“Prolo Your Pain Away”
Ross A.Hauser,M.D.
P.19
After world war ll many soldiers came home with disabilities including amputations and spinal injuries. Previously, these veterans would have died from infection, but due to the discovery of penicillin they survived their injuries. Unfornately, physicians had not been trained to care for those suffering from such disabilities. Out of this need eventually came the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or Physiatry.
PHYSIATRY
A doctor who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is called a Physiatrist (pronounced fizz-ee-at-trist). No, I’m not a Psychiatrist. Look again. PHYsiatrist. Currently, there are approxiamately 5,000 board-certified Physiatrists in the United States. Physiatry requires four years of residency training after medical school. Rotations in stroke, mutliple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, amputations, cardiac rehabilition, electromyography (EMG), spinal cord injury, neurology, sports medicine, orthopedic rehabilitation, and, of course, both acute and chronic pain management are all part of the residency program.
Physiatrists care for patients who suffer from a chronic or acute disease
that has affected their ability to enjoy life and perform daily functions. A stroke victim, for example, requires medical attention as well as rehabilitation. Difficulties in blood pressure control, urination, speech, and swallowing are common problems that result from a stroke. Rehabilation helps the patient relearn how to walk, talk, and live life. Unfornately, most people do not consult a Physiatrst because they do not know the profession exists. Even many Family Practice Physicains and Internists are unaware of Physiatry which is probably due to the fact that a rotation in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is not mandatory in medical schools. Physiatry is one medical field where a shortage of doctors exists. As man’s life-span increases and more people survive disabling diseases, more Physiatrists will be needed.