Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians, also called physiatrists, treat a wide variety of medical conditions. This branch of medicine emphasizes the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders that produce temporary or permanent functional impairment. The six doctors and three physician assistants at The Center specialize in restoring optimal function to patients with injuries or conditions of the muscles, bones, tissues, and nervous system. These rehab medicine specialists have completed a high level of training, including four years of medical school and four years of residency training.
Physiatrists have a broad medical expertise that allows them to treat a wide variety of conditions throughout a patient’s lifetime. They are not surgeons – instead, they focus on optimizing function through the use of customized treatment plans involving non-surgical strategies and tools.
Some of the conditions our PM&R doctors specialize in include:
- Acute/persistent neck or back pain
- Acute/persistent joint or muscle pain
- Pinched nerves
- Consistent numbness, tingling, and/or weakness
- Sports injuries
- Occupational injuries
- Motor vehicle injuries
- Concussions
- A variety of neurological conditions including spinal cord injuries, stroke, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis
Treatment for these conditions might include:
- Physical therapy
- Injection therapy
- Medication
- Movement and activity modification
- Concussion management programs
- EMG/nerve conduction studies
- Prosthetics and orthotics
The variety of tools physiatrists use enables them to tailor treatment plans to address specific challenges for any patient. They strive to treat the whole patient – not just the specific injury or condition – which improves overall recovery and prevents recurrence. At The Center, physiatrists work in concert with other experts and physicians on staff to ensure that all methods of healing, treatment, and therapy are explored, addressing both symptoms and their causes.
