Guest KiminOrlando Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 Has anyone seen a Physiatrist? I had never heard of one. Clearly, I was not alone. I looked them up on the internet to find one near me and they seem to be as illusive as a unicorn. I called 5 local offices that the internet identified as Physiatrists and 2 that my GP gave me. NONE of them admitted to being Physiatrists- at least the staff didn't. One of them tried to refer me to a Psychiatrist, one to a Podiatrist. One of them had a hold message advertising that they WERE Physiatrists and when I pointed it out to the person I was talking to, she still said it was wrong and that they couldn't make the appointment. I gave up. Should I try to get back up on the unicorn or give it up for good? I don't have the energy to fight the system all of the time. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelloz Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 I see some listed in my area. I live near Kansas City. Keep trying...everything seems so difficult at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edriscoll Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 KiminOrlando I'm sorry and very confused that you are having that response. I saw a Physiatrist for many years and really found it very helpful. My understanding of physiatry is that it is a physician who specializes in the use of physical therapy and pain management to treat symptoms of illness. That is not an official description, it is the description my physiatrist gave me when I first started with him. I have scoliosis and other central nervous system and nerve damage, so going direct to a physical therapist or pain management clinic didn't really help me because they were either too cautious in treatment because they were afraid of the severity of my particular illness or they gave me the "standard" treatment that they would give anyone with pain and when I couldn't do the things they wanted me to or the treatment didn't help, they would just send me back to the doctor who originally prescribed the treatment. It was very frustrating. But when I was referred to the Physiatrist, I turned a corner in managing pain. The reason is that he was able to prescribe and monitor my treatment very specifically to me. For example - in working on core strengthening, most therapies would include some form of sit up or stomach muscle tightening exercises. I can't do anything like that because of the hardware along my spine. So he put me in a pool with floats and weights, etc. so that my exercise was just keeping my body upright. You'd be shocked at how much that worked! My point is, a physiatrist understands and treats the body holistically with very creative, specialized treatments. I live in NH or I would PM you with the name of my doctor - so the next best thing I can suggest, is to contact a local hospital that has a physical therapy department (I'd shoot for the most advanced hospital in your network) and try and speak to the head of the department. There is NO way a physical therapist wouldn't know about physiatry. They may be able to refer you to one or at the very least, help you find a therapist that operates under the same scope as a physiatrist does. I would be very specific about what you are dealing with and why a generic physical therapy plan won't be the best for you. I know it is incredibly frustrating, but for me, this was a battle worth fighting. Good luck and let us know how you make out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyGirls Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Hi Kim! Saw your post and although I've not gone to one, I have actually heard of them! My oldest, the one who is going in for surgery on Monday, was suggested by her pain doctor that she might benefit from a physiatrist. The only ones I found were at Stanford Medical Center. I know you are clear across the country, but the unicorns seem to be located at the major universities. I would imagine, unless a unicorn got out, that you wouldn't be able to find one outside of that parameter. Reading the post above, they sound like they could be very beneficial. My daughter's condition was too advanced for one, but maybe you might be able to keep your condition from getting to that point. Good luck to you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KiminOrlando Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 First, thanks for all of the feedback and encouragement. I finally caught a unicorn. I saw a Physiatrist. He has written a script for me to work with a PT group that also does acupuncture and has encouraged me to try that as well. I explained dysautonomia and my RA, so I hope the orders will reflect that. I have my evaluation with the Physical Therapist this week. I'll let you know how it goes. Evidently in Florida, Physiatry is mixed in with Pain Management practices. Not all pain management doctors are Physiatrists, so you have to get the right one. When I arrived at the office, I told the receptionist I was there to see the Physiatrist. She told me I was at the wrong place. She now knows what a Physiatrist is. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Posted August 7, 2017 Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 Hi Kim. I saw a physiatrist for pain in my hips. I have an old injury from military service that still causes me pain after 12 yrs. I have some osteoarthritis in my joints. The physiatrist I saw was at the VA. He tried to give me steroid injections in my hip to alleviate the pain. It didn't work and he referred me to PT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KiminOrlando Posted August 15, 2017 Report Share Posted August 15, 2017 I went to a Physiatrist. He referred me to a doctor for physical therapy and acupuncture. The PT doc gently touched my neck and was trying to make my headache go away. He hit a spot that nearly caused me to faint around the C1 C2. I guess that is where the craniocervical instability is and the pressure was on my brainstem. It happened so fast. After I recovered, he worked on my back with manipulation. They did acupuncture around my neck and back, then I went to the exercise room. I could barely stand up for the exercises. I left there feeling worse than when I went in. However, I slept better that night than I have in 20 years. That night I got very nauseous and didn't eat. The next day I was still nauseous and didn't eat. That night, I passed out in the shower washing my hair. Later I realized that I spiked a fever of 101.3. I'm on immunosuppressive drugs, so this raises an alarm. I'm toying with calling my GP. I wake up Thursday morning vomiting. This is now my 3rd day withou fluids. BP is ok sitting down. Can't get a reading standing. HR is 125 standing. 110 sitting O2 dropping to 91 intermittently. I made an appointment with a walk in clinic so I didn't have to wait (GP can't fit me in). Walk in clinic has my BP 134/82 standing and HR 135. I see the doc and he sends me to the ER. ER doc does CT to see of PT doc did something to brainstem. Nothing found. CT looking for bloodclot in lung because D dimer indicated possible clot- nothing. So, they decided it had to be sepsis again and started me on IV antibiotics and admitted me. I'm out now. Blood cultures showed nothing. Haven't eaten much but jello and yogurt in a week. Fever is gone. Tachy is well... normal for me. Nobody knows what happened. I'm supposed to go back to PT on Thursday and do all of this again. Do you think the PT triggered this episode? I'm still feeling weak. I was better before I went. I don't want to make things worse. Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted August 15, 2017 Report Share Posted August 15, 2017 I'm Soooo sorry! I can relate to almost all of what you said, I wish I had some great words of wisdom but haven't figured it all out myself. Something that did come to mind is, did you have a fever when they drew the blood cultures. I've had sepsis many times and twice they took quite a while to show up positive on blood cultures. Almost pointless to run without a fever, in my case anyway.... is there any other reason for you to have a fever? What about a flu or cold or something? Last time I had strep I had all the begining symptoms of sepsis, while we were contemplating hospital admission strep cultures came back positive. Praying you figure something out because I know you're miserable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KiminOrlando Posted August 16, 2017 Report Share Posted August 16, 2017 Hi Ancy. No, I did not have a fever when they drew the blood. Interesting. I had no signs of any kind of infection. The closest I could come was that one of my ears hurt intermittently. Not enough to say anything about unless we are looking for reasons for a fever. No stomach virus going around. They did urine cultures- just anything looking for an explanation. Then they let me leave after 4 bags of fluid and the fever pops back up, but lower, that night. Then it was gone. I really don't believe that acupuncture does much, but I tried it because the PT doctor the Physiatrist sent me to does. He wanted me to try it and I didn't want him to think I wasn't willing to try to get better. Now I'm starting to wonder if maybe it did do something. He warned me it would make me worse before I got better, but I thought he meant that I would be sore from the exercises. Could it have triggered a flare with dysautonomia or my Rheumatoid Arthritis? But hey, the good news is that my night sweats are gone, for now. At least that is something. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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