SIMED Rehabilitation Medicine practices what is known as Physiatry or Physical Medicine. Physical Medicine is centered around the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of disabling diseases, disorders, and injuries. 

Our Board Certified physicians offer a variety of non-surgical treatment solutions to back pain, joint pain, musculoskeletal injuries and more.
 

 

What Is a Physiatrist? 

A physiatrist is a medical or osteopathic physician specialist who focuses on medical conditions that can interfere with function, specializing in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). Their focus is on diagnosing, treating, preventing and mitigating the effects of illnesses that can cause disability. Their goal is to restore a patent’s function and their reintegration into all aspects of life, including the medical, social, emotional, occupational and vocational aspects. Their mission is to promote a person's quality of life and improve functional outcomes for individuals limited by disease, trauma, congenital disorders or pain.

What Do Physiatrists Treat?

This specialty cares for patients of all ages with acute and chronic conditions. Common conditions that are treated include:

• sport injuries
• work injuries
• personal injuries
• pain
• musculoskeletal problems like back and neck pain
• tendinitis
• pinched nerves
• osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia

They also treat people who have experienced catastrophic events resulting in:

• paraplegia
• quadriplegia
• traumatic brain injury
• strokes
• orthopedic injuries
• amputations
• cardiopulmonary debility

Neurologic disorders such as:

• multiple sclerosis
• polio
• ALS

They also perform diagnostic studies (electrodiagnosis) to determine conditions that result in body, head and extremity weakness, pain and numbness. They diagnose and treat conditions resulting in pain and functional impairment, using a multidisciplinary team approach. Although this list is not complete, one can see that physiatrists offer comprehensive care for people with diverse medical conditions. 

What Is The Training For a Physiatrist?

Typically the physiatrist will work with both inpatient and/or outpatient setting, in a holistic, comprehensive, team-oriented approach. To become a physiatrist a physician must complete medical or osteopathic school (4 years) and then attend an internship (1 year) of internal medicine, surgery or equivalent. Then they complete the PM&R residency (3 years). Some will further sub-specialize in spinal cord injury medicine, sports medicine, pain medicine, electro-diagnostic medicine, neuromuscular medicine, traumatic brain injury and pediatrics adding 1 to 3 more years to their training.
 

For more information please visit us at SIMED Rehabilitation Medicine or request an appointment online.