Physiatrist, pronounced ‘fiss-ee-at-rist’, is a physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation.  Physiatry is a medical specialty that focuses on the evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of patients whose functional abilities - physical and/or cognitive - have been impaired through accident or illness.  The goal of our physiatrists is to help patients achieve the highest possible level of function and quality of life.

Our board certified physiatrists accomplish this through the specialized practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation ( PM&R )... treating the many medical problems unique to disabled and impaired persons and by designing and managing individualized programs of rehabilitation therapy. Doylestown Buxmont Rehab's  Physiatrists prescribe a wide range of rehabilitation therapies and support services that include: physical, occupational, cognitive and speech therapies; psychological counseling, social and vocational services.  Physiatrists at Doylestown Buxmont Rehab also specialize in pain control and management, sports medicine rehab and musculoskeletal and spine medicine.

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More About Physiatry…

How Physiatry developed as a medical specialty

The types of conditions our physiatrists treat

The physiatrist's' role in treatment and rehabilitation

Special diagnostic tools

Physiatrists prescribe a range of treatments

Where physiatrists practice their specialty

Physiatrists Help Patients Improve Their Quality of Life

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How Physiatry developed as a Medical Specialty
The specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation ( PM&R ) began in the 1930s and initially focussed on musculoskeletal and neurological problems.  After World War II the specialty widened its scope in response to thousands of veterans who returned to the United States with serious disabilities and the need for help in finding a way to improve their functional abilities and quality of life.

The Advisory Board of Medical Specialties granted Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)  its approval as a specialty of medicine in 1947.

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The types of Conditions our Physiatrists treat
Physiatrists at Doylestown Buxmont Rehab are medical doctors who treat a wide range of problems and medical conditions resulting from injury and illness.  We are also responsible for the overall medical care of patients admitted as inpatients to the hospital rehabilitation centers at which we provide care.  The primary focus of our physiatrists is on restoring a patient's functional abilities and thereby improving the quality of life for patients and patients' families.

Typical injuries which may require the care of our physiatrists include automobile accidents, falls resulting in broken bones and dislocations, work related injuries and sports injuries.  Typical diseases requiring the care of our physiatrists include stroke, peripheral vascular disease, cardiopulmonary diseases, neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, arthritis and cerebral palsy. Doylestown Buxmont Rehab physiatrists also treat spine disorders; pain from injuries, illnesses and disorders of the muscles, back, joints and tendons; fibromyalgia, myofascial pain and chronic pain of various origins.
 

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The Physiatrists' Role in Treatment and Rehabilitation
Our physiatrists may treat patients directly, lead an interdisciplinary team, or act as a consultant. For example:*

A man is at home and moving some heavy furniture when he feels pain in his lower back and down his leg. He sees one of our physiatrists at Doylestown Buxmont Rehab.  The physiatrist  completes a thorough history and physical examination and performs the appropriate testing needed to make a diagnosis: herniated disc. Our physiatrist then develops an individualized treatment program, monitoring and adjusting it as required. In this example, the patient responds to the treatment and rehabilitation program and fortunately avoids the need for surgery.*

A young woman, while diving into a lake, strikes her head on the lake bottom and seriously injures her spinal cord.  This results in paralysis below her waist. After recovering from the initial trauma of the accident, she is transferred into the rehabilitation center.  One of Doylestown Buxmont Rehab's physiatrists assess her injury.  Then, with the patient and a team of health care professionals, our physiatrist designs a rehabilitation program.  While the young woman is in the hospital's rehabilitation center, our physiatrists treat the array of medical problems and issues that arise as the result of the spinal cord injury.  The physiatrist also leads the interdisciplinary team in the common goal of enabling the young woman to reach the highest possible level of functioning. In addition to the physiatrist, the team may include health care professionals such as certified registered adult nurse practitioners, registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, neuropsychologists, and vocational counselors.*

Our physiatrists also coordinate the selection and fitting of prosthetic and orthotic appliances such as 'artificial' limbs...legs, arms, hands and braces.
 

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Special Diagnostic Tools
In addition to the basic diagnostic 'tools' used by all physicians, our physiatrists are board certified in the use of special diagnostic techniques, most notably electrodiagnostic medicine: EMG - electromyography, NCS - nerve conduction studies, and somatosensory evoked potentials. These techniques help the physiatrist to diagnose conditions that cause pain, weakness, and numbness.

 

Physiatrists prescribe a range of Treatments
Our physiatrists provide a wide range of non surgical medical care and services. They may prescribe drugs or assistive devices such as a brace or artificial limb. They prescribe from among a variety of therapies such as heat and cold, electrotherapy, massage, biofeedback, traction and therapeutic exercises (physical therapy).  Doylestown Buxmont Rehab also specializes in pain relief and pain management programs - including interventional treatments: joint and lumbar injections (epidural and trigger point). Our physiatrists also use Botox injections to treat muscle spasticity.

 

Our Physiatrists work in a variety of settings
Doylestown Buxmont Rehab's physiatrists provide care and services at rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and nursing homes in lower and central Bucks County and Eastern Montgomery County Pennsylvania and in our private offices located in Doylestown, PA.
 

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Physiatrists Help Patients Improve Their Quality of Life
It is the goal of our physiatrists to restore patients to maximum functional capability and thereby help patients achieve the highest quality of life.  In most instances, the pursuit of this goal leads to dramatic and significant improvements.  In the hypothetical example above, a patient with a herniated disc is treated until he regains a high level of functional capability and is therefore able to avoid back surgery and its associated risks and possible complications.  Doylestown Buxmont Rehab's physiatrists also teach patients how to prevent injuries in the future.

Our physiatrists are concerned with all aspects of their patients' rehabilitation: medical, physical, cognitive, psychological, social and vocational.  Through this comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, our physiatrists strive for their goal of helping all patients achieve the highest possible level of function and the greatest possible quality of life for patients and patients' families.
 

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* The examples given are hypothetical.  They are not intended to represent any specific case or course of recovery, treatment or therapy. Most patients benefit significantly from rehabilitation although outcomes vary from one patient to the next and depend on a wide range of variables.  Some patients may not be appropriate candidates for rehabilitation.  A discussion of these factors is beyond the scope of this article.  Any of our physiatrists will be pleased to personally discuss these issues with you.
 
 

 

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