Physiatrist

[Guest guest]

Physiatrists' specialty is geared to adaptive living or controlling chronic

pain/disabilities. They differ from Physical Therapists who do

rehabilitation.

I'm sorry to hear of the headache with the insurance . Insurance

companies are so frustrating, most decisions are made by unknowledgable

staff. I was a medical office manager for years, you can't believe the second

guessing the insurance's did. My current doctor resigned from all insurance

plans because he grew tired of them treating his patients and making

recommendations over his. Keep your chin up! I'm sending my best thoughts

your way!

Ilene

[Guest guest]

Dove,

I am 37 and am seeing my second physiatrist at a pain clinic. I have found

it nice to see someone who is focused soley on easing your pain. They acess

you and have many different therapys to choose from like physical therapy or

shots. I have received cortisone trigger point injections in my back. For me

it

is a short term answer but that problem is for your rheumy to figure out.

Good luck and I think it's a positive step.

[Guest guest]

Have any of you tried to see a physiatrist? (Doctor of physical medicine and

rehabilitation.) I have and she is the best for coping with mobility issues and

also for therapy. It's a real upper to find someone who is interested in how

your body works! See if you can get a referral to one.

[Guest guest]

Where do you live? I am in the San Diego area and would love to find a good

physiatrist! Did you get a referral from another doctor? Also, does insurance

cover physiatrist visits?

Karon

[Guest guest]

To all those who have seen my rants in past years, feel free to skip

this latest addition to rant 462 -- See a Rehabilitation Specialist!

I will go so far as to say your primary CMT physician should be a

Rehabilitation Physician.

All specialists look through invisible blinders that limit their

vision to their specialty. The main goal for the doctor and his office

staff is making sure any co-pay is forthcoming, and to enter the

correct HIPPA Diagnostic Codes into your records to guarantee maximum

payment from third-party insurance. The medication choices offered are

usually old tried-and-true (read cheap here) or the newest whiz-bang

drug just dropped of the the pharmaceutical detail person (read

well-dressed, young, and beautiful here).

A rehabilitation physician has a single goal in their practice -- how

can I help this patient adapt and live the fullest life possible

within the limits of his(her) disease.

That's all.

Rehabilitation specialists have no idea about the normal ranges of

axonal nerve latencies. The do have ideas and experience in helping

patients cope with footdrop, neuropathic pain, falling milk bottles,

and a beer gut that just won't go away.

The rehab specialist is interested in life, not pathology. Between

visits the see what part of everyday life has deteriorated since the

last visit, what positive changes have appeared through bracing,

through exercise,through orthotics, through physical and/or

occupational therapies.

A secondary benefit accrues by visits to the rehab specialist -- a

realistic understanding that compared the the C6 quadriplegic you

visit with in the waiting room, my life is really not that bad.

Reading through recent posts some unrealistic expectations exist

within the group. I have come to terms that I will never -- NEVER --

be cured. The Medical equipment we use every day WILL NOT MAKE US

WHOLE AGAIN! The drugs we take, the exercises we do WILL NOT MAKE US

WHOLE AGAIN. All the CMT research being done today may help children

and adults in later generations, but IT WILL NOT MAKE ME WHOLE AGAIN.

All we can hope to achieve is a better quality of life than we would

have without the equipment, drugs, exercises, etc.

This life is pretty good when lived within the limitations -- THE

LIMITATIONS -- we all have and not pine for the autumn days when I

rode my horses behind 60 foxhounds hours and hours for the pure joy of

being outside.

Now I must choose activities that include rest periods or even rest

days between them. Of course this is limiting, but if I never went to

a Picasso exhibition because due to the walking and standing I won't

be very strong the next day, my life would truly be limited.

The limitation won't be due to my crippling(I'm not disabled. I'm

crippled) disease, but due an inability to accept life as it is.

Go see a rehabilitation specialist to discover ways to live a fuller life.

--Larry

BTW -- Every time I wrote the word " rehabilitation " I misspelled it.

The Google Spell checker is one of those life aids I use so others

think I am a really great speller! Hell, I even misspelled " misspelled " !

[Guest guest]

Right on, Larry!

[Guest guest]

 Karon:)

To all those who have seen my rants in past years, feel free to skip

this latest addition to rant 462 -- See a Rehabilitation Specialist!

I will go so far as to say your primary CMT physician should be a

Rehabilitation Physician.

All specialists look through invisible blinders that limit their

vision to their specialty. The main goal for the doctor and his office

staff is making sure any co-pay is forthcoming, and to enter the

correct HIPPA Diagnostic Codes into your records to guarantee maximum

payment from third-party insurance. The medication choices offered are

usually old tried-and-true (read cheap here) or the newest whiz-bang

drug just dropped of the the pharmaceutical detail person (read

well-dressed, young, and beautiful here).

A rehabilitation physician has a single goal in their practice -- how

can I help this patient adapt and live the fullest life possible

within the limits of his(her) disease.

That's all.

Amen Larry!

Rehabilitation specialists have no idea about the normal ranges of

axonal nerve latencies. The do have ideas and experience in helping

patients cope with footdrop, neuropathic pain, falling milk bottles,

and a beer gut that just won't go away.

The rehab specialist is interested in life, not pathology. Between

visits the see what part of everyday life has deteriorated since the

last visit, what positive changes have appeared through bracing,

through exercise,through orthotics, through physical and/or

occupational therapies.

A secondary benefit accrues by visits to the rehab specialist -- a

realistic understanding that compared the the C6 quadriplegic you

visit with in the waiting room, my life is really not that bad.

Reading through recent posts some unrealistic expectations exist

within the group. I have come to terms that I will never -- NEVER --

be cured. The Medical equipment we use every day WILL NOT MAKE US

WHOLE AGAIN! The drugs we take, the exercises we do WILL NOT MAKE US

WHOLE AGAIN. All the CMT research being done today may help children

and adults in later generations, but IT WILL NOT MAKE ME WHOLE AGAIN.

All we can hope to achieve is a better quality of life than we would

have without the equipment, drugs, exercises, etc.

This life is pretty good when lived within the limitations -- THE

LIMITATIONS -- we all have and not pine for the autumn days when I

rode my horses behind 60 foxhounds hours and hours for the pure joy of

being outside.

Now I must choose activities that include rest periods or even rest

days between them. Of course this is limiting, but if I never went to

a Picasso exhibition because due to the walking and standing I won't

be very strong the next day, my life would truly be limited.

The limitation won't be due to my crippling(I'm not disabled. I'm

crippled) disease, but due an inability to accept life as it is.

Go see a rehabilitation specialist to discover ways to live a fuller life.

--Larry

BTW -- Every time I wrote the word " rehabilitation " I misspelled it.

The Google Spell checker is one of those life aids I use so others

think I am a really great speller! Hell, I even misspelled " misspelled " !