The physicians at Valley Sports and Spine specialize in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Their proven methods identify the root of your pain and prevent further injury.  

Are you struggling with pain in your neck, back, or knees? Have you been back and forth to your regular practitioner but still have no idea what is causing the discomfort? Have you considered being evaluated by a function expert? You may be surprised to find that osteopathic medicine can offer you the relief you have been looking for and so much more.

What is a Function Expert?

Physiatrists, also called function experts, specialize in the nerve, muscle, and bone functions of the body. Another way of stating this is to say that they are experts in how the body moves. While a general practitioner may be looking specifically at your aching knee, a function expert will be looking at your back, hips, and ankles simultaneously and watching how they are all working together in support of your knee.

Why Movement Matters

The body is a machine with many working parts that all have a job to do. Like a machine, if one part starts to get worn out and stiff, it can cause a chain reaction of stress throughout the system. The bones, muscles, nerves, joints, and connective tissue are all an interconnected system that work together to produce movement. If a specific area begins to have trouble the body will naturally compensate and attempt to shift the stress to another area. An example of this is a runner with knee pain. Once evaluated by a function expert it is identified that the runner is actually suffering from a stiff ankle. The ankle’s limited motion when running is putting extra stress on the knee. Once identified, specific exercises can be very effective at restoring the ankle’s mobility and eliminating the knee pain.

Why Choose Rehabilitative Medicine?

Rehabilitative medicine is about more than just your specific injury. Physiatrists evaluate each patient as an individual. Diagnosis and treatment of an ailment involve learning about the patient’s lifestyle and hobbies and understanding how their life is being affected by their current limitations. Understanding a patient’s daily activities can help the practitioner find clues to the greater cause of the ailment. Additionally, this type of consideration helps to create a treatment plan that can accommodate the patient’s lifestyle and hopefully allow them to continue conducting their favorite activities. Patients get the satisfaction of knowing that not only is their chief complaint being addressed but that they also are reducing their risk for further injuries.

For more information about function experts, please visit our website at http://valleysportsandspine.com and find out what Valley Sports & Spine Clinic can do for you!