Physical Medicine
& Rehabilitation

Physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, or physiatrists, are specialty-trained in an area of medicine focused on nonsurgical care for bone, joint, and muscle injuries, conditions, and diseases. Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists take a holistic, personalized approach to care, trying to treat all aspects of the pain or limitation that may be affecting their patients.

Physiatrists typically make a diagnosis after imaging like an X-ray or ultrasound. These nonsurgical specialists also often use electrodiagnostics, such as nerve conduction studies, to isolate the source of pain. After diagnosis, a physiatrist will develop a custom treatment plan with multiple approaches. This may include exercises, physical therapy, and injections. Additional treatment methods may include advanced interventional spine procedures, such as nerve blocks, to reduce or eliminate pain.

Should You See a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Doctor?

It may be time to see a doctor if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Chronic pain in the neck, back, joints, legs, or arms
• Neck or back pain
• Numbness or weakness in the hands or feet
• Sharp or dull pain that shoots down the arms or legs
• Weakness in the arms or legs

These problems may indicate that you should see our specialist, who has expertise in:

• Diagnostic ultrasounds
• Landmark and ultrasound-guided injections
• Viscosupplementation injections
• Nonoperative fracture care
• Interventional pain procedures
• Nerve block and ablation procedures
• Nerve conduction study/electromyography
• Osteopathic manipulative medicine
• Botox injections for spasticity
• Prosthetic and orthotics
• Sports concussion care

Specialized Interventional & Rehabilitative Care You Can Trust in Johnson City

Our specialty-trained physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor at Appalachian Orthopedics, Dr. Matthew Lamagna, has a full understanding of the spine's anatomy and is dedicated to delivering an exceptional level of spine care. Our spine specialist will apply his expertise directly to your situation to guide you toward treatments that help reduce pain and restore you to optimal health. Our doctor always carefully considers nonsurgical options first before recommending surgery. Early on, he may take X-rays so that he can further study the spine or area of concern to determine which nonsurgical treatment may be right for you, such as physical therapy or injections. If surgery is ultimately needed, rest assured that our surgical team is specialty-trained in orthopedics and will use their advanced skills along with our state-of-the-art technology to perform a surgical procedure that can help reduce or eliminate your pain and help you regain your strength and function.

Working alongside our physiatrist, our licensed physical therapists provide a full and comprehensive set of outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation services. They treat each patient's problem individually through an evaluation to design a specific treatment plan with the overall goal of restoring function and enhancing one's quality of life.

If your pain is keeping you from living an active life, we're proud to offer access to an orthopedic specialist whenever you need it. Schedule an appointment online or call our Johnson City office for a consultation with our expert physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor to diagnose and treat your issue.

For those acute injuries that can't wait, we also offer the following ways to be seen today: 

• Walk into one of our Orthopedic Urgent Care clinics at our Bristol Regional Medical Center or Johnson City office. No appointment needed.
• To be seen by a doctor on the same day, call your desired office.
• Chat with an orthopedic specialist 24/7, 365 days a year with our free OrthoCareNow service.