Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) work to restore the functional ability of physical impairments or disabilities. Here are some common questions about PM&R.
The American Board of Medical Specializations certifies PM&R as one of 24 medical specialties. PM&R provides integrated therapy for all brain, muscles, and bones problems, from traumatic brain injury to lower back pain.
What is physical medicine?
PM&R aims to improve and restore functional ability and quality of life in people with physical impairments or disabilities that affect the brain, spinal cord, bones, joints, ligaments, etc.
A physiatrist is a doctor who has completed specialized training in this specialty. Physiatrists aim to maximize patients' independence in daily activities and increase their quality of life, unlike other medical disciplines that focus on a medical "cure."
Physiatrists are skilled at complete, patient-centered treatment programs and are an essential part of the care team. They use cutting-edge and tried-and-true treatments to help their patients, who range from infants to octogenarians, improve their function and quality of life.
What is a physiatrist?
Since now you know what is physical medicine, you would better understand who a physiatrist is. Physiatrists, often known as rehabilitation physicians, are medical professionals:
- Experts in pain diagnosis and treatment
- Experts in regaining maximum function lost due to injury, illness, or other handicapping situations.
- Treat the person as a whole, not just the problem.
- In charge of a medical team
- Make non-surgical treatments available.
- Describe your medical issues and treatment options.
- Work on both treatment and prevention.
Rehabilitation physicians are experts in the areas of nerves, muscles, and bones who treat injuries or illnesses that impact your ability to move.
From aching shoulders to spinal cord injuries, rehabilitation physicians handle various issues. Their goal is to reduce pain and improve performance without resorting to surgery.
Physicians specializing in rehabilitation spend the time necessary to establish the exact cause of an illness. They then devise a treatment plan that the patients can carry out on their own or with the assistance of the rehabilitation physician's medical team.
Other physicians and health experts may be part of this medical team, such as neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists.
Rehabilitation physicians assist patients in being as active as feasible at any age by offering an appropriate treatment plan. Their extensive medical knowledge enables them to treat debilitating disorders across a person's life.
What is the physician's role in treatment?
Once a diagnosis has been made, rehabilitation physicians create physical medicine treatment plans that the patients can follow on their own or with the assistance of the rehabilitation physician's medical team.
Medical professionals such as neurologists, psychiatrists, orthopedic surgeons, urologists, and non-physician health professionals such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, vocational counselors, psychologists, and social workers may be part of this interdisciplinary medical team.
Each patient's team is unique, and the team's makeup shifts throughout treatment to meet the patient's changing needs. Rehabilitation physicians assist patients in being as active as feasible at any age by offering an appropriate treatment plan. Their extensive medical knowledge enables them to treat debilitating disorders across a person's life.
What type of treatment and procedures does a physician perform?
Physiatrists perform the following physical medicine treatments:
- Therapeutic exercise
- Prosthetics/orthotics
- Pain medications
- EMG (electromyography)
- NCS (nerve conduction studies)
- Soft tissue injections
- Joint injections
- Spine injections
- Musculoskeletal ultrasound
- Interventional spinal therapeutics
- Spasticity management
What are some of the most common medical issues that physiatrists treat?
Physiatrists diagnose and create physical medicine treatments plan to treat a wide range of patients suffering from several illnesses, including:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Strokes
- Brain injuries
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Sports injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Arthritis
- Carpal tunnel
- Herniated disc
- Pinched nerve in the neck or back
- Sciatica
- Fibromyalgia
- Work injuries
- Amputees
- Parkinson's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Cancer rehabilitation
- Pelvic floor disorders
What does a rehabilitation physician's practice involve?
A rehabilitation physician's role is to treat any handicap caused by disease or injury to any organ system.
The focus is not on a single portion of the body but instead on creating a holistic program for putting the pieces of a person's life back together after injury or disease - physically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally.
To Conclude:
Physiatrists focus on the bigger picture. Their education is diverse, allowing them to examine the entire body rather than just one organ.
Physiatrists can help locate difficult-to-diagnose pain by looking at the interactions between all of the body's moving parts. A physical medicine and rehabilitation physician aims to help patients with injuries, diseases, and disorders regain the function of their bodies.
