Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians, also known as “physiatrists”, or “Rehabilitation Medicine physician” treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting multiple body systems. PM&R physicians aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with pain, physical and cognitive impairments or disabilities by evaluating and treat injuries, illnesses, and disability. They are experts in designing comprehensive, patient-centered care by following a multidisciplinary approach.
PM&R physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions associated with disabilities. Some of the examples are: cognitive impairments, usculoskeletal abnormalities, gait abnormalities, swallowing problems, communication problems, muscle tone abnormalities, bowel and bladder regulations, pain, chronic wounds and pressure injuries, etc.
PM&R physicians work collaboratively with rehabilitation nurses, social worker, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, rehab psychologist addressing caregiving, mobility, activities of daily living like dressing, bathing and eating, educational and vocational, and lifespan issues.
PM&R care can be subdivided into following categories:
PM&R physicians design a treatment plan with interdisciplinary collaboration to facilitate functional improvement and reintegration into the community. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, PM&R physicians help patients stay as active as possible at any age. Their broad medical expertise allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.
PM&R physician carries out various interventional and pain procedures such as Trigger point injections, Intraarticular injections, nerve blocks, phenol block or botulinum toxin injections for pain, dystonia and spasticity, TCC for chronic ulcers, inhibitory casting, various corrective surgeries for deformities.
PM&R is often called the quality-of-life profession because its aim is to enhance patient performance. The focus is not on one part of the body, but instead on the development of a comprehensive program for putting the pieces of a person's life back together – medically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally – after injury or disease.
