Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians, also known as physiatrists, treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.
PM&R physicians are medical doctors who have completed training in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), and may be subspecialty certified in Brain Injury Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, Pain Medicine, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and/or Sports Medicine.
Specifically, PM&R physicians:
- Treat patients of all ages
- Focus treatment on function
- Have a broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime
- Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, or disabling condition
- Determine and lead a treatment/prevention plan
- Lead a team of medical professionals, which may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician extenders to optimize patient care
- Work with other physicians, which may include primary care physicians, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and many others
- Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
Depending on the injury, illness, or disabling condition, some PM&R physicians may treat their patients using the following procedures/services:
- EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies
- Ultrasound guided procedures
- Fluoroscopy guided procedures
- Injections of spine
- Discography, Disc Decompression and Vertebroplasy/Kyphoplasty
- Nerve Stimulators, Blocks and Ablation procedures—Peripheral and Spinal
- Injections of joints
- Prolotherapy
- Spasticity Treatment (Phenol and Botulinum toxin injections, intrathecal baclofen pump trial and implants)
- Nerve and Muscle Biopsy
- Manual Medicine/Osteopathic Treatment
- Prosthetics and Orthotics
- Complementary-alternative medicine (i.e. acupuncture, etc.)
- Disability/impairment assessment
- Medicolegal consulting