Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)
Pain Management Medicine
Physiatry, also known as Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), is a medical specialty focused on restoring function and relieving pain in patients with musculoskeletal, neurological, and mobility impairments. At the Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies, our experienced PM&R doctors use advanced non-surgical treatments to diagnose and manage conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, muscles, and joints, helping you regain independence and improve quality of life.
What is Pain Medicine?
Since the sensation of pain can vary from person to person and what helps relieve pain in one individual may not be as helpful to another, the practice of pain management uses an array of treatment methods. This is because the pain experienced can vary from mild to excruciating, episodic to continuous, and be inconvenient to completely incapacitating. If the pain is severe or is not going away, a pain management solution can be developed by a doctor experienced in pain management. Using skill and medical insights, pain management doctors listen to their patients then find solutions that will help the patient. Pain medicine physicians also have many injection-based tools to offer to help to ease painful conditions.
When to Plan a Visit?
- Joint pain that won’t go away
- Pain even when you’re not bearing weight on or using the affected joint
- Pain that intensifies at night or after bed
- Pain when bending or flexing a joint
- Shooting or stabbing pain that appears unexpectedly
- Numbness or tingling sensations that occur frequently or all the time, especially if associated with weakness
- Pain that occurs every time you perform a specific activity
- Dull pain that prevents you from the activities you love
What Conditions Could be Treated?
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- Arthritis
- Chronic back pain
- Chronic muscle or joint pain
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Chronic neck pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome,
- Headaches
- Herniated discs
- Radiculopathy (pain radiating down your limb from your back or neck)
- Spinal nerve pain
- Sports-related injury pain
- Postsurgical pain
- Brachial plexus injury
- Lumbosacral plexus injury
- Pelvic floor pain
- Occipital neuralgia
- Nerve entrapment
- Carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome
What Procedures Our PM&R Physician’s Offer:
- Epidural steroid injections
- Types: Interlaminar, transforaminal
- Regions: Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, caudal
- Radiofrequency ablation (with diagnostic medial branch block prior to this)
- Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, knee
- Peripheral nerve stimulation
- SI (sacroiliiac) joint injections
- Facet joint injections/cyst aspiration
- Peripheral nerve steroid injections
- Occipital nerve, median nerve, sciatic, lateral femoral cutaneous
- Large joint steroid injections
- Shoulder, hip, knee
- Bursa injections
- Greater trochanteric, ischial, subacromial
- Ganglion impar block
- Trigger point injections
Our Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) Specialists
Looking for a PM&R doctor near you? At OCR, our board-certified physiatrists offer comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation services for patients of all ages. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or managing chronic pain, our PM&R specialists can help you get back to doing what you love.
Commonly Asked Questions
What is a Physiatrist?
A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). Unlike orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists focus on non-surgical solutions to reduce pain and improve function. They treat a wide range of conditions, from chronic back pain to nerve injuries—using therapies, injections, and personalized rehabilitation plans.
Why See a PM&R Doctor?
You may benefit from seeing a PM&R doctor if you’re experiencing:
- Chronic pain in your back, neck, or joints
- Muscle weakness or numbness
- Reduced mobility after an injury or surgery
- Neurological conditions that affect movement
Physiatrists are trained to diagnose and treat these issues holistically, without surgery, using evidence-based methods in physical medicine.
Recent News On Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)
