Welcome to the "new and improved" Northwest Medical Rehabilitation PS web site. Within this web site you will find hordes of information about our practice, the services we offer, our highly trained and professional staff, and a means in which to contact us to answer some of your general questions. Northwest Medical Rehabilitation is an organization committed to providing high quality care for our patients. Our values are honesty, integrity and compassion. Our team of medical professionals is dedicated to understanding our patients health concerns and to serve our community. Physiatry and Physiatrists, what is it and who are they? Are two of the most frequent questions asked when one begins to talk about rehabilitation medicine. The Association of Academic Physiatrists define a Physiatrist as one "who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation." Physiatrists are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of patients of all ages in the following three major areas of medical care: Diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and pain syndromes. These include sports and/or work injuries to degenerative conditions as common as arthritis or low back pain. Electrodiagnostic medicine. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation is the only specialty of medicine in which special training in electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies is required. These procedures are used for evaluation of various neurologic disorders. Rehabilitation of patients with severe impairments The physiatrist directs a comprehensive rehabilitation team of professionals that may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, rehabilitation nurses, psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists and others. Physiatrists treat neurologic rehabilitation conditions including stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury. Many other disabling conditions such as amputations, multiple trauma, burns and sports injuries are treated as well. How to Handle Brain Injuries for Families From “A How to Handle Manual for Families of the Brain Injured” Northwest Medical Rehabilitation provides Botox for therapeutic uses only, NOTcosmetic uses. You’ve taken the first step in discovering therapeutic treatment of select neurological conditions with BOTOX®. As a consumer, you should be informed before consulting with your doctor on whether BOTOX® treatments are right for you. BOTOX® belongs to a class of drugs called botulinum toxins. BOTOX®, a focal agent intended to reduce muscle contraction, is the brand of botulinum toxin type A made by Allergan. BOTOX® is the most studied brand of botulinum toxins and has been helping patients worldwide for more than 15 years. Disclaimer: No information in this site is provided with the intention to give medical advice or instructions on the accurate use of our products and/or services. Below are some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions concerning therapeutic Botox treatment What is Botox? BOTOX is a muscle-relaxing agent which works at motor nerve endings. BOTOX is derived from the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. How does Botox work? Muscle contraction takes place when electrical signals from the brain are transmitted from nerves to muscles by the substance acetylcholine. BOTOX blocks the transmission of acetylcholine, preventing the message to contract from being passed on. This can stop or greatly reduce muscle spasms. How long does Botox last? BOTOX is injected into the muscles and symptoms generally begin decreasing within three days. A single treatment with BOTOX will usually last approximately three months. How long can I be treated with Botox? BOTOX treatment can typically be repeated indefinitely. Factors that can impact the long term usage include: Setting appropriate expectations- effects of subsequent BOTOX may be less dramatic than the first injection Appropriate muscle selection- identifying and injecting the problematic muscle can be difficult Adequate dosing- changes in response to BOTOX may require dose adjustment Minimizing exposure to neurotoxin complex proteins- if doses are too high antibodies can form in the body which decrease the effectiveness of BOTOX What are the side effects of Botox? Side effects noticed by some patients include temporary weakness of muscles, discomfort at injection site, drooping eyelids, eye irritation, and punctate keratitis. Dr. Karen Stanek M.D., Ph.D. 1978 Completed Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology 1978-1983 worked in cardiovascular research 1993 Completed Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation August 1993-September 1994 Medical Director of Deaconess Rehabilitation Institute September 1994-November 1995 Inpatient Medical Director St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute Dr. Joshua Stein D.O. Completed Osteopathic Medicine School, Kansas City University of Oregon Molecular Biology, Eugene