Rehabilitation Medicine Faculty / Medical Staff >

Rehabilitation medicine is a field of medicine that diagnoses and treats patients with decreased physical functions due to central and peripheral nerve diseases, musculoskeletal disease and injury, and cancer treatment. We try to promote maximal functional recovery in patients with decreased functions with comprehensive diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment through physical, psychological, and social approaches.

Major areas of treatment / Clinics

The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Samsung Medical Center treats the following diseases.

  • Motor paralysis, speech and cognitive dysfunctions, and dysphagia due to stroke and traumatic brain damage
  • Ambulatory disabilities and pain due to spinal injury or spinal disease
  • Developmental disorders due to cerebral palsy
  • Musculoskeletal pain and sports injuries due to joint and spinal disorders
  • Lymphedema due to cancer and treatment, musculoskeletal and neurogenic pain, dysfunction

The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine operates the following specialized clinics/treatmen

  • Brain and neuro-rehabilitation clinic
  • Cerebral palsy clinic
  • Pediatric spasticity clinic
  • cancer rehabilitation / Lymphedema clinic
  • Sports injury rehabilitation clinic
  • Foot clinic
  • Botulinum toxin and nerve block clinic
  • Non-surgical intervention clinic (nerve block, neuroplasty, and arthrography)
  • Robot rehabilitation treatment
  • Non-invasive brain stimulation
  • Eating disorder clinic
  • Plagiocephaly/brachycephaly head shape correction treatment
  • Horseback riding treatment
  • Prosthesis/orthosis evaluation and fabrication

Strong points

Each staff member of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine provides detailed and specialized diagnosis and treatment in the Brain Neurologic Center, Pediatric and Adolescence Center, Bone and Joint Center, Cancer Hospital Comprehensive Cure Center, and Spinal Center.
We have also eliminated the inconvenience of patients moving around to consult different departments by organic co-operation with other departments in each center, and are providing patient-centered multi-disciplinary medical care where various departments discuss one patient.

Latest treatment methods

In the field of brain and neuro-rehabilitation, we use non-invasive brain stimulation, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct-current stimulation to promote the recovery of motor and cognitive functions in patients with brain diseases, and use cutting-edge devices, such as ambulatory support rehabilitation robots to provide the best treatment possible for functional recovery after the occurrence of brain diseases. Also, a specially trained comprehensive rehabilitation treatment team provides the best rehabilitation treatment. including cerebral nervous system exercise therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, cognitive therapy, swallowing therapy, and daily routine training.
In the field of pediatric rehabilitation, we inject botulinum toxin to treat muscle rigidity, and perform horseback riding treatment to enhance the sense of balance and motor functions of pediatric patients with developmental and mental disorders.
ment for patients who are intractable to conventional medical therapy, and carry out accurate and quantified torticollis blocks using electromyography.
In the field of cancer rehabilitation, we quantify edema using ultrasonography and lymphoscintigraphy, and perform customized and personalized treatment based on these results. We are the first in Korea to perform treatment using biofeedback for problems that occur after low anterior resection for colon cancer.
In the field of musculoskeletal rehabilitation, we non-surgically treat lesions of the joint and spine using radiographic images, and are introducing regenerative treatment for degenerative disorders using platelet-rich plasma and stem cells.

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Patients' Rights and Responsibilities

Patients' Rights

1. Right to receive medical care

Patients have the right to receive proper care in a safe setting without discrimination nor should their right to care be violated regardless of their gender, age, religion, social status, nationality, language, race, or physical/mental/financial status. Medical teams shall not refuse to provide care without justifiable reason.

2. Right to be informed and to make an autonomous decision

Patients have the right to obtain full and complete information from their medical team, to ask questions, and to determine their agreement or refusal concerning: diagnosis, treatment (purpose, plans and methods), outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes), discharge plan, participation in medical research studies, organ transplantation/donation, etc. Within ethical boundaries, patients may discontinue or refuse treatment, request that the medical team explain and suggest alternative treatments, and reserve the right to make their own decisions.

3. Right to confidentiality

Patients' rights to confidentiality regarding their physical/health status and privacy will not be violated. Patients can expect that all medical records/reports and their personal privacy will be kept confidential unless the patient has given consent or disclosure is permitted by law. To ensure their privacy, patients may be informed that Individuals not directly involved in their care may not be present and that the number of guardians accompanying patients to consultation rooms may be limited.

4. Right to request consultation and mediation

In the event of a medical dispute, patients may request consultation and mediation from an internal or external agency (Korea Consumer Agency, Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency).

5. Right to have values and beliefs respected

Patients will not be discriminated against because of their culture, religious values, or beliefs, and their rights will not be violated.

6. Right to receive care in a safe setting

Patients have the right to receive hospital-provided care where the patient’s medical information is protected and patient safety can be assured. In addition, patients have the right to be protected from possible dangers that can occur in a hospital and to have stability of mind and body.

Patients' Responsibilities

1. Responsibility to trust and respect the medical team

Patients must accurately inform the medical team of their health condition and must trust and respect the medical team's treatment plan. Patients may be responsible for consequences that result from not following instructions.

2. Responsibility to not use dishonest methods for medical treatment

Patients must reveal their identity before receiving any medical care and must not use false or dishonest methods, such as seeking medical care under disguised ownership.

3. Responsibility to abide by all hospital regulations

Patients are expected to treat all hospital staff and other patients with courtesy and respect; to abide by all hospital rules; and to earnestly fulfill their financial obligation to the hospital. Also, patients and their family members are expected to participate in all safety regulations.