A disease, health condition, or injury can impair body function. Physical medicine and rehabilitation can assist your body in regaining its maximum position. Physical medicine comprises nonsurgical procedures that, when followed diligently, have been shown to improve quality of life.
Depending on your condition, physical medicine offers a variety of treatments. Read on to learn about the examples of physical medicine that can help you get back on track with your daily life.
What Is Physical Medicine?
Physical medicine, also known as physiatry, helps patients with health conditions achieve relief and improve their quality of life. A physiatrist is a medical doctor who practices this discipline.
Damage in any of the following areas may cause trauma in the body, requiring a rehabilitation plan to regain the normal function of various body parts:
- The nervous system, composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
- Musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, bones, tendons, joints, and ligaments
Some examples of conditions that physical medicine can treat include:
- Work-related injuries
- Sports-related injuries
- Pregnancy-related back pain
- Stroke
- Spinal cord injuries
- Brain injuries
- Nerve compression
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Joint pain
- Amputations or prosthetics
What Does Physical Medicine Address and How?
Treatments methods under physical medicine are typically nonsurgical. Nonetheless, they can significantly help the body recover to its normal state if the patient follows through consistently with the rehabilitation plan.
Depending on the illness, the physiatrist will focus on one or more of the different life areas when crafting your recovery and rehabilitation plan.
Self-Care, Physical Care, and Mobility
A physiatrist develops a personalized treatment program tailored to the patient’s needs. In this program, your ability to engage in activities of daily living (ADL) is used to assess the body’s normal function after an injury, becoming disabled, or reaching old age.
There are two types of ADLs:
- Basic ADLs. Daily self-care tasks such as dressing and bathing yourself
- Instrumental ADLs. Tasks enabling you to live independently, such as grocery shopping
Your treatment program will include appropriate physical care, including proper nutrition and medication. The physiatrist will ensure that you follow a regular and balanced diet.
Injuries or diseases can also result in limited mobility. A physical medicine doctor may recommend assistive devices such as a cane or wheelchair. Likewise, they will provide proper guidance and instructions for using any prescribed assistive devices.
Exercise and physical therapy also improve mobility and alleviate pain. They can strengthen muscles and help the brain remember how to process movements.
Pain Management
Living with an injury or health condition can be very painful. A treatment plan under physical medicine may include medications to ease the pain. In addition, your healthcare provider can recommend specialized physical therapy. Massage therapy, strengthening exercises, and stretches can help with pain management.
Mental Health and Family Support
Effective rehabilitation means taking care of the patient’s physical and mental wellbeing. The physiatrist can include psychological counseling in the treatment plan, if necessary. This can address your behavioral and emotional health concerns.
It would help if you were in a healthy environment to recover fully, so family support is necessary. A physical medicine doctor can help the patient’s family with essential lifestyle changes concerning the patient. They can educate your family about your condition and adaptive measures they can apply to help you.
Occupational Assistance
Physical medicine can touch on other aspects of your life, aside from health. The physiatrist can include vocational training in a rehabilitation program. This helps improve your competence in your profession, especially when your illness or injury has affected your work performance.
Physical Medicine Services in Watertown, NY
Physical medicine and rehabilitation use nonsurgical techniques to help patients with medical conditions or injuries adapt and resume normal functioning. A multi-disciplinary approach is necessary for recovery and disease management.
To restore your body’s maximum function despite your illness or injury, North Country Orthopaedic Group offers various healthcare services, including physical medicine and sports medicine. We use a holistic approach to treatment and patient care. Our team of board-certified physicians, including a physiatrist and physical therapists, can help you toward a successful recovery.
For inquiries or a consultation, call us at (315) 782-1650 or use our convenient online form to schedule an appointment today. Our main office is in Watertown, New York. We have an office in Lowville, New York. We look forward to providing you with care to keep you moving!
