Physiatry restores function
UBMD Ortho highlighted that physical medicine physicians focus on restoring function across brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, bones, joints and muscles — the post framed physiatry as the multi‑system option for non‑surgical impairment care UBMD thread.
UBMD reports that more than 80 percent of patients in its orthopaedics practice are treated non‑surgically (ubortho.com). The group’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation page notes physiatrists at UBMD bring specialized training and coordinate therapies across clinical settings rather than relying on operative fixes (ubortho.com). Physiatrists routinely use electrodiagnostic testing — EMG and nerve‑conduction studies — to precisely locate nerve or muscle dysfunction before choosing a treatment pathway (hss.edu). Targeted procedures commonly offered by PM&R clinicians include chemodenervation with botulinum toxin and phenol for focal spasticity as well as image‑guided injections for pain control (aapmr.org). UBMD frames those PM&R services as part of an integrated team that pairs physiatrists with physical therapists, athletic trainers and surgeons across its network, including roles as team physicians for local pro teams like the Buffalo Bills and Sabres (ubmd.com). Their university‑affiliated sites also train residents in ultrasound‑guided techniques and other non‑operative interventions used by physiatrists (medicine.buffalo.edu). National specialty guidance underscores the same approach: AAPM&R consensus documents and spasticity guidance support botulinum toxins, phenol and other focal interventions as standard options within PM&R care pathways (onlinelibrary.wiley.com). Patient‑facing resources likewise list physical therapy, medications and procedural injections as core, non‑surgical PM&R strategies for restoring function and reducing disability (webmd.com). UBMD’s public materials show multiple clinic locations, online scheduling and a patient portal for appointments and follow‑up, signaling local accessibility for referrals to PM&R within the system (ubortho.com).