Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of rehabilitation therapy in early stage following spinal cord injury on the patients’ activities of daily living (ADL) and functional independence measure (FIM). Methods Ninety-two patients with spinal cord injuries were divided into early rehabilitation group (n=48) and control group (n=44) according to the timing of the rehabilitation therapy. Rehabilitation assessment of the patients with Barthel index and FIM was carried out before and 6 months after the rehabilitation therapy respectively for comparison. Different rehabilitation regimens were adopted for specific clinic stage of the patients, lasting for a total of 6 months. Results Barthel index and FIM score were all improved after the rehabilitation therapy in both of the two groups, but the improvements were more significant in early rehabilitation group (P<0.01). Conclusion Early rehabilitation treatment is crucial for patients with spinal cord injuries in that it improves the patients’ motor function, ADL and functional independence after the injury.