Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) treat a wide range of conditions, including impairments and limitations of the brain, spinal cord, etc. Here's a brief about PM&R.
Physicians who specialize in Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), often known as physiatrists, focus on diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating patients who suffered injuries and get disabled by disease, disorder, or accident.
What is PM&R?
What is physical medicine and rehabilitation is a commonly asked question. PM&R, commonly known as physiatry, is a medical specialty that focuses on helping people regain function after being handicapped by a disease, condition, or injury.
Physiatry is a branch of medicine that provides integrated, interdisciplinary care to help people restore their full selves by addressing their physical, emotional, medical, vocational, and social requirements. So, a physiatrist or a PM&R physician is a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Understanding rehabilitation?
The procedure of assisting a person in achieving maximum function, independence, and quality of life is called rehabilitation. Rehab does not repair or undo the damage caused by sickness or accident, but it helps restore a person's health and well-being. The word "rehabilitate" means "to render capable."
The Program of Rehabilitation
Since rehabilitation medicine is designed per each individual's needs, each program is unique. The following are some general therapy components for rehab programs:
- Taking care of the impairment and enhancing function
- Providing adaptive tools and a change in the environment
- Teaching the patient and their family about the changes in their lifestyle and assisting them in adapting to them
Many factors determine the success of rehabilitation, including:
- The disease, disorder, or injury's nature and severity
- Any resulting impairments and disabilities and the type and severity of said impairments and disabilities
- The patient's general well-being
- Support from family
What is a PM&R physician?
Since now you know what is physical medicine, you can get a good idea of who a PM&R physician is. PM&R physicians, sometimes known as physiatrists, treat various medical disorders affecting the brain, spinal cord, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, etc.
Their role is to enhance mobility and overall quality of life. Physicians who specialize in PM&R look at the patient as a full person, not just one part of the body.
What Does a PM&R Physician Do?
PM&R physicians can address physical medical issues affecting any part of the body.
Physicians at PM&R provide treatment strategies for clients of all ages.
They'll assess your condition, needs, and objectives, rule out any major medical causes for your problems, and devise a physical medicine treatments plan to assist you in achieving your goals.
How Can a Physician Help?
Physicians specializing in PM&R devise a comprehensive plan to assist their patients physically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally. They can help you manage various physical issues and keep you as active as possible at any age.
There is a good chance of PM&R physicians prescribing braces or splints to improve arm or leg position or function to assist you in moving more safely if you have experienced physical damage.
Wheelchairs, standers, walkers, bath benches, and lifts are examples of this type of equipment.
What Condition Does a PM&R Physician Treat?
PM&R doctors deal with issues that arise from an injury, sickness, or chronic condition. The following are the most common physical medicine treatments:
- Rehab for medical conditions
- Rehabilitation in pain-neuromuscular medicine
- Medicine of the musculoskeletal system
- Disorders of the central nervous system
- Rehabilitation for children
Physical medicine and rehabilitation are the two main areas where a PM&R physician specializes.
How Does the Physician Diagnose the Illness?
Physiatrists evaluate musculoskeletal injuries and issues by taking a complete medical history and thorough physical examination. Laboratory tests, X-rays, MRI scans, electromyography, nerve conduction studies, and psychological evaluations may be used to diagnose the problem further.
Reasons to see a PM&R physician.
A visit to a PM&R physician may be necessary if you have experienced physical injuries, discomfort, or mobility issues.
They can identify and design physical medicine treatments linked to impairments, such as:
- Cognitive problems
- Orthopedic issues
- Mobility concerns
- Bowel and bladder problems
- Disorders that affect your walking
- Feeding and swallowing problems
- Trouble with communication
- Pain
- Muscle stiffness or poor muscle tone
Depending on your needs, a PM&R physician might collaborate with a team of neurologists, orthopedists, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and primary care doctors.
To Conclude:
To enhance total rehabilitation and prevent the recurrence of back pain or other sources of dysfunction, physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians try to treat the full patient, not just the individual injury or ailment.
From a physical, emotional, psychological, and occupational standpoint, the treatment goals are always to restore the patient's normal function and increase the quality of life.
