Benjamin Franklin: the first physiatrist?

Benjamin Franklin would have been an excellent physiatrist. In this short address, I explore the qualities that Franklin possessed in the medical realm. Several ways in which we can emulate some of his traits to become better physiatrists are proposed.

Botulinum toxin type A use in piriformis muscle syndrome: a pilot study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that intramuscular botulinum toxin type A decreases chronic pain attributed to piriformis muscle syndrome to a greater extent than a similar injection with vehicle (saline) alone.

Design: This double-blind, single group, crossover study was performed at an outpatient university clinic. Nine women with chronic buttock, hip, and lower limb pain without evidence of lumbar disk herniation or nerve root impingement on imaging studies participated in the study.