The history of Department of Rehabilitation Medicine can be traced back to 1956, starting from the physiotherapy specialty. In 2001, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine was established by combining Physiotherapy Department, Pain Department and Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen. In 2005, Acupuncture Department was separated from Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and integrated into Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. In 2007, the encephalopathy ward was established, forming a new Department of Rehabilitation Medicine composed of 5 sub-specialties (physiotherapy specialty, pain specialty, acupuncture specialty, encephalopathy specialty and hyperbaric oxygen specialty). The department has 30 ward beds, which promote the development of the department and gradually establish an expert team specializing in pain, encephalopathy, physiotherapy, acupuncture and hyperbaric oxygen,etc. In January 2018, the hospital re-organized Department of Rehabilitation Medicine from the physiotherapy specialty, acupuncture specialty and encephalopathy specialty. The department was also relocated to Daxingshan Temple hospital district from the main hospital district of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU). On May 26, 2018, as the first rehabilitation institution combining Buddhism and medicine in China, Daxingshan Temple hospital district of the First Affiliated Hospital of XJTU was officially launched, marking a novel development stage for Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

The department current employs 114 medical staff (28 doctors, 47 therapists and 39 nurses). It is divided into two parts: frontal district and Daxingshan Temple hospital district. The frontal district, mainly for rehabilitation in acute stage, is located in Outpatient Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of XJTU. The other part in Daxingshan Temple hospital district sets up Outpatient and Inpatient Department with more than 140 ward beds. With the introduction of modern rehabilitation technologies, equipment and models from Europe and the U.S. and the combination of traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation methods, the department has formed a characteristic integrated rehabilitation of traditional Chinese and western medicine with speciality as the direction, specific disease as the core and specialized technology as the means. Outpatient service includes Adult Rehabilitation Outpatient, Pediatric Rehabilitation Outpatient, Rehabilitation Evaluation Room, Electrophysiology Room, ST (speech, swallowing, hearing) Combined Unit, Spinal Function Evaluation and Correction Room, Acupuncture Treatment Room and Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Treatment Outpatient. At present, three wards including Neurological Rehabilitation Ward, Orthopedic Rehabilitation Ward and Integrative Medicine Rehabilitation Ward) have been established. An integrated clinical rehabilitation ward and two rehabilitation treatment halls have been set up. The department specializes in treating motor disorders, language disorders, dysphagia and cognitive impairment caused by brain injury-related diseases, peripheral neuropathy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, neurogenic rectum and bladder, pain and movement limitation of spine and joints caused by musculoskeletal pain and orthopedic diseases, fracture and joint replacement, osteoporosis and sports injury, lymphedema and adverse events after radiotherapy and chemotherapy caused by tumor and various surgeries. In addition, the department has accumulated abundant clinical experience in the rehabilitation of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and chronic diseases induced by postpartum and different surgeries.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is a master's and doctoral conferment affiliation in the specialty of clinical rehabilitation by the Ministry of Education, Department I of Clinical Applied Research Department of Haikang Institute of Health and Rehabilitation Science and Engineering of XJTU, National Demonstration Base for Talent Training/Scientific Research/Product Development for the Discipline of Rehabilitation Science and Technology of China Association of Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (CARD) and Key Laboratory of Neurological Function Information Engineering of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It is a designated unit for further study and training in rehabilitation medicine in Shaanxi Province, a training base for rehabilitation residents, a training base for specialized nurses of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and a training base for specialized nurses of rehabilitation nursing in Shaanxi Province, a designated unit for rehabilitation and treatment for disabled persons in Xi 'an, and a unit of Alliance for People with Spinal Injury of China Association of People with Physical Disabled.

In recent years, the department has obtained 11 major national scientific research and scientific research projects at the provincial and ministerial levels including National Natural Science Foundation of China. It has successively received 2 second prizes for Science and Technology Progress Awards of Shaanxi Province, 1 first prize for Science and Technology Award of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and 1 first prize for Science and Technology Award of Colleges and Universities in Shaanxi Province. The department was selected as one of Top 10 Most Popular Organizations of China 2018 TRAVERSED, received Gold Award for team and 2 second prizes for individuals in 2018 National Rehabilitation Nursing Skills Competition of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and third prize of Teaching Competition for Young Nursing Teachers of Shaanxi Province. In 2019, the department received second prize in Rehabilitation Skills Competition of Shaanxi Province in 2019 annual meeting of Shaanxi Association of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2 second prizes and 1 excellent prize in 2019 Science Education Branch of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine in conjunction with in ‘Health Cup’ Science Education and Innovation Competition, and the third prize in ‘Science Cup’ National Rehabilitation Skills Competition.