Physical Medicine: Who Benefits and How Does It Help?

In physical medicine, experienced professionals evaluate and treat abnormal biological functions resulting from injuries, disability, disease, or condition. The American physical therapy Association classifies physical medicine specialists as professionals experienced in diagnosing bodily abnormalities, restoring mobility and physical function, promoting physical activity and appropriate processes, besides maintaining physical position.

You can find a licensed specialist in physical medicine near you in various healthcare settings, including private practices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient offices, occupational settings, government agencies, and research centers.

What Can You Expect from Physical Medicine?

A physical medicine specialist helps care for patients in different phases of healing from initial diagnosis through restorative and preventive stages of recovery. Physical medicine may be a stand-alone option or may support other treatments.

Many patients are referred to the physical medicine specialist at the family health clinic Cypress, TX, by their healthcare providers. However, others seek therapy by themselves.

Patients approaching a specialist in physical medicine can expect to undergo a physical exam and evaluation, including their health history and some testing procedures to evaluate posture, movement, and flexibility besides muscle and joint motion performance.

Patients receive a clinical diagnosis, plan of care, prognosis, and short and long-term goals.

Patients can expect to receive physical medicine treatment and intervention depending on the specialist’s evaluation and diagnosis.

Self-management recommendations are available to patients from the specialist.

Patients frequently train with the specialist learning exercises they can perform at home, helping them function more effectively.

What Kind of Conditions Are Treated in Physical Medicine?

Specialists like Dr. Kelechi Azuogu treat various medical conditions as experienced professionals in the business. Some issues that benefit from physical medicine are the following:

• Hand therapy for issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger.
• Musculoskeletal dysfunction like back pain, rotator cuff tears, and temporomandibular joint disorders.
• Pediatric conditions like developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy.

Other problems that benefit from physical medicine include burns, diabetic ulcers, and wound care.

What Are the Benefits of Physical Medicine?

The benefits of physical medicine are numerous depending on the reason why the patient is seeking the treatment. Some of the advantages include:

• Pain management without the use of opioids.
• Avoiding surgery.
• Improved movement and mobility.
• Recovery from paralysis or stroke.
• Management of age-related medical problems.

Specialists working in sports medicine can help athletes maximize their performance by strengthening specific parts of the body to help using muscles in new ways. In addition, a healthcare provider or specialist in physical therapy can advise individuals on the benefits specific to their personal medical history and the need for treatment.

What Are the Strategies Used by Physical Medicine?

Like every other medical practice, different strategies are applied by physical medicine to treat various health conditions. For example, the family health clinic near you uses the following techniques to treat numerous health issues.

Neurological Physical Therapy: People with neurological disorders and issues like Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, cerebral palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, and stroke receive help from the clinic to increase limb responsiveness, treat paralysis and increase muscle strength by reducing muscle atrophy.

Pediatric Physical Therapy — Diagnoses and treats besides managing conditions affecting infants, children, and adolescents considering developmental delays, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and other conditions impacting the musculoskeletal system.

Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation: Men and women can seek treatment for urinary and fecal incontinence besides pelvic pain from injuries or surgery and other conditions.

Besides physical manipulation, physical medicine treatment involves:

• Ultrasound for promoting blood flow by heating the tendons, tissues, and muscles.
• Electrical stimulation using topical electrodes on the skin to alleviate pain and increase functional capability. Sometimes anti-inflammatory medicines help with electrical stimulation methods.
• Cold, heat, and moist heat therapy.
• Light therapy utilizing unique lights and lasers to treat some medical conditions.

The specialist in physical medicine recommends the most appropriate treatment for the patient according to their specific needs.

Finding a Specialist in Physical Medicine for Yourself

Finding an appropriate specialist in physical medicine may involve different factors, including insurance acceptance, specialty, and reason for treatment besides your geographical location. Insurance providers often have lists of physical medicine locations participating in specific health plans. Additionally, Various healthcare providers also possess lists of specialists in the area they recommend frequently. If you want to find a specialist in physical medicine, researching online is also an excellent option because accessing accredited medical professionals over the Internet is not challenging.