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Prescribe therapy services, such as electrotherapy, ultrasonography, heat or cold therapy, hydrotherapy, debridement, short-wave or microwave diathermy, and infrared or ultraviolet radiation, to enhance rehabilitation.
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Prescribe physical therapy to relax the muscles and improve strength.
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Document examination results, treatment plans, and patients' outcomes.
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Instruct interns and residents in the diagnosis and treatment of temporary or permanent physically disabling conditions.
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Conduct physical tests, such as functional capacity evaluations, to determine injured workers' capabilities to perform the physical demands of their jobs.
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Develop comprehensive plans for immediate and long-term rehabilitation, including therapeutic exercise, speech and occupational therapy, counseling, cognitive retraining, patient, family or caregiver education, or community reintegration.
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Perform electrodiagnosis, including electromyography, nerve conduction studies, or somatosensory evoked potentials of neuromuscular disorders or damage.
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Assess characteristics of patients' pain, such as intensity, location, or duration, using standardized clinical measures.
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Monitor effectiveness of pain management interventions, such as medication or spinal injections.
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Consult or coordinate with other rehabilitative professionals, including physical and occupational therapists, rehabilitation nurses, speech pathologists, neuropsychologists, behavioral psychologists, social workers, or medical technicians.
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Prescribe orthotic and prosthetic applications and adaptive equipment, such as wheelchairs, bracing, or communication devices, to maximize patient function and self-sufficiency.
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Coordinate physical medicine and rehabilitation services with other medical activities.
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Diagnose or treat performance-related conditions, such as sports injuries or repetitive-motion injuries.
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Provide inpatient or outpatient medical management of neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal trauma, acute and chronic pain, deformity or amputation, cardiac or pulmonary disease, or other disabling conditions.
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Examine patients to assess mobility, strength, communication, or cognition.