Every Day
January - April 2006 Issue
Rehabilitation Physician Helps Patients
Maximize RecoveryAt Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, people suffering from back or neck pain have access to a physician specialist with advanced expertise in rehabilitation medicine. For patients, that means comprehensive medical management of the recovery process.
Feng Lu, MD, PhD, a Medical College of Wisconsin physiatrist, joined the team in August after specialized training in spinal injections and other procedures that help patients with spinal pain. She brings the latest techniques and rehabilitation strategies for patients with complex pain conditions. “My role is to maximize the function of the patient,” she says. “That means looking not only at the medical/physical side, but at emotional and psychosocial factors as well.”
When working with back/neck patients, Lu focuses on comprehensive pain management including physical therapy with appropriate exercises, medication management and spinal injections and nerve blocks in the right patient. Lu emphasizes the need to strengthen muscles to prevent reinjury: “Studies show almost 70 to 90 percent of people with a back injury injure themselves again.”
Source: Every Day Date: January - April 2006 Issue |