Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) provides non-surgical orthopaedic care to reduce pain, restore mobility, and improve quality of life. By focusing on non-operative solutions, PM&R helps patients recover from acute injuries, manage chronic conditions, and regain independence without invasive surgery.

Symptoms & Conditions Addressed

• Pain & Discomfort: Chronic or acute pain in the back, neck, shoulders, knees, joints, or pelvis.
• Nerve & Muscle Issues: Nerve pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms.
• Mobility & Strength Loss: Weakness, stiffness, and impaired range of motion.
• Injuries & Disorders: Sports injuries, work-related accidents, auto trauma, concussions, fractures, soft tissue injuries, bursitis, tendinitis, arthritis, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and pediatric congenital conditions.

Treatments

• Bracing & Casting: Custom braces to stabilize weak joints and casting to immobilize fractures and soft tissue injuries.
• Medication: Targeted prescriptions to control inflammation, nerve pain, and muscle spasms.
• Injections & Spine Interventions: Corticosteroid injections, epidural steroid injections, and nerve blocks to deliver localized anti-inflammatory relief.
• Regenerative Medicine: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapies to stimulate natural tissue repair.
• Therapeutic Programs: Specialized concussion rehabilitation, pediatric physical therapy, and personalized exercise programs to build strength and flexibility.

Risks

• Complications of Delayed Care: Unaddressed injuries (such as concussions or fractures) risk long-term functional impairment or chronic pain.
• Re-injury: Improper rehabilitation or lack of structural support can strain tissues and cause further joint or muscle damage.
• Daily Impact: Unmanaged symptoms can lead to reduced mobility, decreased workplace performance, and declining quality of life.

Interventional Pain Management Near Greater Philadelphia

Targeted Pain Treatment Starts with Identifying the Likely Source

Persistent pain can interfere with movement, sleep, work, exercise, and everyday activities. Through our orthopaedic and physical medicine and rehabilitation services, we evaluate spine, joint, muscle, and nerve pain before recommending a treatment approach.

Interventional pain management uses targeted, minimally invasive procedures as part of an individualized care plan. Rather than applying the same treatment to every condition, our physicians work to identify a likely pain generator and determine which options fit the patient’s symptoms, medical history, prior care, and goals.

Call us at (855) 678-4624 to schedule a consultation and discuss whether an interventional pain evaluation may be appropriate.

Symptoms & Triggers

Pain patterns provide important clinical information. Symptoms may be localized or radiating, constant or activity-related, and described as aching, burning, shooting, or throbbing. Numbness, tingling, weakness, stiffness, or pain that changes with movement or position can also help guide the evaluation.

Common reasons patients seek an interventional pain evaluation include:

• Acute or chronic overuse sports injuries
• Orthopaedic conditions affecting the spine, muscles, and joints
• Post-surgical pain and nerve inflammation

Clinical Examination & Diagnostic Testing

An evaluation may include a review of when the pain began, where it travels, what worsens or relieves it, and which treatments have already been attempted. Physical and neurologic findings are considered alongside relevant diagnostic imaging and other studies.

X-rays, MRI, and ultrasound can provide information about structural findings. Electromyography and nerve conduction studies, commonly called EMG/NCS, assess muscle and nerve function when nerve involvement is suspected. No single test identifies every source of pain, so imaging and test results must be interpreted together with the patient’s symptoms and examination.

Interventional Pain Management Treatments

Treatment selection depends on the suspected pain source, diagnosis, prior response to conservative care, medications, health history, and potential benefits and risks. A procedure that may be appropriate for one pain pattern may not address another.

Options that may be considered include:

• Epidural and Fluoroscopically Guided Injections: Image guidance helps position medication near a suspected source of inflammation or pain. Depending on the diagnosis, this category may include epidural, corticosteroid, hyaluronan, or trigger-point injections.
• Peripheral Nerve Blocks: An analgesic, steroid, or combination may be placed near a targeted nerve or nerve branch. A nerve block may provide temporary relief and can sometimes help clarify whether that nerve contributes to the symptoms.
• Radiofrequency Ablation (Rhizotomy): This procedure applies controlled thermal energy to selected nerves that transmit pain signals. It may be considered after diagnostic evaluation identifies a suitable pain pathway.
• Spinal Cord Stimulation: An implanted device delivers mild electrical impulses that alter pain signaling. This option requires careful patient selection, counseling, and procedural planning.
• Acupuncture and Osteopathic Manipulation: These complementary approaches use needle stimulation or hands-on manipulation. Whether either approach belongs in a treatment plan depends on the condition and clinical evaluation.

Physicians Who Evaluate Persistent Pain

Our interventional pain physicians evaluate how symptoms, examination findings, and diagnostic information fit together before discussing procedures. Michael Lee, MD, focuses on spine care and non-operative rehabilitation within physical medicine and rehabilitation and interventional pain management. Additional physicians listed under this service include Richard Balotti, Jeffrey Berger, Larry Chou, Pamela Hale, Anthony Hanna, and Matthew Schaeffer.

Risks & Safety Considerations

Potential risks vary by procedure. They may include temporary soreness, bleeding, localized infection, medication reactions, short-term nerve irritation, temporary numbness or weakness, worsening pain, or injury to nearby structures. Before a procedure, patients should discuss medications and health conditions that may affect planning, including blood-thinning medication, diabetes, active infection, pregnancy, and allergies.

Some symptoms require prompt medical assessment rather than routine pain-management scheduling. These include new or worsening weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever with severe back pain, pain after major trauma, or rapidly progressing neurologic symptoms.

If persistent pain is limiting your daily activities, our physicians can evaluate its pattern and likely source before discussing targeted treatment options.

Call (855) 678-4624 to schedule a consultation with the interventional pain physicians at Premier Orthopaedics.