DR MUHAMMAD SHOAIB MUKHTARFCPS (PM&R) · ISLAMABAD
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III · THE BASILICA · Conditions we treat

Conditions Treated

Patient education by Dr Muhammad Shoaib Mukhtar, FCPS (PM&R)Consultant Pain Physician and Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist, Islamabad.

Find the right guide for pain, nerve symptoms, joint problems or rehabilitation needs, without mixing every condition into one crowded page.

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A clearer patient journey

Name the problem. Map the path.

Choose the symptom or condition closest to your concern. Each guide explains common patterns, warning signs, assessment, treatment choices and when specialist review is appropriate.

IFind your concern

Start with the painful area, nerve symptom or functional problem.

IIRead safely

Check warning signs and understand what evaluation may involve.

IIICompare options

Learn where rehabilitation, medicine, testing or procedures may fit.

IVBook the right visit

Bring previous reports and define the function you want back.

Choose the right specialist

PM&R, orthopaedics, neurology or neurosurgery?

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) is a medical specialty for non-surgical pain, spine, joint, nerve and disability care. It connects diagnosis, selected tests and procedures with a practical rehabilitation plan.

What is a PM&R physician?Understand the role of a physiatrist or rehabilitation-medicine doctor. Which doctor should I see?Compare PM&R, orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery and rheumatology.
Spine and nerve pain

Back, neck, disc and nerve conditions

Back pain, disc disease & sciaticaLow-back pain, leg pain, radiculopathy and spinal stenosis. Neck pain & cervical radiculopathyNeck-to-arm pain, tingling, weakness and nerve-root symptoms. Neuropathy & carpal tunnelNumbness, burning, tingling and focal nerve compression. Chronic widespread painPersistent multisite pain, fatigue, sleep and activity effects.
Joints, tendons and arthritis

Shoulder, knee, elbow and heel

Arthritis & joint painUnderstand osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, gout and the right referral pathway. Osteoarthritis treatmentExercise, weight, medication review, rehabilitation and selected procedures. Rheumatoid vs osteoarthritisHow inflammatory arthritis differs and when rheumatology review matters. Gout & uric acidSudden hot swollen joints, testing, flare care and long-term prevention. Joint & intra-articular injectionsSteroid, PRP, aspiration, ultrasound guidance, safety and cost factors. Knee gel / hyaluronic-acid injectionEvidence, price factors, limitations and questions to ask before treatment. Knee osteoarthritis & PRPAssessment, rehabilitation and balanced injection discussion. Frozen shoulderPain with marked restriction of active and passive movement. Rotator cuff-related painPainful reaching, lifting, sleep and shoulder weakness. Tennis elbowOuter-elbow pain with gripping, tools, work or sport. Plantar heel painFirst-step pain and load-related symptoms beneath the heel. Sports injuriesDiagnosis-led, criteria-based return to activity.
Pelvic, bladder and sexual health

Confidential, diagnosis-led assessment

Pelvic floor dysfunctionBladder, bowel, pelvic pain and sexual-function symptoms in women and men. Stress and urge incontinenceUrine leakage with cough or exercise, urgency, frequency and mixed symptoms. Postpartum incontinenceUrine leakage and pelvic-floor recovery after delivery or C-section. Erectile dysfunction (ED)Medical, medication, psychological and pelvic-floor contributors with appropriate referral. Pelvic floor physiotherapy & rehabilitationSupervised strengthening, relaxation, bladder training and return to activity.
Neurological rehabilitation

Movement, independence and participation

Stroke rehabilitationMobility, arm use, communication, spasticity and self-care. Spinal cord injuryFunction, equipment, complications and independence. Cerebral palsyFamily-centred comfort, mobility and participation planning. Post-surgical rehabilitationRecovery after orthopaedic, spine and neurological procedures. Other neurological needsSelected brain injury, neuromuscular and functional problems.
Not sure which label fits? Start with PM&R and pain assessment. Sudden weakness, facial droop, speech difficulty, severe breathing difficulty, major trauma or loss of bladder/bowel control with new spinal symptoms needs urgent local medical care.
Why PM&R?

One specialty connecting diagnosis, procedures and recovery

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation focuses on how disease or injury affects movement and daily life. A PM&R physician can combine musculoskeletal and neurological examination, interpret rehabilitation needs, use EMG/NCS for selected nerve and muscle questions, and discuss image-guided procedures when they have a defined role.

This is particularly helpful when symptoms cross specialty boundaries, for example, shoulder pain mixed with neck-related tingling, knee arthritis with weakness and mobility loss, or pain after surgery with deconditioning. The aim is not to replace orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery, rheumatology or physiotherapy. It is to identify what each patient needs, coordinate referral when required and keep the plan centred on function.

Not sure where to start?

Choose the body area or rehabilitation need that best matches your concern. If several labels fit, book a general PM&R and pain assessment. The consultation can determine whether testing, imaging, rehabilitation, a procedure or another specialty is the most appropriate next step.

Advanced condition pathways

Symptoms and functional problems treated with modern rehabilitation options

Burning feet and diabetic neuropathyConfirm the nerve pattern, diabetes control and other treatable causes before considering a procedure. Frozen shoulder proceduresInjections, suprascapular block and hydrodilatation alongside progressive rehabilitation. Urinary leakage and pelvic-floor weaknessAssessment, active pelvic-floor rehabilitation, EMG biofeedback and selected Emsella treatment. Erectile dysfunctionMedical assessment first, with balanced information on standard care, shockwave and PRP. Weakness after strokeTask practice, exercise and selected NMES as part of active rehabilitation. Swallowing difficultyClinical assessment, safety planning and appropriately selected swallowing rehabilitation. Sarcopenia and age-related muscle lossResistance exercise, protein and medical review, with technology only as an adjunct. Depression and reduced participationPhysician assessment and BTL Exomind TMS for appropriate indications, with escalation or referral when required.
Choosing between competing specialties

Orthopedic, neurosurgeon, neurologist, physiotherapist or PM&R?

Best doctor for back, neck or knee pain?

Choose by diagnosis, warning signs and treatment need instead of an advertising label.

Orthopedic doctor or PM&R?

When joint, spine, shoulder, knee or sports pain may begin with non-surgical physician assessment.

Neurosurgeon or spine doctor?

Sciatica, slipped disc, neurological warning signs and the non-surgical spine pathway.

Neurologist or nerve-pain doctor?

Numbness, tingling, burning feet, weakness and the role of EMG/NCS.

Physiotherapist or rehabilitation doctor?

The difference between physician-led diagnosis and delivery of rehabilitation.

Sports injury and sports medicine doctor

Assessment, ultrasound, rehabilitation, procedures and safe return to sport.

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