Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, (PM&R), also called physiatry,  is the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries which affect the muscles, bones, and associated structures. Physicians that work in this specialty are called physiatrists. Through a coordinated treatment approach, our team of rehabilitation specialists provide integrated care in the treatment of all conditions related to muscles and bones, from traumatic injury to lower back pain. The problems we manage span the entire spectrum, from the most complicated multiple trauma to injury prevention for athletes.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation deals with the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal injuries with an emphasis on functional recovery. Holzer Physiatrists treat pain as long as the emphasis is on function, such as return to work, improved strength and improved independence with activities of daily living. They treat chronic injury and pain, but success is much better when patients are seen in the first month. Most patients with continued severe pain 4 weeks after an injury are likely to have some indefinite chronic pain. Treatment can be much more effective when these patients are seen within 4 to 7 weeks post-injury before the chronic pain behavior has set in.

Chronic pain affects an estimated 80 million Americans and is the third leading cause of physical impairment in the United States following cancer and heart disease. With nine locations and a multi-specialty medical team focusing on nerve, muscle, and bone injury/illness, Holzer’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department provides the highest level of medical care in the Mid Ohio Valley.

Our specialists take the time needed to accurately pinpoint the source of your pain. In addition to medical histories, physical examinations, and imaging studies; PM&R’s specific diagnostic tools include special techniques in electrodiagnostic medicine like electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction studies, and somatosensory evoked potentials (electrical signals generated by the nervous system in response to sensory stimuli). These techniques help to diagnose conditions that cause pain, weakness, and numbness. PM&R physicians also perform nerve blocks and utilize special injection techniques on a diagnostic and therapeutic basis.

Once diagnosed, we then design a treatment plan that can be carried out by you, the patient, or with the help of our medical professionals. Our interdisciplinary team includes board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors as well as non-physician health professionals such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and vocational counselors. The team is different for each patient based on diagnosis and changes during treatment to match the patient's need.

Our focus is on the development of a comprehensive program for putting the pieces of a person's life back together – medically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally – after injury or disease. From low back pain and herniated discs to carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, we seek to not only reduce and eliminate pain, but also to prevent its recurrence. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, we are able to reach our goal of helping patients stay as active as possible as long as possible.