There’s much that can happen to you to make living life more difficult. Diseases and injuries often leave behind reminders. These can be in the form of scars, musculoskeletal damage, brain or nerve injuries, occurring alone or in combinations. In severe cases, you’re left with functional disabilities, voids in the skill sets that you once took for granted.
This is where physical medicine and rehabilitation should enter your life. Physical medicine is a specialty devoted to overcoming functional limitations to restore your independence and enjoyment of life with as little impact from your health condition as possible.
Balance Wellspace is a medical practice that specializes in physical medicine. Led by Dr. Jennifer Walker, they offer their patients an integrated wellness center serving the Roanoke area. The office provides a collaboration between chiropractic care and traditional medicine to create a total treatment experience for those in their care.
The role of physical medicine
Patients who come under the care of a physical medicine practitioner may have had a stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, cardiopulmonary issues, cerebral palsy, arthritis, neuromuscular or musculoskeletal disorders. One common factor is that their conditions can’t be cured in a conventional sense.
Another common trait is that their condition interferes with daily life. You may have difficulty getting dressed or feeding yourself. Getting around may be hard, or you could have problems remembering things or organizing your thoughts.
A physical medicine specialist is the leading caregiver for such a patient. Typically, your condition may already be diagnosed and treated directly. It’s now up to the physical medicine practitioner to assess your abilities and devise a treatment plan targeted toward restoring lost skills or mobility and maximizing the quality of life, matching the best course of treatment to you, your condition, and your lifestyle.
A broad range of expertise
Naturally, with such a large range of coverage, your physical medicine practitioner requires an extensive overview of illnesses, injuries, and even how these progress over time, since your quality of life depends both on your needs for today and the future.
It’s tempting to confuse physical medicine with physical rehabilitation, given the similarity of the names. While physical rehabilitation is often part of the patient’s treatment, it’s a sub-specialty and physical therapists usually aren’t doctors, while physical medicine practitioners are.
Similarly, you may work with rehabilitation specialists or functional ability counselors. Since your condition could create unique conditions for you, your care must be designed and coordinated just for you. Think of your physical medicine practitioner as your medical “contractor,” providing their own specialty care while also coordinating your treatment with other services and specialties.
Dr. Walker and the team at Balance Wellspace consider the complete health picture for every patient under their care. You get the attention and treatment you need to maximize your wellness, no matter what your age, present health, or past conditions.
Contact Balance Wellspace in Roanoke, by phone or by using the appointment request link on this page. You can learn more about what physical medicine offers you for a better quality of life. Book your consultation today.