Various injuries and illnesses can cause damage to the body and impede movement, cause pain, or generally reduce your physical health. Physical medicine is the branch of medicine that focuses on rehabilitation, using a variety of medical and therapeutic procedures to restore your body to healthy condition. This guide will cover the primary types of physical medicine and describe the function and benefits of each one. Although physical medicine centers tend to be interdisciplinary, the specialists at these centers are usually trained in certain types of physical medicine and rehabilitation. The following are some of the most common types of injuries and health conditions that prevent people from living vital, active, and healthy lives.
1) Bone Health
One of the most popular branches of physical medicine is bone health. Bone specialists are experts in human skeletal structure and anatomy. They study the various ways in which injuries or disorders of the bones affect the rehabilitation and recovery process. One of the most common causes of bone health issues is an improperly healed fracture. With smaller hairline fractures, it is possible not to even know that a bone was ever broken. When bones are fractured, they almost always need to be reset and placed in a cast to prevent movement. Setting a bone ensures that it will heal properly and quickly. When a bone is improperly set or allowed to heal without setting at all, you will most likely need physical therapy to correct the damage. In some cases, physical therapy specialists will break an improperly healed bone again in order to reset the recovery process properly. Bone specialists frequently practice rehabilitation with victims of car accidents and sports injuries.
2) Joint Health
Joint health is another popular subfield of physical medicine. Whether you have joint issues as the result of an injury, long-term wear, or an arthritic condition, joint specialists can help you improve mobility and lessen the pain you experience. Physical therapists generally take a holistic approach to joint health. Your joint health specialist will likely ask you a variety of questions about your daily activities before starting you on a rehabilitation and recovery plan. Regular mild exercise is essential to joint recovery and rehabilitation, so the rehabilitation process will almost always begin with physical therapy. Physical medicine may involve the addition of pharmacological treatment as well as the exercises and stretches used in physical therapy, creating a comprehensive rehabilitation plan designed for maximum recovery.
3) Nerve Injuries
Nerve injuries are generally caused by physical trauma, but they may also be due to neurological conditions. Recovery and rehabilitation from nerve injuries is often difficult, and nerve health remains one of the most widely used forms of physical medicine. The nervous system is a complex part of the body, capable of sending impulses that make it feel as if a missing body part is still in pain or even triggering severe pain without any apparent cause. The recovery process can be aided by nerve specialists who understand the complex structure of the nervous system. Your physical medicine specialist will tailor a plan to meet your needs, whether your nerve problems are the result of an injury or another medical condition. This is one of the most exciting frontiers because neuroscientists are constantly making new discoveries that physical medicine specialists can use in treatment.
4) Pain Therapy
Pain therapy is a new and exciting branch of physical medicine that opens doors of recovery to patients with various pain disorders and injuries that were previously thought untreatable. The process of recovery and rehabilitation from a pain disorder can be long and difficult, but with help from the right physical medicine professionals, it is not impossible. Physical rehabilitation and recovery is a holistic branch of medicine that gives patients access to specialists in a variety of fields. Pain therapy is an interdisciplinary subfield of physical medicine, attracting knowledgeable specialists from all the branches of physical medicine that deal with pain. Through a blend of pharmacological treatment options, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes, physical specialists have seen encouraging results in the rehabilitation and recovery of their patients with chronic pain. Some physical medicine practitioners even use methods that can completely eliminate chronic pain, depending on the individual.
5) Sports Injuries
Sports injuries are one of the most common reasons for seeking treatment at a physical medicine center. Many people don’t take rehabilitation and recovery from sports injuries as seriously as they should. Athletes often shun rehabilitation treatment and prolong the recovery process unnecessarily by continuing to play while injured. Straining the joints, ligaments, muscles, and bones hinders recovery and makes rehabilitation even more difficult. To allow for proper rehabilitation and recovery, athletes must give their bodies a chance to heal from their injuries with adequate rest and physical therapy. Because the recovery and rehabilitation process can be so difficult for athletes, many choose to go through recovery in a physical medicine inpatient center vs. outpatient rehab because they can be regularly monitored. Recovery takes time, but checking into a physical medicine center can actually speed the rehabilitation process, because it forces injured people to take the time they need for recovery.
6) Congenital Conditions
In addition to medical problems that occur due to specific injuries, physical medicine also deals with congenital problems, or those that affect an individual from birth. Various diseases and disorders can affect the way your body works, causing distressing symptoms that limit your range of motion and inhibit your quality of life. Physical therapy is an ideal way to treat the movement issues that can be caused by congenital health conditions. Although many of these conditions are incurable, physical medicine provides numerous options for rehabilitation and recovery. It is possible to be in recovery from some of the more troubling symptoms of congenital illnesses through the help of a reliable physical medicine specialist.
7) Brain Disorders
Brain disorders are another common part of the physical medicine spectrum. Brain disorders often occur as the result of head trauma, tumors, surgery, or other forms of physical injury. Unlike psychological problems, brain disorders have a physical cause, so physical rehabilitation and recovery is almost always possible. The recovery and rehabilitation process involves working with a physical specialist who understands the various brain disorders and their causes. Recovery times vary depending on the severity of the disorder and the extent of the damage done to the brain. The brain is a sensitive organ, so rehabilitation for brain disorders is often more complex than rehabilitation in other areas of physical medicine. Physical specialists may work with other professionals to facilitate the recovery process and manage all symptoms, both physical and psychological.
8) General Physical Medicine
While some physical rehabilitation and recovery practitioners choose to specialize in one of the specific types of physical medicine and rehabilitation, others choose to become general practitioners of physical medicine. Physical rehabilitation and recovery is a diverse area of study, and general physical medicine practitioners see patients with a variety of issues, helping them with the rehabilitation process. Recovery is possible even if your issues stem from several different parts of the physical medicine spectrum. Finding the best rehabilitation treatment center or physical medicine rehabilitation program can be an important first step in your journey to recovery.
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