When pain disrupts your life, surgery isn’t always the solution. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) doctors – also known as physiatrists or pain management physicians – specialize in treating musculoskeletal and nerve-related conditions using non-surgical methods. Their goal is to reduce pain, restore function and help patients get back to the activities they love.
At OrthoIndy, these doctors are often the first step in a patient’s journey to recovery. They take a whole-body approach to care, designing personalized, non-operative treatment plans for conditions that affect the spine, joints and nerves.
“Many people hear the term PM&R or physiatrist and aren’t quite sure what it means,” says Dr. Ron Miller, OrthoIndy physiatrist. “In simple terms, it’s a specialty focused on treating patients with all types of pain,” he says. “I’m board certified in pain management and primarily see patients with spine-related issues – neck pain, back pain, sciatica and pain that travels down the arms or legs, often caused by pinched nerves.”
PM&R physicians offer a broad range of treatments to diagnose and manage pain, including:
- Epidural steroid injections: reduce inflammation around spinal nerves to relieve neck, back, arm or leg pain caused by spinal stenosis or disc herniation.
- Facet joint injections: target inflammation in the small joints of the spine to relieve chronic back or neck pain.
- Joint injections: ease arthritic pain in the hips, shoulders or knees to improve mobility.
- Spinal cord stimulator trials: place a device in the spinal canal to help manage nerve-related arm or leg pain.
- EMG and nerve conduction studies: Evaluate how well your nerves and muscles are functioning and help predict recovery from nerve injuries.
- Trigger point injections: relieve painful muscle knots contributing to chronic discomfort.
- Non-opioid medication management: control chronic pain safely as part of a broader treatment plan.
- Physician-directed physical therapy: strengthen muscles, improve function and enhance quality of life.
PM&R doctors aim to treat the source of pain and avoid unnecessary procedures by offering comprehensive care. They often collaborate with orthopedic surgeons and other specialists to ensure the best possible outcome for each patient.
“The first thing is a thorough history and finding out what’s been done in the past so we’re not repeating things that may not have worked,” said Dr. Miller. “Patients are evaluated thoroughly to find exactly where their pain is coming from.”
This thorough and collaborative approach is what sets OrthoIndy apart. As one of the most established and largest orthopedic practices in the Midwest, OrthoIndy brings together physiatrists, physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons and researchers to ensure the most comprehensive, coordinated care possible.
Learn more about how OrthoIndy’s team can help you live with less pain by visiting orthoindy.com/physiatry.
