MD, FAAPMR
If you’re suffering from back and neck pain, or a sports or work-related injury, you may not need surgery to fix it. In many cases, a “physiatrist”, a physician specializing in the non-surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system, can not only relieve the pain, but help you prevent it from recurring, says Dr. Bryce Elliott Epstein, who practices at Aventura’s Orthopedic Care Center since 1990.
While it’s usually injuries to professional athletes that grab the headlines, Dr. Epstein says “you don’t have to be pro to incur major-league pain from a sports injury.Middle- aged weekend warriors are particularly prone to spinal injuries.”
“Because this is a year round recreational area, our patients range from golfers and tennis players to participants of all team sports. With the influx of young families and the multicultural make up of our community, we are now treating injures from Xtreme sports to Cricket.
Forget “no pain, no gain”: Dr. Epstein says strength training and a routine of stretching exercises before and after activity can not only reduce symptoms but improve your game as well.
Pain management makes up a large portion of a physiatrist’s practice, he says. An estimated 80 millionAmericans suffer from chronic pain due to herniated disks, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis or other conditions. Nine million of them are prevented from working by these conditions.
Physiatrists, also called physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, are trained to diagnose these conditions using cutting-edge diagnostic technology and to create treatment programs that restore pain-free functionality to the entire musculoskeletal system. “That’s why this is often called the quality-of- life profession.”
Dr. Epstein, was Chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation at Parkway Regional Medical center in North Miami Beach and Medical Director of the Easter Seal Society of South Florida school for physically challenged children. He was also the team physician for St. Thomas University and medical adviser for World Olympians Association. Like all his associates at the Orthopedic Care Center, he’s on staff at Aventura Hospital.
The team at the Orthopedic Care Center consists of eight highly trained and experienced orthopedic physicians whose specialties cover the gamut from joint replacement to sports medicine. Originally established in North Miami Beach, the center moved 20 years ago to its present address in suite 104 at 21000 NE 28th Ave., on the campus of Aventura Hospital & medical Center.
For more information, call (305) 937-1999, fax (305) 931-6554 or visit www.orthopedicare.com
Great Article. 5 Stars. By Gregg L. Friedman MD