Over the 25 years of private practice, I have been asked many times as to what exactly I do in my specialty. The doctors at CHARM are Physiatrists. Physiatrists are physicians (MD or DO’s) who have completed training in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), and may be subspecialty certified in Brain Injury Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, Pain Medicine, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and/or Sports Medicine.
Physiatrists can diagnose and treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons, depending on the focus of the practice.
In general, PM&R physicians:
-
Treat patients of all ages
-
Focus treatment on function
-
Have a broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime
-
Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, or disabling condition
-
Determine and lead a treatment/prevention plan
-
Lead a team of medical professionals, which may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician extenders to optimize patient care
-
Work with other physicians, which may include primary care physicians, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and many others.
-
Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
Depending on the injury, illness, or disabling condition, some PM&R physicians may treat their patients using the following procedures/services:
-
EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies*
-
Ultrasound guided procedures*
-
Fluoroscopy guided procedures*
-
Injections of spine *
-
Discography, Disc Decompression and Vertebroplasy/Kyphoplasty
-
Nerve Stimulators, Blocks and Ablation procedures—Peripheral and Spinal
-
Injections of joints*
-
Prolotherapy, PRP, Regenerative Medicine*
-
Spasticity Treatment (Phenol and Botulinum toxin injections*, intrathecal baclofen pump trial and implants)
-
Nerve and Muscle Biopsy
-
Manual Medicine/Osteopathic Treatment
-
Prosthetics and Orthotics
-
Complementary-alternative medicine (i.e. acupuncture, etc.)
-
Disability/impairment assessment
-
Medicolegal consulting*
(*Offered by Charm providers)
Yours in health,
Eduardo R Elizondo, MD, CLCP, FACSM
