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| Physiatrists Background & Education |
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Physiatrists are either an M.D. or D. O., a Medical Doctor or Doctor of
Osteopathy who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Essentially, physiatrists specialize
in a wide variety of conservative treatments for the musculoskeletal
system and do not perform surgery.
Physiatrists complete
four years of graduate medical education and four additional years of
residency training. Residency training includes one year spent
developing fundamental clinical skills and three additional years of
training in the full scope of the specialty. Many physiatrists choose
to pursue additional advanced degrees (M.S., Ph.D.) or complete
fellowship training in a specific area of the specialty, such as spine
medicine/musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
To become
board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiatrists
are required to pass both a written and oral examination administered
by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
(ABPM&R). The ABPM&R also has agreements with each of the
boards of pediatrics, internal medicine, and neurology to allow special
training programs leading to certification in both specialties.
Physiatrists
diagnose and treat both acute pain and chronic pain and musculoskeletal
disorders. They can order and interpret all types of spine imaging
(x-ray, CT myelogram, MRI, bone scan) and perform specialized nerve
tests (EMG, NEV, SSEP) to help assess the location and severity of
nerve damage. They commonly treat patients with any kind of back pain
or neck pain, work or sports-related injuries, fibromyalgia, myofascial
pain, arthritis, tendonitis, spinal cord injuries. Typical treatments
may include:
• Active physical therapy (e.g. exercise, stretching)
• Passive physical therapy (e.g. heat/ice, TENS units)
• Prescription medications
• Massage therapy
• Some perform interventional medicine (e.g. epidural steroid injections, selective nerve root blocks, IDET
Physiatrists
have varying degrees of specialization and may practice in
rehabilitation centers, hospitals, or private practice, and often
practice as part of an integrated spine treatment center. They focus on
keeping individuals as functional as possible and work to coordinate
the patient’s care.
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