Rehabilitation medicine is a highly specialized field that demands extensive medical training, expertise, and experience to fully comprehend. Successful rehabilitation requires a motivated patient, a team of professionals led by a PM&R physician, and often times a caregiver or caregivers as well. The most inspiring patient populations can be found in rehab, where individuals work tirelessly to regain their independence and improve their quality of life.
Conditions that almost always benefit from consultation with a PM&R Physician:
Amputations
Complex sports injuries
Inflammatory polyneuropathy
Major multiple trauma
Movement disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders
Multiple sclerosis
Neurological conditions
Parkinson's disease & parkinsonism
Rheumatologic disorders
Spinal cord injury
Stroke
Traumatic brain injury
Conditions that typically benefit from consultation with a PM&R Physician:
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Acute pain
Alzheimer's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Ankle arthritis
Ankle instability
Ankylosing spondylitis
Arthritis
Arthropathy
Articular cartilage injury
Ataxia
Atypical Parkinsonism
Autoimmune neurological disorder
Auto-inflammatory diseases
Autonomic dysreflexia
Autonomic failure
Autonomic neuropathy
Avulsion injury
Axial spondyloarthropathy
Back pain
Baker cyst
Balance problems
Biceps tendinitis
Biceps tear
Bladder dysfunction
Bone cancer pain
Bowel dysfunction
Brachial plexus injury
Brachial neuritis (parsonage turner syndrome)
Broken elbow (rehab)
Broken wrist (rehab)
Bursitis
Cachexia
Calcific tendinitis
Cancer-related fatigue
Cancer-related pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
Cartilage injury
Central nervous system disorders
Central sensitization syndromes
Cerebral palsy
Cerebrovascular disease
Cervical spine deformity
Cervical dystonia
Cervical herniated disc
Cervical kyphosis
Cervical myelopathy
Cervical radiculopathy
Cervical spinal stenosis
Cervical spondylolisthesis
Cervical spondylosis
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP)
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
Claudication
Communication disorders
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Compression fracture
Concussion
Congenital hand deformities
Congenital myopathy disorder
Connective tissue disorders
Corticobasal degeneration (corticobasal syndrome)
Costochondritis
Critical limb ischemia
Cubital tunnel syndrome
De Quervain tenosynovitis
Degenerative brain disease
Degenerative disc disease
Delirium
Dementia
Demyelinating neuropathy
Demyelinating polyneuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy
Discogenic back pain
Disc disease
Dislocated elbow (chronic/recurrent)
Dislocated hip (chronic/recurrent)
Dislocated knee (chronic/recurrent)
Dislocated shoulder (chronic/recurrent)
Drug-induced myopathy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)
Dysarthria
Dysautonomia
Dysphagia
Dystonia
Elbow impingement
Elbow instability
Erectile dysfunction
Essential tremor
Facet joint syndrome
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
Fecal incontinence
Femoral neuropathy
Fibromyalgia
Finger instability
Flatfeet (pes planus)
Foot deformities
Foot drop
Foot injuries
Foot instability
Fractures (rehabilitation)
Fronto-temporal dementia
Frozen shoulder
Functional limitations
Functional movement disorders
Gait disturbance
Gait unsteadiness
Ganglion cyst
Gaucher disease
Generalized pain disorder
Golf injuries
Golfer's elbow
Gout
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
-see AIDP and related conditions above
Hamstring injury
Hand arthritis
Hand injuries
Head and brain injury
Head injury
Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN)
Hereditary motor neuropathy (HMN)
Hereditary motor-sensory neuropathy (HMSN)
Hereditary sensory neuropathy (HSN)
Hemiparesis
Herniated disk
Hip arthritis
Hip dysplasia
Hip impingement
Hip instability
Hip labrUM tear
Hip tendinitis
Huntington's disease
Hyperextended knee
Hypertrophic neuropathy (HN)
Iliotibial band syndrome (IT band)
Inclusion Body Myositis
Inflammatory arthritis
Inflammatory myopathies
In-toeing
Joint instability
Knee arthritis
Knee bursitis
Knee loose body
Knee pain
Kneecap subluxation
Kyphosis
Labral tear
Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) sprain
Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) tear
Leg length discrepancy
Leg pain
Ligament pain
Limb deformities
Limb difference
Limb girdle dystrophy
Limb loss
Lordosis
Lumbar herniated disk
Lumbar pain
Lumbar radiculopathy
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Lumbar spondylosis
Lumbosacral plexopathy
Lupus
Lymphedema
Malunion
Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain
Medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear
Median neuropathy
Meningioma
Meralgia paresthetica
Metabolic myopathy
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsophalangeal joint sprain
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
Minicore myopathy
Mitochondrial myopathy
Mononeuritis multiplex
Morton's neuroma
Motor neuron disease
Movement disorders
Multiple ligament injury
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Multiple system atrophy (MSA)
Multi-sensory imbalance
Muscle atrophy
Muscle spasms
Muscle strains
Muscle twitching
Muscle weakness
Muscular dystrophy
Myelopathies
Myoclonus
Myofascial pain syndrome
Myopathy
Myotonic dystrophy
Myotubular myopathy
Neck pain
Nemaline myopathy
Nerve compression syndrome
Nerve entrapment
Neural tube defect
Neuralgia
Neuralgic amyotrophy
Neuroblastoma
Neurocognitive disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders (adults)
Neurofibromatosis
Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
Neurogenic bowel dysfunction
Neurogenic claudication (pseudoclaudication)
Neurologic muscle weakness
Neuromuscular scoliosis
Neuromyelitis optica
Neuropathic pain syndromes
Neuropathies
Niemann-Pick disease
Non-traumatic myelopathy
Olecranon bursitis
Optic neuritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteochondritis dissecans
Osteochondroma
Osteopenia
Osteoporosis
Osteoradionecrosis
Overactive bladder
Palindromic rheumatism
Paraparesis
Paraplegia
Parkinsonism
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson plus syndromes
Patellar tendinitis
Patellar tendon tear
Patellofemoral instability
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Pelvis fracture
Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
Peripheral nerve disorders
Peripheral nerve injuries
Peripheral nerve tumors
Peripheral neuropathy
Periprosthetic fracture
Peroneal neuropathy
Persistent post-concussive symptoms (Post-concussion syndrome)
Phantom pain
Piriformis syndrome
Plantar fasciitis
Polymyalgia rheumatica
Polymyositis
Polyneuropathy
Polyradiculopathy
Post COVID syndrome
Posterior cortical atrophy
Posterior cruciate ligament injury
Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Post-knee surgery chronic pain
Postoperative pain
Post-traumatic arthritis
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS)
Primary progressive aphasia
Progressive supranuclear palsy
Pseudogout
Psoriatic arthritis
Pulled elbow
Quadriparesis
Quadriplegia
Radial neuropathy
Radiculopathy
Reactive arthritis
Rectal prolapse
Recurrent dislocation
Repetitive stress injury
Residual limb pain
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rotator cuff injury
Rotator cuff tear
Rotator cuff tear arthropathy
Rotator cuff tendinitis
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
Sacroiliac pain syndromes
Sacroiliitis
Sarcopenia
Scaphoid fracture
Scapuloperoneal muscular dystrophy
Scheuermann's kyphosis
Sciatic neuropathy
Sciatica
Scleroderma
Sclerosis
Scoliosis
Separated shoulder
Septic arthritis
Seronegative inflammatory arthritis
Sesamoiditis
Sever's disease
Sexual dysfunction
Shin splints
Shoulder disorder
Shoulder impingement syndrome
Shoulder instability
Shoulder subluxation
Skeletal dysplasia
SLAP tear
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Small fiber neuropathy
Spasticity
Spatial disorientation
Spina bifida
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy's disease)
Spinal compression fracture
Spinal cord injury
Spinal cord metastases
Spinal cord tumor
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
Spinal pain
Spinal stenosis
Spine deformity
Spinocerebellar ataxia
Spondyloarthritis
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylosis
Spondylotic myelopathy
Sports hernia
Sports injuries
Sprained ankle
Sprained finger
Sprained thumb
Sprains
Sprengel's deformity
Stress incontinence
Stiff Person Syndrome
Stroke
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Swollen knee
Syndromic scoliosis
Synovitis
Tailbone pain
Tardive dyskinesia
Tay-Sachs disease
Tendinitis
Tendinopathy
Tendinosis
Tendon pain
Tennis elbow
Tenosynovitis
Tension headache
Tension myalgia
Thalamic pain
Thoracic herniated disk
Thoracic myelopathy
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Thoracic radiculopathy
Thrower's shoulder
Thumb arthritis
Tinnitus
TMJ disorders
Torn meniscus
Torticollis
Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Transverse myelitis
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Traumatic injury
Tremor
Trigger finger
Trochanteric bursitis
Turf toe
UCL injury
Ulnar nerve entrapment
Ulnar neuropathy
Ulnar wrist pain
Upper back pain disorder
Urge incontinence
Urinary incontinence
Vasovagal syncope
Vertigo
Vestibular disorders
Vestibular migraine
Vestibular neuritis
Wrist instability
Wrist ligament injuries
Wrist pain
Writer's cramp