EP 6: Introduction to Physical Medicine

In this week’s episode, Dr. Agolli tackles chronic and acute pain. Dr. Agollis brings on a special guest, Dr. Warren, to speak on his chiropractic expertise. In this episode they cover:

1. What is the main cause of chronic or acute pain?
2. When is it appropriate to prescribe pain medication(s)?
3. What is chiropractic?
4. What does a chiropractor do?
5. What are the disadvantages to taking pain medicines?
6. How are athletes handled differently for their pain than those with chronic pain?
7. Is it true that we are what we eat?
8. What does gut health have to do with getting your body “aligned”?
9. What do you need to achieve optimal wellness?

Physical medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and disability by physical means such as manipulation, massage, exercise, heat, cold, electricity, radiation, and water. It also aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to people with physical impairments or disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, strokes or pain. Physical medicine is also known as physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) or physiatry ¹.

Chiropractic care is a form of complementary medicine based on the idea that your body can heal itself with the help of specific hands-on manipulations from a trained professional. These manipulations help realign your joints and can potentially lead to pain relief. Chiropractic treatment may help relieve pain from conditions affecting your bones, cartilage, connective tissue, joints and muscles. Chiropractic treatment often focuses on your spine but may focus on other parts of your body depending on the particular issue you’re dealing with ².

There are several different chiropractic techniques that you should be familiar with. Some of the most commonly used practices among chiropractors all over the country include Flexion Distraction which is used for several lumbar-spine conditions including lower back pain, disc injuries and sciatica ³. Other techniques include joint mobilization, muscle release, muscle stimulation and therapeutic exercises ⁴. Specific treatments may vary depending on the needs of each patient.