Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Long Island offers neuro rehab Long Island. Located on the beautiful south shore of Long Island, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Long Island, PLLC was founded to meet the needs of the eastern Long Island community. By offering a unique combination of vital services, combined with a patient-centered, holistic approach to medical science, we deliver a truly remarkable, gold standard level of service. Our goal is to relieve pain and suffering in every way, to strengthen our community by improving the health of individuals. One way do this is through one of our most popular services, neuro rehab Long Island.
Our Mission
To improve health, maximize function and restore the quality of life through the provision of comprehensive medical rehabilitation services across the continuum of care for all patients.
Our Care Philosophy
To pursue higher states of health and function through a partnership with patients, empowering them through health education and by providing the highest quality medical care and rehabilitation services. Understanding your medical condition is the first step towards better health. Setting health goals is the first step towards achieving them.
Neuro Rehab Long Island – Services Offered
Electromyography
Electromyography (EMG) is an electrodiagnostic medicine technique which measures electrical activity from muscle response to help detect any neuromuscular abnormalities. During the procedure, small needles called electrodes, are inserted through the skin into the muscle. An oscilloscope will then display electrical activity picked up by the electrodes in the form of waves, and an audio-amplifier will generate the activity’s sound.
Our physiatrist in Suffolk County may tell you to contract the muscle once the electrode has been inserted. This creates action potential (size and shape of the wave) on the oscilloscope which provides information about the muscle’s responsiveness to nerve stimulation. The more forceful the muscle contraction, the more muscle fibers are activated which produces action potential.
Why perform an EMG?
An EMG test may be performed if you are experiencing signs or symptoms indicating a nerve or muscle disorder. These symptoms may include:
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle pain or cramping
- Limb pain
- Paralysis
- Involuntary muscle twitching (tics)
When individuals experience unexplained muscle weakness, this test helps to distinguish the difference between muscle conditions where the problem begins in the muscle itself; or nerve disorders as a result of muscle weakness. It also aids in detecting true weakness, from weakness due to reduced-muscle use, whether this may be because of pain or simply lack of motivation.
What do my EMG results mean?
Electrical activity present in the resting muscle may mean:
- A muscle disorder
- Injury-caused inflammation
- A disorder affecting nerves connected to the muscle
Abnormal electrical activity during the muscle contraction may be the result of:
- A herniated disc
- Nerve disorder such as ALS or carpal tunnel
Our physiatrist in Suffolk County is very thorough and will make sure to explain the test results fully so all questions are answered for the patient.
At Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of Long Island, we can perform EMG testing for our patients. If you have any questions concerning the test, please contact our specialist for neuro rehab on Long Island today for more information.
Nerve Conduction Studies
What is a Nerve Conduction Study?
A nerve conduction study (NCS) is a medical diagnostic test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body. These tests are performed by medical specialists such as specialists in clinical neurophysiology, physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation [PMR] physicians). Nerve conduction studies along with needle electromyography measure nerve and muscle function and may be indicated when there is a pain in the limbs, weakness from spinal nerve compression, or concern about some other neurologic injury or disorder.
Do your muscles feel sore and weak? Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) could help give you answers. The results could help figure out if you have a muscular problem or a nerve problem and whether the nerve has been damaged. Nerve signals are electrical impulses that move rapidly throughout the body. At times, a problem occurring with electrical activity within the nerves could cause muscle pain, tingling, and weakness. Nerve Conduction Study Measures the electrical activity in the nerves and how fast and strong signals are transmitting. A Nerve Conduction Study is done together with an Electromyography test which measures how effectively muscles respond to nerve signals from the brain. There are many benefits of having both tests done. Results of these tests could help diagnose neuromuscular diseases and other nerve injuries.
What happens during the test?
During a Nerve Conduction Study, a technician places electrode patches in the area of the nerve causing the problem. A stimulating electrode sends gentle electrical impulses to the nerve while the other electrodes record the nerves response. If the signal moves at a slower speed than of a healthy nerve, that indicates that the nerve is most likely damaged. At this point, other tests are needed to conclude if the nerve can be treated back to health. For further testing and assistance, we recommend that you contact our specialist for neuro rehab on Long Island.
Gait Analysis
What is a Gait Analysis?
Human walking, or locomotion, is the result of millions of years of human evolution. Our biomechanics, structural alignment, and muscle coordination have been fine-tuned at every step to make our way of walking as energy-efficient as possible. Even slight deviations or abnormalities can result in tremendous unnecessary pain and energy expenditure. When it comes to matters of the musculoskeletal system, a proper assessment of gait/walking is often the first step toward a real solution.
Gait Analysis is the study of how your body moves when you walk or run. Gait analysis can be performed through a variety of different assessments. Typically Gait analysis is performed statically, dynamically and by use of treadmills, mats, walkways, or in-shoe sensors. Gait Analysis creates a unique map of how your body moves. Gait Analysis examines exactly what is happening in your body from kinesthetic awareness, habit, mobility, flexibility, stability, and functional strength. All these different elements put together to create a person’s “gait”. Gait means the manner of walking. The benefits of gait analysis are to fix and restore a person’s normal “gait” after obtaining an injury that affects the person’s ability to walk or run. Gait analysis could be beneficial to runners by helping to identify biomechanical abnormalities and underactive and overactive muscles. To normalize the “gait” function a treatment plan will be made to guide you to recovery.
K Level Assessment
For patients who have suffered a loss of limb, or amputation, determination of current functional level is a vital step on the road to recovery. Proper assessment and documentation of functional level has a tremendous impact on procuring necessary prosthetic equipment, and on overall functional outcome. To help insurance companies better understand this need on a patient by patient basis, K-Levels were established by Medicare. At the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Long Island, Dr. Rai can perform K-Level assessments to help patients spend less time going back and forth with their insurance company when trying to secure coverage for a prosthetic.
The Five K Levels:
As a way to demonstrate a patient’s need for prosthetic’s, medicare created tiers of necessity known as K-Levels. Dr. Rai will be able to assess which K-Level you fall into, and relay this to your insurance company:
- Level 0: The patient’s condition will not benefit from the use of prosthetic’s.
- Level 1: Prosthetic’s can help with a patient’s movement throughout their household.
- Level 2: Those at this level would be able to traverse outside of their homes with prosthetic’s. These patients typically had a moderate level of activity.
- Level 3: Patient’s classified at level 3 are the second most active of amputees. With the use of prosthetic’s, they would be able to travel and exercise with moderate intensity.
- Level 4: Allowing these patients to use prosthetic’s can lead to them moving with high levels of intensity. Children, active adults, and athletes are commonly found in this level.
Determining K-Levels:
Depending on the K-Level you fall into, you will be more or less likely to receive medical coverage for prosthetic. Dr. Rai does not want any of our patients to have to miss out on gaining access to these vital pieces of medical equipment due to insurance issues. To properly determine what level you fall into, he will administer one of the below methods of assessment:
- Amputee Mobility Predictor.
- Distance Walk Tests.
- Timed Walk Tests.
- Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire.
- Timed Up and Go.
- Patient Assessment Validation Evaluation Test.
At Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Long Island, we sympathize will of our patients that have needed to undergo amputations. If prosthetic’s are necessary to increase your quality of life, Dr. Rai can help stop any push-back you may receive from insurance companies. Contact us today so we can assess your K-Levels to get you the prosthetic’s you’re entitled to.
Stroke Rehabilitation
Stroke Overview
Suffering from a deadly brain attack such as a stroke can be a traumatic enough experience in itself. But afterward, it’s imperative that you take the necessary steps in order to get your life back together and your health up to par. What’s so intimidating about strokes is that they can happen to just about anyone. They’ve become increasingly common, with nearly 795,000 people in the U.S. being affected by the attack. Typically, they occur when blood flow to a certain section of the brain is blocked. This causes brain cells to lose oxygen, which can lead to loss of muscle control and even memory. If you’ve suffered a stroke, consider pursuing neuro rehab on Long Island with Dr. Paulinder Rai at Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of Long Island. Fortunately, Dr. Rai specializes in stroke rehab and can help assist each of his patients throughout their recovery process.
A debilitating stroke can affect the ability to perform basic functions, such as walking, talking, eating and dressing. Dr. Rai leads a team of specialists such as physical, occupational and speech therapists that work on training patients to relearn motor, cognitive, and speech skills. Dr. Rai also offers botox injection therapy to those who suffer from chronic muscle spasticity (muscle tightness) following a stroke.
Stroke Rehab: What To Expect?
Stroke recovery can be a long and arduous process, but the right rehab team can help ease your road to restoration. Obtaining rehab early on after the attack ordinarily leads to increased results. In fact, most rehabs initially begin as soon as the patient enters the hospital, only to be continued further upon release. After dismissal, neuro rehab on Long Island can be found with Dr. Rai. Overall, the goal of the process will be to keep the long-term effects in mind. Allowing the stroke survivor to gradually become as independent as they can help improve function in most areas. Often, the re-teaching of basic skills such as walking or eating will be established throughout the rehabilitation period. Your caregiver will also provide copious amounts of motivation and give the patient plenty of specialized attention and support.
Potential Training/Exercises
Regaining motor skill function through the use of muscle memory based exercises can help the patient recover ordinary abilities they may have lost post-attack. Motor skill exercises may also provide improved coordination for patients who have trouble maintaining their balance. Mobility training may also be incorporated for balance, along with the ability to help the patient relearn how to walk properly. Other forms of testing can include electromyography, which is a technique that evaluates the electrical activity that your skeletal muscles are currently able to produce. This can be an outstanding method for determining how far along you’ve come during your rehab.
If you’re interested in pursuing neuro rehab on Long Island, consider contacting Dr. Paulinder Rai for an appointment and consultation.
Contact Us For Neuro Rehab Long Island
Please fill out the form below to inquire with our staff regarding these services for neuro rehab on Long Island:
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