Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Physical medicine and rehabilitation, or PM&R, also known as physiatry, is a medical specialty that helps treat people with a range of injuries and chronic medical conditions that can affect quality of life or cause disability. Summit Orthopedics offers advanced physical medicine and rehabilitation care for greater Minneapolis area residents.
What Is Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?
Physical medicine and rehabilitation is a comprehensive approach to healthcare that combines various therapeutic techniques, medical interventions and rehabilitation strategies. Physical medicine and rehabilitation aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to people with physical disabilities due to injury, illness or congenital conditions.
Physiatrists, or PM&R doctors, are trained physicians who specialize in diagnosing, evaluating and treating people with physical and cognitive impairments. These specialists work with people of all ages and are committed to comprehensive care for conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons.
Physiatry is not the same thing as physical therapy. Rehabilitation is a broader term that includes many different types of care, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, pain management and medical intervention.
Physiatry at Summit Orthopedics
Choosing a Summit Orthopedics physiatry doctor means opting for a comprehensive approach to recovery. Whether you’re dealing with chronic spine pain, recovering from a car accident, or managing a sports injury, our physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists provide personalized and effective treatment options to improve your quality of life.
Working with our team of orthopedic specialists, surgeons, physical therapists, pain management specialists and other providers, our rehab doctors emphasize collaborative and integrative care for your problem. Discover how a personalized treatment plan that embraces your whole person can change your recovery.
Benefits of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The primary goal of physical medicine and rehabilitation is to help you regain independence and improve your overall well-being. This is achieved through a combination of nonsurgical treatments, rehabilitation therapies and collaborative care with other medical specialists. Ideally, after treatment, you will have:
- Enhanced quality of life: The objective is to improve your overall well-being, including better emotional and psychological health.
- Improved mobility: Physical medicine and rehabilitation uses physical rehabilitation and exercises to help you regain movement and function in the affected area.
- Maximized independence: Physical medicine and rehabilitation can help you achieve a higher level of function and learn to use assistive devices.
- Reduced pain: Rehabilitation therapy can effectively manage chronic pain without relying heavily on medications.
With physical medicine and rehabilitation, you can receive comprehensive care. Physiatrists look at the whole person, considering physical, emotional and social factors that may impact recovery. Physiatry focuses on conservative treatments, minimizing the need for invasive procedures. Treatment plans are also tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Conditions Treated by a Physiatrist
Physiatrists are trained to treat a wide range of conditions, including:
- Amputation and phantom limb pain
- Car accident injuries, such as whiplash
- Chronic pain conditions, such as complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain
- Musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis, neck pain and chronic lower back pain
- Neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke and traumatic brain injury
- Pediatric developmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida
- Sports injuries
- Work-related injuries
Physical rehabilitation can also be an important part of postsurgical recovery, helping you regain strength and function after surgery.
How Physiatry Works
Physical rehabilitation is a journey that requires patience, dedication and a collaborative approach between you and your healthcare providers. The process typically involves:
- Clinical evaluation and diagnosis
- Development of a personalized treatment plan
- Regular rehabilitation therapy sessions, home exercise programs and medical intervention as needed
- Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of the treatment approach
- Gradual progression toward increased independence and function
- Education and support for long-term management and prevention
Everyone’s journey through physical medicine and rehab will be different. Some people may need extensive physical and occupational therapy, while others may benefit from shorter-term treatment.
Common Treatments Used in Physiatry
A physiatrist uses a variety of techniques and treatments, including:
- Advanced diagnostic imaging and procedures, such as discogram
- Assistive devices, including braces, prosthetics or wheelchairs, that can aid in mobility
- Injections such as corticosteroid injections for pain relief
- Medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs or pain relievers, to manage symptoms
- Electrodiagnostic testing, such as electromyography (EMG), to diagnose neuromuscular disorders
- Occupational therapy to help you learn how to perform daily activities
- Physical therapy, tailored exercises that can improve strength, flexibility and mobility
Your physical medicine and rehabilitation team can also connect you with other providers to help you cope after a traumatic injury, along with community resources that provide support for people with a disability.
Make an appointment with a Summit Orthopedics provider to learn more about whether our physical medicine and rehabilitation program could help you.
