Physiatry and physical medicine # Physiatry in Chicago: Expert Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Guided by Science Physiatry, also called physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), is not a word most people grow up knowing, until they need one. A physiatrist is a physician who treats how your brain, nerves, muscles, and bones work together, without surgery, so you can move, think, and function as well as your condition allows. If a [brain injury](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/services/brain-injury-rehabilitation.html), stroke, or ongoing neurological change is part of your life, this is the medical specialty built around getting your function back. Dr. Kopp provides expert care guided by science, and sees patients in Chicago at two locations, East Loop and Lincoln Park. [Request an appointment](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/contact.html#appointment) (773) 312-4423 ## Evidence-based care tailored to your unique strengths and challenges Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or PM&R, is the medical specialty focused on function: how well you can move, think, communicate, and take care of yourself day to day after an injury or a change in your neurological health. As a physiatrist, [Dr. Kopp](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/team.html) looks at your whole nervous system and body together, because your symptoms are parts of one recovery. Brain injury medicine is a subspecialty of physiatry, and Dr. Kopp specializes in it. A physiatry visit goes past the diagnosis. Dr. Kopp builds a rehabilitation care plan that connects your medical management, your therapeutic coaching, and the specialists you may need along the way, so every part of your care is working from the same understanding of your unique strengths and challenges. What to expect ## What physiatry care looks like at Wellness by Physiatry ### What does treatment look like? Your first visit starts with a thorough evaluation of your neurological, physical, and cognitive status, so Dr. Kopp understands the full picture before recommending anything. From there, she builds a rehabilitation care plan around you: medical management of your symptoms, therapeutic coaching on principles of cognitive therapy, and medication management where it helps. We do not provide physical therapy ourselves. When your care plan calls for hands-on work, such as physical therapy, balance training, or massage, we refer you to trusted partners and stay closely involved, so your treatment stays connected instead of scattered across providers who never speak to each other. ### Which conditions do you manage? Physiatry covers a wide range of conditions where the brain, nerves, and muscles are affected together: traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, encephalopathy, diffuse axonal injury (a velocity-dependent injury from high falls, car accidents, or falls from horses, that often carries a harder recovery), anoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain), spasticity, and [concussion](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/services/concussion-management.html). Whatever brought you in, we manage the medical side of your condition directly and coordinate the rest, so mental fogginess, dizzy spells, slow thinking, difficulty multitasking, inexplicable fatigue, mood swings, and irritability are treated as connected parts of one recovery, not a list of separate complaints. ### Multilingual and culturally competent care Wellness by Physiatry was created to deliver culturally competent, multilingual services designed to help people heal, grow, and thrive. Your physiatry visit and rehabilitation care plan are available in English, Español, and Português, so you can talk through your diagnosis and your care in the language you understand best. That same commitment carries into our supportive group sessions, which run weekly for six weeks and then once every two months, offered across all three languages so care stays connected to our Chicago community. ## Questions about physiatry and PM&R ### What is a physiatrist, exactly? A physiatrist is a physician who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or PM&R. Rather than focusing on one body part, a physiatrist looks at how your brain, nerves, muscles, and bones work together, and treats those conditions medically, without surgery, to restore as much function and independence as possible. ### Is a physiatrist the same as a physical therapist? No. A physiatrist is a physician who diagnoses your condition and manages it medically. A physical therapist delivers hands-on therapy. We do not provide physical, occupational, or speech-language pathology therapy ourselves. When your plan calls for therapies, we refer you to trusted partners for walking difficulty, balance work, or other hands-on care, staying involved so your treatment stays connected. ### Do you offer physiatry care in languages other than English? Yes. Wellness by Physiatry was created to deliver culturally competent, multilingual services. Your visit and rehabilitation care plan are available in English, Español, and Português, including our supportive group sessions. Related ## Where to go next ### [Brain injury and neurological conditions](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/services/brain-injury-rehabilitation.html) How physiatry treats the medical symptoms of brain injury, stroke, dementia, and other brain conditions. Read more → ### [Lifestyle medicine and group sessions](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/services/lifestyle-medicine.html) Health coaching and multilingual group sessions that support your rehabilitation care plan. Read more → ### [About Wellness by Physiatry](https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/about.html) Meet Dr. Kopp and the whole-person approach behind every care plan. Read more → Source: https://wellnessbyphysiatry.com/services/physiatry-pmr.html