the site in one organised, filterable list.
136 guidesStart Here
The first days, the hospital phase, choosing a rehab facility, and your first year.
5 articlesSCI Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the jargon — ASIA, AD, DME, tenodesis, neurogenic bladder, and more.
A–Z referenceMedical & Health
Injury levels, recovery odds, bladder, bowel, pain, spasms, AD, skin, breathing, clots, bones, and more.
49 guidesCoping & Adjustment
Adjustment, grief, anxiety and PTSD, body image, sleep, fatigue, substance use, and handling other people — every figure sourced.
11 guidesRehabilitation
Getting the most from inpatient rehab, activity-based therapy, FES, transfers, and the best facilities.
Full stage guideDaily Living
Wheelchairs, home modifications, adaptive driving, bathing, self-care, and getting your life back.
21 guidesEquipment
Wheelchair reviews, cushions, catheter products, assistive technology, and how to fund it all.
Full guideLegal & Financial
Personal-injury claims, settlements, special needs trusts, and your ADA & housing rights.
Full guideDisability & Benefits
SSDI, SSI, Medicare & Medicaid, health insurance & appeals, working without losing benefits, ABLE accounts, and money traps.
11 guidesCaregiver Hub
For the people who support SCI survivors. Training, paid care, burnout, and your own wellbeing.
Full guideResearch & Science
The searchable library, current clinical trials, and where the science stands on stimulators, stem cells, and a cure.
Full hubVeterans
VA benefits, SCI centers, and programs specifically for veterans with spinal cord injuries.
Full guideThe Shop
Official SCI.help merch from our Fourthwall store — every purchase keeps the site free and ad-free.
Supports the site