Physiatrists and Pain Rehabilitation

Start with one definition. Cleveland Clinic states it plainly. A physiatrist is a doctor who manages conditions affecting your skeletal and nervous systems.

The same source gives you the second name to search for. Physiatrists are also called physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) doctors.

Together those lines give readers in Wayne one thing to remember. When you see PM&R, it means the same kind of doctor.

Articles on this topic

Pick the procedure or recovery you are facing.

• Hip Replacement Recovery Timeline: read it to see the order of recovery, then ask your care team for your own timeline.
• Diskectomy for a Herniated Disk: read it to learn the procedure's name and purpose, then ask what rehabilitation follows.
• Laminectomy to Relieve Nerve Pressure: read it before a consult, then write down your questions about recovery.
• Knee Replacement When Injections Stop Working: read it if injections are no longer helping, then ask what the next step looks like.

Directions from here

Rehabilitation often involves exercise-based care. To understand that part, read what physical therapy is and write down what you want from it.

Ask your clinician whether a physiatrist should be on your team. If you are in the Wayne area, bring a list of the activities you want to return to. For broader context, pain management information is a good place to keep reading.