Ministry Medical Group has a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician on staff in the northern region ready to serve you.

Hongjing Tan, MD, PhD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, joined Ministry Medical Group in Rhinelander in 2001. Dr. Tan specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems, management of pain (especially neck and back pain), stroke rehabilitation, occupational injury, sports medicine and electro diagnostic study. Dr. Tan also incorporates acupuncture and Tai Chi into his practice.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with Hongjing Tan, MD, PhD, call 715.361.4880 or 800.866.8673.

Do you know the difference between Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Physiatry? Would you understand the reason you would need to see a physician that specializes in either of these specialties?

In reality, the two terms are virtually interchangeable. However, the terms can also be confusing to patients. Recently, Ministry Medical Group (MMG) conducted a research study to determine which term the majority of patients understand, and prefer using.

The results showed out of 197 respondents, 42% were not at all familiar with the term “Physiatrist.” On the other hand, almost 70% of the respondents had a clearer understanding of the term “Physical Medicine.” After respondents were asked if they preferred the name Physiatry or Physical Medicine, an overwhelming total -- 81% -- chose Physical Medicine.

Consequently, that is what Ministry Medical Group has decided to do – use the term “Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation” instead of Physiatry. So, what exactly do Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians do? They primarily focus on three areas of medical care:

• Diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and pain syndromes
• Electro-diagnostic medicine
• Rehabilitation of patients with severe impairments