Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

General or Other | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Medicine Field)


Description

Physical medicine and rehabilitation is a branch of medicine that aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities.

Specialization

The Pshysiatry is the medical specialty that deals primarily with the Rehabilitation of people with motor disorders. The physiatrist coordinates the rehabilitation team, which consists of multiple professionals from each of their specialties. He helps the patient to perform a more comprehensive training, ideally using trans-disciplinary model of care.

Diagnosis, Treatment and Benefits

Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to accurately pinpoint the source of an ailment. Their specific diagnostic tools are the same as those used by other physicians (medical histories, physical examinations, and imaging studies), with the addition of special techniques in electrodiagnostic medicine like electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction studies, and somatosensory evoked potentials. These techniques help the rehabilitation physician to diagnose conditions that cause pain, weakness, and numbness.

The rehabilitation involves the long-term care of patients with disorders of the central nervous system, such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Patients with amputations and orthopedic injuries are being also taking care of. The physician on the inpatient rehab unit has the job to oversee the care of these patients and work with a team of therapists and other staff to maximize the patients function. Although the interventions used will not cure patients, the goal of rehabilitation programs is to obtain the highest level of independence of their patients, taking into account their abilities and aspirations in life. ...