What Is Physiatry?
Physiatry, also known as physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), focuses on enhancing and restoring functional ability and quality of life to individuals with physical impairments or disabilities. Physiatric treatment for your spine, nerve and or musculoskeletal pain includes a comprehensive nonsurgical approach. The approach focuses on enhanced diagnostic evaluation using clinical exam, imaging, electrodiagnostic studies (EMG, nerve conduction) and diagnostic injection blocks as well as treatments including directed physical therapy, non-opioid medications and basic to advanced therapeutic procedures.
Common Neck and Back Procedures
Cone Health OrthoCare physiatrists specialize in a variety of nerve and spine procedures including:
- Electrodiagnostic Testing (Nerve conduction and EMG) – Physician provided testing to determine type, location and severity of nerve damage to help further guide treatment.
- Fluoroscopic Joint/MSK Injections – Precision guided diagnostic and therapeutic injections for Hip, Shoulder, Knee, Sacroiliac joint injections and various tendon and bursa injections.
- Epidurals and Selective Nerve Root Blocks – Fluoroscopically guided, in office, spine injections for Cervical (Neck), Thoracic and Lumbar spine generated nerve pain.
- Facet Joint/Medial Branch Blocks - Fluoroscopically guided, in office, spine injections for Cervical (Neck), Thoracic and Lumbar spine generated arthritic pain.
- Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) - minimally invasive procedure that involves injecting a cement-like substance into a fractured vertebra to stabilize the bone.
- Sympathetic Blocks – Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar and Pelvic injections for complex regional pain syndrome.
- Spinal Cord Stimulation – Spinal cord stimulator trials for chronic back and leg pain that has not responded to other treatment.
Signs You May Need to See a Neck, Back or Spine Specialist
- Do you experience persistent or severe neck, back, or spine pain that does not improve with rest or over-the-counter medications?
- Are you limited in your range of motion in the neck or back?
- Do you have numbness or tingling in the arms or legs?
- Do you feel weakness in the arms or legs?
- Is there a history of cancer, osteoporosis, or other conditions that may affect the spine?
- Have you had trauma or an injury to the neck or back, such as a car accident or sports injury?
- Do you have scoliosis, a condition in which the spine curves abnormally?
- Are you experiencing chronic conditions such as stenosis, arthritis or disc herniation?
