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Physical medicine and rehabilitation are specialties in which doctors (referred to as physiatrists) treat patients who need rehabilitation following neurologic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disorders. Medical conditions that are sometimes treated by physiatrists include the following: - Amputation
- Arthritis
- Brain Injury
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Muscular dystrophy
- Lymphedema
- Fibromyalgia
- Osteoporosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sports-related injuries
- Vestibular/balance disorders
- Stroke
For all of these medical conditions, there are typically three different areas of medical care. The first revolves around musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain syndromes where physiatrists attempt to rehabilitate their patients. Sometimes these injuries revolve around sports or are work related, so they take a long time of working through pain and degenerative conditions before a patient can experience some sort of relief. The second type of care is directed towards special training in electrodiagnostic medicine, which is used to evaluate neurological disorders. Electromyography is used as well as different nerve conduction studies. The third type of care involves rehabilitating severe impairments, like Parkinson’s disease, cancer, developmental disorders, severe trauma, brain injuries, and other severe disorders. This is intense rehabilitation and often involves months or years of work. For the treatments available in physical medicine in Alamo, TX, there are many different types. Some doctors will prescribe physical therapy for their patients, while others will prescribe medicine, prosthetic devices, and other assistive devices to help with pain, therapy or the treatment of other disorders. Some other things that they may prescribe include heat therapy, electrotherapy, massage, biofeedback, and other therapeutic exercises. Some will also prescribe occupational therapy or speech therapy for neurological disorders or physical pain. Some doctors will do additional training in spinal intervention to treat pain or nerve disorders, treated with Botox, nerve blocks, or intrathecal medication. Within the field of physical medicine, there are a few different specialties which include the following: - Hospice and palliative medicine: This type of medicine focuses on symptom management and end of life care for the elderly or those who have long-term illnesses. Usually, these types of specialists work in hospices.
- Neuromuscular medicine: This type of medicine is also a sub-specialty of neurology but includes rehabilitating people with diseases that impact the neuromuscular system.
- Pain medicine: Pain medicine is used for improving the way of life of those living with pain, whether chronic or symptomatic. There are many different treatment approaches to this, especially when the pain is unknown.
- Pediatric rehabilitation: Pediatric rehabilitation is a specialty in which doctors rehabilitate children with long term illnesses or condition.
- Spinal cord injury medicine: The spinal cord is an important part of the body, so this type of specialty focuses on preventing injury to spinal cord and fixing any injury that could happen.
- Sports Medicine: Sports medicine is a very common specialty and focuses on the treatment of common injuries that happen while exercising or during sports.
- Brain Injury Medicine: Lastly, brain injury medicine is medicine related to help people with brain injuries. This can be anything from a stroke to a long-term illness.
Careers in physical medicine in Alamo, TX, start with traditional medical school, which is 4 years of schooling--two years of actual schooling with lectures and tests, and two years of rotations, which involve visiting and practicing with doctors in hospitals. After this traditional schooling, graduated medical students will go to an internship, sometimes with the same hospitals they went to for rotations, and then will finish with three or more years of post-doctoral residency training. During this type of training, doctors will learn more from other doctors, training them on the minutiae of what it takes to assist patients. Overall, the practice of physical medicine and rehabilitation is one of much importance for so many different people that live in constant pain or are rehabilitating themselves from an injury.
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