Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. By taking the whole body into account, physiatrists are able to accurately pinpoint problems and enhance performance without surgery. They utilize cutting-edge as well as time-tested treatments to maximize function and quality of life for their patients across all ages.

a man in a blue shirt getting his shoulder examined by a doctor

What is Pain Medicine?

Since the sensation of pain can vary from person to person and what helps relieve pain in one individual may not be as helpful to another, the practice of pain management uses an array of treatment methods. This is because the pain experienced can vary from mild to excruciating, episodic to continuous, and be inconvenient to completely incapacitating. If the pain is severe or is not going away, a pain management solution can be developed by a doctor experienced in pain management. Using skill and medical insights, pain management doctors listen to their patients then find solutions that will help the patient. Pain medicine physicians also have many injection-based tools to offer to help to ease painful conditions.

When to Plan a Visit?

Joint pain that won’t go away
Pain even when you’re not bearing weight on or using the affected joint
Pain that intensifies at night or after bed
Pain when bending or flexing a joint
Shooting or stabbing pain that appears unexpectedly
Numbness or tingling sensations that occur frequently or all the time, especially if associated with weakness
Pain that occurs every time you perform a specific activity
Dull pain that prevents you from the activities you love

What Conditions Could be Treated?

- Arthritis
- Chronic back pain
- Chronic muscle or joint pain
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Chronic neck pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome,
- Headaches
- Herniated discs
- Radiculopathy (pain radiating down your limb from your back or neck)
- Spinal nerve pain
- Sports-related injury pain
- Postsurgical pain
- Brachial plexus injury
- Lumbosacral plexus injury
- Pelvic floor pain
- Occipital neuralgia
- Nerve entrapment
  - Carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome

What Procedures Our PM&R Physician’s Offer:

Epidural steroid injections
- Types: Interlaminar, transforaminal
- Regions: Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, caudal
Radiofrequency ablation (with diagnostic medial branch block prior to this)
- Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, knee
Peripheral nerve stimulation
SI (sacroiliiac) joint injections
Facet joint injections/cyst aspiration
Peripheral nerve steroid injections
- Occipital nerve, median nerve, sciatic, lateral femoral cutaneous
Large joint steroid injections
- Shoulder, hip, knee
Bursa injections
- Greater trochanteric, ischial, subacromial
Ganglion impar block
Trigger point injections