The staff at Spine & Scoliosis Specialists includes a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation, also called a physiatrist (pronounced fizz-I-uh-trist). Physiatrists are muscle and bone experts who treat a variety of problems that can impair movement and interfere with the performance of everyday activities. Physiatry is one of the lesser-known of the 24 medical specialties in which a doctor can achieve board certification, but its practitioners can have a major impact on patients' lives.

Thomas R. Saullo, MD, the board-certified physiatrist on our staff, works closely with our surgeons, allowing patients to benefit from multidisciplinary spine care. Dr. Saullo's goal is to help patients with neck, back and spine problems restore and maximize mobility, decrease pain and speed recovery. He brings a special understanding of patients' rehabilitation to the role, having worked for eight years as a physical therapist prior to and during his time in medical school.

Problems Seen by Physiatrists

Physiatrists treat a wide range of spinal problems, including:

• Sciatica
• Low back pain
• Neck pain
• Work injuries
• Muscle and ligament injuries
• Spine diseases and conditions
• Acute or chronic pain

A Whole-Body Approach

As a physiatrist, Dr. Saullo is trained to evaluate the person as a whole, rather than looking at a problem in isolation. He conducts an in-depth evaluation, including imaging and diagnostic nerve studies if indicated, and then develops a comprehensive plan for helping the patient regain motion and recover medically, emotionally, socially and vocationally.

Techniques Used in Physical Medicine

Dr. Saullo's emphasis is on evidence-based, conservative treatments. Patients may be prescribed:

• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Postural or therapeutic exercises
• Stretching exercises
• Medications
• Diagnostic imaging

Pain Relief

Dr. Saullo completed a fellowship in interventional spine care. He performs minimally invasive, interventional spine procedures when necessary to decrease pain and increase function for the patient. These procedures include:

• Epidural injections
• Nerve blocks
• Facet joint injections
• Medial branch blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Discography
• Vertebroplasty
• Spinal cord stimulator implant trials

Patients who may need operative procedures are evaluated by our spine surgeons.