For most patients, conservative physical medicine approaches like physical therapy, manipulation, and massage are the best ways to treat musculoskeletal conditions safely and effectively. The team at Restorative Physical Medicine in Livonia and Novi, Michigan, are experts in physical medicine therapies and provide a wide range of additional treatments for chronic pain conditions. Call Restorative Physical Medicine today to find out more or schedule an appointment using the online booking form.
What is physical medicine?
Physical medicine is an approach to treating musculoskeletal disorders using nonsurgical therapies. In most cases, physical medicine is the first stage of treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, either alone or in combination with medication.
Why? Because physical medicine is the safest approach to treatment and is successful in the majority of cases. Only when physical medicine isn’t producing results, or in the few cases where surgery is the only effective treatment, would you move on to more invasive procedures.
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, massage, osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation, and the use of prosthetics and orthotics are all examples of nonsurgical physical medicine treatments.
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy promotes healing and improved function, using specific exercises and movements. Physical therapists are highly skilled in developing the ideal treatment plan for each patient, using exercises designed to strengthen healing tissues and prevent your muscles and joints from seizing up.
Physical therapy might require the use of gym equipment, or you might need to use other devices like exercise balls and resistance bands. Your physical therapy program might also involve treatments like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), laser therapy, or therapeutic ultrasound.
You could benefit from manual manipulation if there’s a misalignment in your spine, and complementary therapies like acupuncture can also help some patients.
Although many people find these treatments effective, other patients require additional interventions to recover.
What other treatments are used in physical medicine?
At Restorative Physical Medicine, the team specializes in using a range of interventions designed to improve function and reduce pain without the need for surgery. These treatments include:
- Trigger point injections
- Spinal injections
- Nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Joint injections
- Natural injectables (Traumeel® or Spascupreel®)
- Prolotherapy
- Stem cell therapy
- PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy
- Botulinum toxin injections
These treatments are mainly injectable. If other approaches aren’t successful, the team can also use minimally invasive procedures for persistent chronic pain, such as:
- Rhizotomy
- Disc decompression
- Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Dorsal root ganglion stimulation
Your provider uses the most advanced techniques to deliver these treatments. They use ultrasound or fluoroscopy guidance to ensure safety and accuracy when carrying out minimally invasive procedures like epidural injections.
You can find out more about physical medicine and its benefits by contacting Restorative Physical Medicine. Call today or book an appointment online.
