Looking for a physical medicine & rehabilitation doctor in San Diego?
Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups is your source for a list of San Diego’s most knowledgeable physical medicine and rehab specialists. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) is the medical specialty concerned with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of physical injuries and disorders. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist doctors, or physiatrists, are particularly concerned with health conditions related to the muscles, nerves, bones, and brain that may produce permanent or temporary impairment. These disabilities may include conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system such as neck and back pain, sports injuries, or other painful conditions affecting the limbs, or they may be the result of neurological trauma or disease such as spinal cord injury, head injury, or stroke.
When should you see a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician? One of the most common reasons to see a PM&R specialist is if you have had an accident causing injury, or if you have a chronic condition that has left you with pain or is affecting your daily life. Another reason is for post-surgery or post-stroke recovery. Cases of extreme obesity or simple old age may cause a person to be unable to exercise or make exercise difficult. A physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor is able to assess your condition, dismiss any serious medical illnesses, and develop a treatment plan to get you moving comfortably again.
Physiatrists have expertise in the appropriate use of therapeutic exercise, prosthetics, orthotics, and mechanical and electrical devices. A physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist may also prescribe pain medication, recommend stretching techniques, and use massage for short-term pain relief. By supervising your rehabilitation team and working with other health care specialists, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician will specially design a treatment program personalized to you.
