With a focus on restoring function, a physiatrist can help you avoid surgery and get back to doing what you love to do.
When you’re living with osteoarthritis, chronic pain and difficulty doing everyday activities are reminders of your condition. After trying anti-inflammatory medicines, heat and ice, and other treatments without seeing improvement, you may wonder: Is surgery next?
Not so fast, say a set of physicians called physiatrists.
“Physiatry, also known as physical medicine and rehabilitation, is a medical specialty focused on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities or physical impairments, like osteoarthritis,” said Dr. David Kennedy, a physiatrist with the Vanderbilt Spine Center. “Physiatrists have completed a four-year residency after medical school to focus on treating conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. It’s our goal to focus on function, increasing our patients’ independence and well-being through treatments that do not involve surgery.”
Options for osteoarthritis besides surgery
When it comes to care for osteoarthritis, physiatrists play a major role in non-surgical care using state-of-the-art rehabilitation and treatments.
Take, for example, someone experiencing osteoarthritis in the knee. “We would evaluate the patient in the office to make the proper diagnosis, to be sure there are no other factors such as low back and hip issues or nerve and tendon issues that could be contributing to the pain,” said Dr. William Jones, a physiatrist with Vanderbilt Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “We then prescribe the appropriate medications and bracing for the patient’s knee osteoarthritis. We order and guide the patient’s physical therapy. We also perform ultrasound-guided knee injections for pain control to strengthen and improve range of motion in their knee.”
These injections may include corticosteroid injections, viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid) injections or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. “We determine when and what to use based on the patient’s pain level, how severe the osteoarthritis is, and overall functional goals,” Jones said. “We do our best to help the patient hopefully avoid surgery.”
Treating the “whole self”
“Physiatrists take a ‘whole-self’ approach to your care and can help you regain function physically and mentally,” Kennedy said. “Our rehabilitation services are supported by complementary therapies to improve your well-being. Our specialists do not simply focus on a single part of your body, but on your whole self, helping optimize your quality of life.”
“Some patients want to be able to stoop, lift and chase grandkids,” he continued. “Others want to be able to continue to participate in sports like cycling, running or the new favorite: pickleball. No matter what your goals are, having a physiatrist on your care team can help you set realistic, achievable goals and set you up for success.”
Your physiatrist will work closely with your orthopedic surgeon and internist, and can also refer you to research-backed integrative health therapies such as acupuncture, massage and mind-body counseling.
“The care plan you develop together will be highly individualized,” Kennedy said. “But there are a few things that are essential to every plan: strengthening and movement.”
If you are dealing with an injury, facing surgery or coping with chronic pain, Vanderbilt Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of care. Our specialists work with you from evaluation and “prehab” through physical therapy and, if needed, surgery. We’ll help you get back to doing the things you love, pain-free. To make an appointment, call 615-936-7846.
