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What is a Physiatrist?
A
physiatrist (pronounced fizz-i-a-trist) is a specialist in the
field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM & R) and is one
of the 24 medical specialties certified by the American Board of
Medical Specialties. Board certified PM & R physicians have
graduated from medical school, completed four additional years of
residency training, and have passed the examinations of the
American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Physiatry provides the diagnosis and treatment of conditions
involving muscles, bones, nerves, and pain management. With the
goal of this medical specialty being to restore maximum
functioning, the physiatrist is concerned with all areas of
patient's lives including medical, social, and vocational.
The field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the only
medical specialty that has specific expertise regarding physical
therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and vocational
rehabilitation. To maximize patient's functional recovery, the
physiatrist performs a detailed history and physical examination
and then designs a specific physical therapy prescription
detailing the individual physical therapy modalities (heat, cold,
electrical stimulation, and traction) and detailed exercise
programs (range of motion, mobilization, and specific exercise
regimens). The prescription further specifies the weekly frequency
that the physical therapy prescription should be carried out and
for what duration.
The advantage that the physiatrist can give the patient is the
unique medical expertise that they bring to what physical therapy
can and should offer to not only restore, but to also preserve and
maintain optimum functioning. Physiatrists are function oriented
and proactive in using their skills enabling individuals to get
back to doing what they want to do as soon as possible.
Besides their physical therapy knowledge, physiatrists rely on
electromyography (EMG-NCV-SSEP), which are electrodiagnostic
methods of evaluating muscles and nerves to assess damage and
disease. Physiatrists are also technically skilled in their
ability to perform trigger point injections to relieve muscle
pain, joint, ligament, and tendon injections to alleviate
inflammation and pain in these structures, as well as nerve blocks
to decrease nerve pain. Physiatrists are also extremely
knowledgeable in judicious use of splints, braces, and ambulatory,
as well as activity of daily living devices including the specific
needs of the amputee, stroke, and closed head patients.
Few medical specialties encompass a wider range of expertise. The
physiatrist can treat any condition involving the bones, muscles,
and nerves, and few specialists see a patient population as varied
as that of a physiatrist - treating equally well the weekend or
professional athlete, degenerative arthritic patient, back and
neck pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome patient, as well as the
closed head or stroke patient.
Mark J.
Brennan, M.D. has been a physiatrist since 1988 and is Board
Certified in both Physician Medicine and Rehabilitation and is
Board Certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine as well. He has been
the Director of Wellness Physical Medicine Center since 1988.
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