While certain conditions may be common, the way these conditions affect you as an individual will vary.That's why a physiatrist's diagnosis not only identifies your condition, but also how the condition affects your particular mobility and the corresponding impact to your activities of daily living. Common conditions treated effectively by physiatrists include…
Symptoms: |
Neck pain, stiffness, loss of normal range-of-motion |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Cervical Strain/Sprain |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Ice, moist heat, electrical stimulation, Tylenol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), range-of-motion exercises, isometrics |
Symptoms: |
Neck pain, spasms, stiffness, loss of normal range-of-motion |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Cervical Spine Disc Herniation (HNP) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Cervical traction, muscle relaxant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), ultrasound, electrical stimulation, range-of-motion exercises, isometrics |
Symptoms: |
Spasms, pain radiating to back of head - ear or shoulders, painful range-of-motion of spine or shoulder |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Myofascial Pain Syndrome (upper trapezius muscles) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Trigger point injections, moist heat, myofascial massage, electrical stimulation, muscle relaxant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), TENS unit |
Symptoms: |
Neck pain with pain,tingling, numbness, pins/needles, dysesthias, parasthesias down the arm |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Cervical Radiculopathy |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Cervical spine traction, muscle relaxant, NSAID, isotonic strengthening exercises to the affected limb, TENS unit, other oral meds (AED - i.e. Lyrica, Neurontin; SNRI - i.e. Cymbalta, Effexor; TCAs - i.e. Elavil, Pamelor), Epidural cervical spine steriod injections |
Symptoms: |
Neck pain, stiffness, loss of normal ROM |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Cervical Spine Spondylosis (Osteoarthritis) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Cervical spine ROM, cervical isometrics, ultrasound, electrical stimulation |
Symptoms: |
Back pain, stiffness, loss of normal ROM |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Cervical Spine Spondylosis (Osteoarthritis) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Cervical spine ROM, cervical isometrics, ultrasound, electrical stimulation |
Symptoms: |
Low back pain, stiffness, loss of normal range of motion (ROM) |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Lumbar Strain/Sprain |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Ice, moist heat, electrical stimulation, Tylenol, NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), ROM exercises, isometrics |
Symptoms: |
Low back pain, spasms, stiffness, loss of ROM |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Lumbar Spine Disc Herniation (HNP) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Lumbar traction, muscle relaxant, NSAID, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, ROM, isometrics |
Symptoms: |
Low back pain with pain, tingling, numbness, pins/needles, dysesthias, parasthesias down leg |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Lumbar Radiculopathy |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Lumbar spine traction, muscle relaxant, NSAID, isotonic strengthening exercises to the affected limb, TENS unit, other oral meds (AED- i.e. Lyrica, Neurontin, SNRI - i.e. Cymbalta, Efffexor, TCAs - i.e. Elavil Pamelor), Epidural lumbar spine steroid injections |
Symptoms: |
Spasms, muscle pain with specific trigger or tender points |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Myofascial Pain Syndrome (gluteal/piriformis muscles) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Trigger point injections, moist heat, myofascial massage, electrical stimulation, muscle relaxant, NSAID, TENS unit |
Symptoms: |
Low back pain, stiffness, loss of normal ROM |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Lumbar Spine Spondylosis (Osteoarthritis) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Lumbar spine ROM, lumbar isometrics, ultrasound, electrical stimulation |
Symptoms: |
Pain - especially with overhead reaching and lifting |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Rotator Cuff Tendonitis (Shoulder Strain) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Moist heat, relative rest, NSAID, ultrasound, eletrical stimulation, ROM exercises |
Symptoms: |
Pain - especially with ROM in abduction and external rotation, weakness in abduction, flexion and external rotation |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Rotator Cuff Tear |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cortisone injection to subacromial bursae, theraband isotonics, shoulder girdle muscles, NSAIDs |
Symptoms: |
Anterior shoulder pain, pain with shoulder adduction |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Shoulder Sprian (acromioclavicular sprain) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Steroid injection in glenohumeral joint, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, ROM, theraband isotonics shoulder girdle muscles |
Symptoms: |
Anterior shoulder pain - especially with shoulder flexion and passive shoulder extension |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Bicipital Tendonitis |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
Ultrasound, peritendinous steroid injection to biciptal tendon area |
Symptoms: |
medial/lateral elbow pain worsened with ROM, forearm pronation/supination |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Elbow sprain (medial collateral ligament/lateral collateral ligament) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ice, relative rest, prolotherapy injections to ligaments |
Symptoms: |
medial elbow pain especially with wrist flexion with ulnar (medial) deviation |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer's Elbow) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, electrical stimulation, NSAID, wrist isotonics in flexion, extension, peritendinous steroid injection at medial eplcondyle, elbow strap, prolotherapy injections to medial epicondyle tendon (wrist flexion tendons) |
Symptoms: |
medial elbow pain especially with wrist flexion with wrist extension |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, electrical simulation, NSAID, wrist isotonics in flexion & extension, peritendinous steroid injection at lateral epicondyle, tennis elbow strap, prolotherapy injections to lateral wrist extensions at lateral epicondyle |
Symptoms: |
medial elbow/forearm pain, tingling, numbness, pins & needles, weakness in the hand/wrist |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Ulnar Neuropathy (cubital tunnel syndrome) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, NSAID, digiflex isotonics to hand intrinsic muscles,cortisone injection to cubital tunnel |
Symptoms: |
pain, numbness, tingling, pins & needles sensations in outer half (radial aspect) of hand - exacerbated by hand/wrist repetitive motions (i.e. - typing, knitting, manual hand work (fine finger grasping) |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, myofascial release to carpal tunnel fascia, resting wrist splint, NSAID, tricyclic antidepressants, AED/NSRI (relief of neuropathic pain ), steroid injections to carpal tunnel |
Symptoms: |
dorsal thumb/wrist pain - especially with grasping objects, turning down a handle, squeezing with hand |
Possible Diagnosis: |
deQuervains Stenosing Tenosynovitis |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, NSAID, thumb splint, relative rest, peritendinous steroid injection to thumb abduction/extension tendons, TENS unit |
Symptoms: |
dorsal wrist pain - especially with flexion/extension |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Transverse Fibrocartilaginous Complex Tear (TFCC Tear), Dorsal wrist ligament Tear |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, TENS unit, ROM, theraband isotonics wrist flexors, prolotherapy injections to dorsal wrists ligaments |
Symptoms: |
medial knee pain/lateral kneepain, feeling of an unstable knee |
Possible Diagnosis: |
MCL/LCL sprain |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ice, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, NSAID, relative rest, prolotherapy injections |
Symptoms: |
pain behind knee cap, positive Theatre sign (having the need to fully extended the knee after prolonged sitting with knee flexed beyond 90 degrees) |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Chondromalacia Patella (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, electrical stimulation, McCommell Taping , short arc quadriceps isotonics, static streching hamstrings - illiotibial band, NSAID, steroid injection (retropatellar) |
Symptoms: |
buckling, locking of the knee, retropatellar knee pain, knee pain with turning/twisting of the knee |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Meniscus Tear |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, NSAID, steroid, steroid injection, prolotherapy to knee (intraarticular), quadriceps isotonics |
Symptoms: |
pain along medial aspect of tibia (shin), body habitus, obese, genu valgus (knocked knee), feet pronated (flat feet) |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Pes Anserine Bursitis |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound/phonophoresis, shoe orthotics to properly align flat feet (pes planus), steroid injection to bursae |
Symptoms: |
knee pain, at rest/activity, swollen knee |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Osteoarthritis |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound, Tylenol, NSAID, steroid injection, prolotherapy injections, quadricep isometrics/isotonics |
Symptoms: |
pain, swelling, painful galt, decreased ROM |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Ankle Sprain |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ice, electrical stimulation, ultrasound/phonophoresis, NSAID, prolotherapy injections |
Symptoms: |
medial foot pain, numbness, tingling, weakness on foot inversion |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound/phonophoresis, foot muscle/ankle theraband isotonics, steroid injections to tarsal tunnel, NSAID, AED/SNRI (for neuropathic pain) |
Symptoms: |
pain along medial arch/sole of foot, soreness of foot with walking |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Plantar Fascitis |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound/phonophoresis, TENS, NSAID, steroid injection to plantar fasciae |
Symptoms: |
pain along the plantar aspect of foot (balls of the toes) |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Metatarsalgia |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound/phonophoresis, arch supports, NSAID |
Symptoms: |
heel pain on heel strike during gait |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Heel Spur (calcaneal spur) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound/phonophoresis, NSAID, TENS, steroid injection, heel pad in shoe/arch support |
Symptoms: |
toe pain(1 st toe), skeletal deformity dorsal aspect of toes rubbing against top part of shoe causing reddening |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Hammer Toes/Bunion (Hallus valgus) |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
orthotic support/structural devices, streching of feet & toe ligaments |
Symptoms: |
posterior heel pain - epecially with push off during gait cycle |
Possible Diagnosis: |
Achilles Tendinitis |
Physiatric Treatment Options: |
ultrasound/phonophoresis, NSAID, Achilles tendon strap, relative rest, oral steroid |
Your pain condition has propbably affected your quality of life. Not only have you been affected physically but mentally as well. Your mood has changed and you've fallen into deep depression, suffering anxiety, and irritability.
MSR doctors are dedicated to healing through pain management in order to acheive a better quality of life.