Early Application of Cervical and Thoracic Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation (tSCS) During Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation for High Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report

Early recovery of arm and trunk function after high cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is challenging. We report a case of a 42-year-old woman with subacute C3 AIS B SCI treated with cervical and thoracic transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) during acute inpatient rehabilitation. Initiated six weeks post-injury alongside physical therapy, tSCS was associated with improved motor scores (0 to 10), sensory gains, and AIS conversion to C. Functional gains included better trunk control and voluntary upper extremity movement. Treatment was well tolerated without adverse effects. This case supports the feasibility and potential efficacy of early tSCS integration in acute cervical SCI rehabilitation and warrants further study.