Rehabilitation physicians are medical doctors who have completed training in the medical specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). Specifically, rehabilitation physicians:
• Diagnose and treat pain
• Restore maximum function lost through injury, illness or disabling conditions
• Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
• Lead a team of medical professionals
• Provide non-surgical treatments
• Explain your medical problems and treatment/prevention plan
The job of a rehabilitation physician is to treat any disability resulting from disease or injury, from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. The focus is on the development of a comprehensive program for putting the pieces of a person’s life back together after injury or disease – without surgery.
Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to accurately pinpoint the source of an ailment. They then design a treatment plan that can be carried out by the patients themselves or with the help of the rehabilitation physician’s medical team. This medical team might include other physicians and health professionals, such as neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, rehabilitation physicians help patients stay as active as possible at any age. Their broad medical expertise allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.
Physicians:
Jose Ramirez-Del Toro, MD
Dr. Ramirez-Del Toro specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He holds a Fellowship in Sports and Musculoskeletal Medicine and Interventional Pain Management. He graduated from Princeton University, and received his medical degree from Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Dr. Del Toro completed residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Dr. Del Toro is able to provide non-operative treatment options for any musculoskeletal injury or disorder. In the near future, he will be performing Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and Platelet Rich Plasma treatments for ligaments and tendon dysfunctions. In addition, he is also trained in electro-diagnostic medicine (EMG) and can work up upper and lower extremity peripheral nerve and nerve root problems. Interventional pain procedures include fluoroscopic guidance for lumbosacral nerve root blocks, epidural injections, sacroiliac joint injections, and facet joint blocks.
Dr. Del Toro is the head Sports Medicine Team Physician at California University of Pennsylvania.
He is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.