Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation

Physcical medicine and rehabilitation enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. Our physician having completed training in this field specializes in restoring optimal function to people with injuries to the muscles, bones, tissues, and nervous system. Physical medicine and rehabilitation involves the management of disorders that alter the function and performance of the patient. The combined use of medications, physical modalities, physical training with therapeutic exercise, movement & activities modification, adaptive equipment and assistive device, orthotics, prosthesis, and experiential training approaches.

Our Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians may also perform electro diagnostics, which are used to provide nervous system functional information for diagnosis and prognosis for various neuromuscular disorders. The common electro diagnostic tests performed by physiatrists are nerve conduction studies (NCS) and needle electromyographies (EMG).The nerve conduction study involves electrical stimulation to peripheral nerves, and the nerves’ responses are measured including such things as onset latency, amplitude, and conduction velocity. Needle electromyography requires needle electrode insertion into the muscles to detect the electrical potential generated from muscle fibers. Abnormal electrical potentials, such as fibrillation potential or positive sharp waves, detected by EMG needles indicate the presence of muscle fibers that have abnormal nerve supplies.

Common conditions that are treated by our physiatrists include amputation, spinal cord injury, sports injury,stroke, musculo skeletal pain syndromes such as low back pain, fibromyalgia, and traumatic brain injury. Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation involves optimizing function in those afflicted with heart or lung disease. Chronic pain management is achieved through a multidisciplinary approach involving psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and interventional procedures when indicated. In addition to the previous methodology, stroke is often treated with the help of a speech therapist and recreational therapist when possible.