Early Postoperative Rehabilitation for a Postpartum Woman with Motor Paralysis due to Spinal Cord Tumor Who Could Raise a Newborn Child after Emergent Delivery and Tumor Removal：A Case Report / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

ABSTRACT

We report a case of a 32-weeks pregnant woman in her early 30s. The patient experienced pregnancy-related low back pain and difficulty walking due to rapid muscular weakness in her lower limbs. She was diagnosed with lower limb paralysis caused by the spinal cord tumor and underwent emergency cesarean section for maternal indication, followed by laminectomy and tumor removal. After 3 days of surgery, rehabilitation interventions, including early mobilization, muscle strengthening training, balance training, and activities of daily living (ADL) training, were performed to improve voluntary movement and muscle strength in her lower limbs and ADL. Prior to rehabilitation, the patient showed lower limb muscle weakness in manual muscle test 1 (MMT1) due to motor paralysis, required assistance for walking, and expressed anxiety about the degree of recovery of her physical functions and her role as a mother. After approximately 1 month of rehabilitation, the patient was able to perform ADL independently and was discharged from the hospital with physical functions that allowed her to take care of her newborn baby. It is important to provide positive rehabilitation intervention from the early postoperative period, according to the guidelines for the disability caused by primary diseases, as well as care and movement guidance before discharge, considering the changes in mental and physical symptoms during the postpartum period in a woman with a spinal cord tumor.