Physiatry Pain’s Best Kept Secret

Physiatry pain medicine

The history of Physiatry ( physicians specializing in physical medicine; residencies or fellowships in PM&R) dates back to 1946 in the World Wars era. Injured soldiers returning from active duty traumatic injuries such as spinal cord injuries, amputation, fractures, etc…

The Physiatry specialty was developed to enable doctors to identify their patients’ physical impairments and functional disabilities and then rehabilitate them back to improved functional independence, restoring them to healthy, productive lifestyles. Today, physiatry is used to treat patients suffering spinal cord injury, fractures, and chronic pain from work injuries, car accidents, and sports injuries.

How do we find PMR physiatrists who are board certified by the American Academy of Physical Medicine (AAPMR) and Rehabilitation and the American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM&R). Well these specialty doctors are located throughout the United States. You just need to know what to look for. New York & New Jersey pain specialists practicing acute and chronic pain management acn be searched by accessing painandinjury.com. Pain and Injury Doctors Musculoskeletal Resources (MSR) provides doctors specializing in sports medicine, physical therapy and rehabilitation, neck and back pain relief, carpal tunnel syndrome, work and auto-related injuries including disability assessment.

For more information on physiatry, visit www.painandinjury.com to begin living a pain free life. Physiatry, offers non-surgical treatments for pain. Physiatry is broken down into three major areas of medical care: diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and pain syndromes, electrodiagnostic medicine, and rehabilitation of patients with severe impairments. Physical therapy requires educating patients on how to utilizing proper exercises designed to improve posture, coordination, and stamina to avoid injury, as well as prescription medication management and interventional injections (Injections—also called nerve blocks—work to provide temporary pain relief) for chronic pain syndromes.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – Physiatry . Find Pain Specialists in  New York & New Jersey

CHRONIC PAIN IS REAL. YOUR NOT ALONE!

“My visit to the pain doctor today was disappointing. He said he could do the steroid block on my neck where the disk and the Spine was narrowing at c6-c7 but he couldn’t promise it would take away the pain. Frustrated, I cried. It’s hard for doctors to understand how someone can be in pain for 30 years. They don’t get it. I’ve been on hydrocodone for 15 years. He told me the best thing to do is to get off them bc he wasn’t prescribing pain meds. I Have severe fibromyalgia and CFS also. What good is a pain doctor that doesn’t prescribe pain meds? Now what are my choices ? Surgery is not an option unless the disks ruptures. What do I do? Who do I see?” Tina

As in Tina’s case, chronic pain is defined as a pain that has lasted more than three months.

DIAGNOSING PAIN

X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans, diagnostic injections or blocks are used by pain specialists in order to identify what’s causing an individuals pain. Interventional injections and blocks can be diagnostic and therapeutic at the same time. Doctors will use an EMG, to obtain information about the muscles and nerves in the body when diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome, a pinched nerve, radiculopathy, sciatica, neuropathies, and muscle diseases.

MSR Resources serving the east coast (NY/NJ) provides information on pain specialists that offer many procedures, that including epidural injections, facet blocks, Botox, trigger point injections, and electrodiagnostic testing. Their mission is to treat patients with trigger point injections, pinpointing muscular pain. If this don’t in treating pain, the next step would be to assess whether or not the pain is coming from a joint by performing diagnostic and therapeutic facet block injections.  If the patients report pain relief then procedures like epidural injections would be considered suggesting disc or nerve related problems.

THE EXAM – WHAT TO EXPECT

New patient consultations begin with reviewing the patients medical history and an examination. Dr. Michael Monfett, MD – Pain Specialist in New York will discuss the patient’s concern’s, diagnose the pain then suggest a treatment plan for that specific patient.

Brooklyn pain specialist Dr. David Delman specializes in treating traumatic injuries caused by car accidents or work-related injuries, is no stranger to performing independent medical evaluations? Dr. Delman one of New York’s top pain doctors provides patients with a work status evaluation.

Patients will find New York pain specialists like Dr. Stella P. Mansukhani, MD. in Washington Heights, NY pleasant by nature, compassionate  along with a caring staff that recognizes the importance of making ensuring  patients are comfortable, and relaxed. Dr. Mansukhani is the kind of physician who treats her patients with sensitivity, educating them on the available treatments that will allow a healthier pain free life. #painfreelife

Resources

  • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – A review of rehabilitative principles, modalities, and equipment needs in pain management https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/treatments/rehabilitation/physical-medicine-rehabilitation
  • Work-related pain and injury and barriers to workers’ compensation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15727981
  • History of the Specialty http://www.aapmr.org/about-physiatry/history-of-the-specialty