Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) is a medical subspecialty that involves the nonsurgical management of injuries and disorders. Physiatrists, or rehabilitation doctors, and PM&R specialists are experts who diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses that affect how you move. The physiatric approach to patient care looks at the whole person and not just one symptom or condition.

For people who are managing a wide range of physical disabilities or diseases or who have sustained a serious injury, therapy offered by a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor is often recommended.  A physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, also called a physiatrist or PM&R doctor, is not there to “cure” a patient but can help that person in a variety of ways, focusing on the best ways to help them improve function—from prescribing medications to administering pain injections to using other technology, such spinal cord stimulation. These treatments, when delivered by a skilled and knowledgeable physiatrist, often result in less pain and an increased ability to perform daily activities. If a patient requires surgery, the physiatrist will not perform the surgery him- or herself but instead will refer the patient to a specialist or surgeon who can help.

When You Should Visit a PM&R Doctor Near You

Symptoms offer clues to your condition. If you are experiencing any of the following, you should make an appointment with a doctor to have them assessed:

• Muscle spasms, shooting pain, or pain that comes on unexpectedly
• Muscle weakness that is affecting your ability to do daily tasks
• Ongoing pain after initial injury or an auto accident
• Ongoing pain after surgery or a medical treatment
• Tingling, pins and needles, or numbness in a limb or limbs
• Upper, mid, or lower chronic back pain

If you are currently experiencing any of these issues, you may be suffering from one of the following injuries or conditions that can be treated by our expertly trained physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors:

• Arthritis
• Head and brain injuries
• Injury of spinal cord or column
• Movement disorders
• Pinched nerves or dysfunction of the nerves
• Parkinson’s disease
• Spinal cord injury
• Sports-related injuries
• Stroke

Experience Excellence at Southern California Orthopedic Institute

Deciding on the best physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor to treat your condition or injury is important, and there is much to consider when choosing a physiatrist for your long-term health and pain relief.

At Southern California Orthopedic Institute, you can be confident knowing our fellowship-trained and specialty-trained physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors are knowledgeable medical specialists with focused training in a variety of orthopedic problems, treatments, and medicines. With this advanced training and extensive experience, our PM&R specialists will treat your individual condition with the highest level of expertise.

From our physical medicine & rehabilitation specialists (or physiatrists) and pain management specialists to our specialty-trained orthopedic surgeons, our specialists are skilled in delivering a wide range of treatments, medications, procedures, and techniques for a number of orthopedic conditions and injuries.

If you are ready for an expert opinion on your orthopedic issue and to discuss your nonsurgical treatment options with one of our physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, you can make an appointment online or call (818) 901-6600 or (661) 328-5565 for our Bakersfield location. We have convenient locations in Van Nuys, Bakersfield, Valencia, Simi Valley, Westlake, Beverly Hills, Burbank and Porter Ranch.