The physiatrist is also trained in writing specific
exercise programs tailored to the patient's needs. The emphasis is on
maintaining and increasing range of motion, muscular strengthening, improving
proprioception (awareness of joint position in space) muscle relaxation, and
aerobic fitness, all in the context of improving function. Examples might
include strengthening and enhancing proprioception in a runner's sprained
ankle, improving range of motion and preventing contracture in a spastic
spinal-cord-injured patient, or providing optimal cardiopulmonary fitness in
someone who has recently suffered a myocardial infarction.
Also available to the physiatrist is a host of assistive
and adaptive equipment including gait and mobility aids, environmental control
devices, communication aids, and various other tools to allow greater
independence, optimal safety, and decreased energy expenditure in activities
of daily living (ADLs).
One area of expertise is the selection and fitting of
wheelchairs and appropriate seating. The PM&R physician is also specially
trained to prescribe proper orthoses (e.g., upper and lower limbs, and back
bracing) and to recommend prostheses to amputee patients.
Much of the practice of
PM&R is built on the "team approach," a unique interdisciplinary
perspective on patient care. The patient's physical, functional, emotional,
and psychosocial well-being are all considered in treatment. The typical
members of a rehabilitation team, in addition to the physiatrist, might
include representatives from: |
