AZPTC FAQ

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), also referred to as physiatry, is a medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of persons of all ages with physical and/or cognitive impairment and disability. This specialty involves diagnosis and treatment of patients with painful or functionally limiting conditions, the management of comorbidities and co-impairments, diagnostic and therapeutic injection procedures, electrodiagnostic medicine, and emphasis on prevention of complications of disability from secondary conditions. Physiatrists are trained in the rehabilitation of neurologic disorders, diagnosis and management of impairments of the musculoskeletal (including sports and occupational aspects) and other organ systems, and the long-term management of patients with disabling conditions. Physiatrists provide leadership to multi-specialty teams concerned with maximal restoration or development of physical, psychological, social, occupational and vocational functions in persons whose abilities have been limited by disease, trauma, congenital disorders or pain to enable people to achieve their maximum functional abilities.

Acute pain is pain of a short, limited duration, usually the result of an injury, surgery or medical illness. Acute pain often goes away with the healing process. Chronic pain continues for longer periods of time, sometimes even a long time after the healing of the original injury is expected to have occurred. Chronic pain is also associated with frustration, depression and anxiety. Treatments for acute and chronic pain are often quite different.

Pain specialists are not only experts at treating pain but also at helping to diagnose the source of pain. They will conduct a physical examination and review your medical records in addition to analyzing the description of your pain. Sometimes supplemental diagnostic studies are helpful. More importantly, interventional pain physicians recognize the fact that precise cause of back pain is determined in only 15% of the patients based on all x-rays, CT scans, myelograms, MRI’s, EMG’s, nerve conduction studies, medical history and physical examination. With the help of modern technology and precision diagnostic techniques coupled with injections of small doses of local anesthetic (numbing medicine) close to the nerves (pain sources) or other structures under x-ray, we can determine cause of pain in at least 80% of the patients (vs 15%).

Yes, chronic pain may produce feelings of anger, sadness, hopelessness and even despair. In addition, it can alter one’s personality, disrupt sleep, interfere with work, burden relationships and even have a profound effect on other family members. It is normal to have psychological problems with pain.

Yes, chronic pain may produce feelings of anger, sadness, hopelessness and even despair. In addition, it can alter one’s personality, disrupt sleep, interfere with work, burden relationships and even have a profound effect on other family members. It is normal to have psychological problems with pain.