Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Physicians, also known as Physiatrists, are Medical Doctors who have completed training in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Physiatrists treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons and:
- Focus treatment on function
- Have broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions
- Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, aging, or disabling condition
- Determine and lead treatment/prevention plans
- Lead teams of medical professionals, which may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, physician extenders, chiropractors and others to optimize patient care
- Work with other physicians, which may include primary care and sports physicians, neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists and many others.
- Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
Depending on the injury, illness, or disabling condition, Physiatrists may treat their patients using some of the following procedures/services:
- Spinal injections (Fluoroscopically-guided)
- Spinal injections (Fluoroscopically-guided)
- Epidural injections Nerve root “blocks” or selective injections
- Facet injections Facet nerve (medial branch) ablation/neurotomy
- Trigger-point injections EMG/Nerve conduction studies
- Joint injections
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Medication optimization
- Regenerative Medicine
- Complementary-alternative medicine
- Medico-legal consulting
- Case review/second opinions