Jim is 55 years old and enjoys playing golf on the weekends. This past Saturday, he didn't warm up enough and felt a sharp pain in his low back after teeing off. He got an appointment with his doctor on Tuesday, and the pain has persisted. Jim has been here before.
Back pain is the second most common reason that patients go to see their doctor.
I'm Dr. Alan Doyle, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Fortunately for most people, back pain will subside with rest and medication. Jim, on the other hand, is concerned about the numbness he feels in his thigh, and his right ankle is weak. His primary care doctor makes a referral for Jim to a physiatrist. No, not a psychiatrist - a physiatrist, or specialist, in physical medicine and rehabilitation.