Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or stiffness can make it harder to grip, type, dress, work, or enjoy everyday activities. Physmedi uses a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) approach to understand your symptoms, how they affect hand function, and which next steps may be appropriate.
An evaluation may be appropriate when hand, finger, or wrist symptoms affect comfort, movement, strength, sensation, or everyday activities.
These symptoms can have different causes. They do not establish carpal tunnel syndrome, another diagnosis, or that Physmedi is the right practice for every hand problem. The appropriate next step depends on your history, examination, available records, and the services available through Physmedi.
The hand and wrist contain bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves that work together for movement, strength, and sensation. A problem in the hand or wrist can affect one or more of these structures. Symptoms may also come from a nerve problem at the wrist, elbow, arm, neck, or another location.
Pressure on or injury to a nerve may cause numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, or pain. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one possible cause. It occurs when the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, but similar symptoms can come from other nerve or medical problems.
Joint irritation, arthritis, tendon problems, overuse, or an injury may cause pain, stiffness, swelling, weakness, catching, or reduced motion. A medical history and examination help determine which structures may be involved and whether another specialty is needed.
Depending on your concern and evaluation, services available through Physmedi may include:
Some hand conditions require care from a primary-care clinician, rheumatologist, neurologist, orthopedic or hand surgeon, therapist, or another specialist. A Physmedi evaluation does not mean that you will receive medication, a splint, therapy, imaging, an injection, a procedure, or surgery.
Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) check how muscles and the nerves that control them are working.
A nerve conduction study measures how fast and how well electrical signals travel along selected nerves.
EMG measures electrical activity in selected muscles at rest and during movement.
These tests may help when symptoms suggest a nerve or muscle problem, including possible nerve compression. The clinician interprets the results together with the symptoms, medical history, examination, and other available information.
Our team reviews your secure request. We may ask for recent office notes, imaging or test reports, medication information, insurance details, a referral, or authorization before offering appointment options.
Your clinician may ask which fingers or parts of the hand are affected, when symptoms occur, and how they affect daily activities. Depending on the concern, the examination may assess movement, grip, strength, sensation, joints, tendons, muscles, or the path of a nerve through the wrist, elbow, arm, or neck.
Your clinician will explain the findings and discuss reasonable next steps. Those steps may include education, activity guidance, conservative care, review of existing studies, additional testing when appropriate, or coordination with another clinician. The evaluation does not promise a diagnosis, test, or particular treatment.
Conservative care means nonsurgical care. Depending on the diagnosis, clinical findings, potential benefits and risks, and services available through Physmedi, a plan may include education, short-term activity changes, a brace or splint, therapy or exercises, medication, or another option.
Some conditions need an injection, procedure, or surgical opinion; others do not. No option is appropriate for every patient, and a request or evaluation does not mean that a particular treatment will be offered.
Please have the following information available, if it applies:
Do not stop or change a medication unless the prescribing clinician has instructed you to do so.
A physiatrist is a physician who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Physiatrists consider how an injury, illness, or condition affects movement, sensation, independence, and participation in everyday life.
For hand concerns, the PM&R approach connects the symptom pattern and medical examination with the activities the patient wants or needs to perform. Depending on the findings and services available through Physmedi, care may be coordinated with therapy, electrodiagnostic testing, primary care, rheumatology, neurology, orthopedics, hand surgery, or another specialty.
The goal is an individualized plan based on your needs and the clinical findings. No evaluation can promise complete symptom relief, a particular test or procedure, or a specific recovery timeline.
Physmedi has offices in Orlando, Clermont, and Kissimmee. Clinician and hand-conditions availability may vary by location. Our team must confirm the appropriate office after reviewing the request.
Coverage, referral requirements, and prior authorization vary by health plan and service. Benefits and requirements may be reviewed before appointment options are offered, but verification does not guarantee coverage or payment.
Not necessarily. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one possible cause, but similar symptoms can come from another nerve location or a different medical problem. The history and examination help determine whether testing or another specialist may be useful.
Not everyone needs these tests. EMG/NCS may help when the clinician needs more information about how selected nerves and muscles are working. They do not evaluate every cause of hand pain or confirm every hand diagnosis.
Not necessarily. If you already have relevant imaging or reports, submit them through the approved secure workflow. The clinician determines whether imaging or another test may be useful after reviewing the history and examination.
Helpful records may include recent office notes, imaging reports, EMG/NCS or other test results, medication and allergy lists, and information about prior therapy, splinting, injections, procedures, or surgery. Our team may request other records based on your concern.
No. Submitting the form begins a secure review. Our team reviews the information before offering appointment options.
An evaluation does not mean that you will receive a specific treatment. Recommendations depend on the history, examination, available records, expected benefits and risks, authorization requirements, and the clinician’s judgment.
Tell us what you are experiencing and how it affects hand use or daily activities. Our team will review your secure request and explain what is needed next.
Request an Appointment
Submitting a request does not schedule or confirm an appointment.
Medical office? Send a secure referral.
Already a patient? Use the Patient Portal.
This information is educational and does not replace individualized medical advice. Do not use this page or the appointment-request form for urgent or emergency care. If you believe you may be experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
