Home | Catawba Valley Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Catawba Valley Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday:
    9am - 5pm

AdobeStock_141330528Maximizing Independence And Quality of Life For The Impaired

Our mission is to optimize the health and function of individuals with disabilities and/or impairments through a patient-centered continuum of care with the goal of improving quality of life. Our program, led by Medical Director Dr. Jessica Urzen, a physiatrist (also known as a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician), is based in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Center where patient care is managed through an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team of colleagues. Dr. Urzen also has an outpatient practice located in the Wellness Center on the hospital campus, where she provides care for patients after discharge in addition to seeing new patients with sports or neuralgic injuries.

About Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) professionals treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Specifically, PM&R physicians:

  • Treat patients aged 12 years and above
  • Address areas that affect patient function and quality of life
  • Perform minimally-invasive interventional procedures, medication management, and functional evaluations with activity and orthotic prescriptions to maximize independence and recovery
  • Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness or disabling condition
  • Determine and lead a treatment/prevention plan
  • Lead a team of medical professionals, which may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and physician extenders to optimize patient care
  • Treat the whole person, not just the problem area

It is their job to create realistic goals that go beyond the patient’s current limits while providing them with realistic expectations and pushing them to new heights.

Special Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation Services Provided:

  • Treatment for Migraines
  • Musculoskeletal and neuromuscular diagnosis and rehabilitation
  • Medical and rehabilitative pain management
  • Injury prevention and wellness
  • Non-surgical orthopedic medicine and sports medicine including athletes with disabilities
  • Regenerative treatments including prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
  • Ultrasound guided procedures
  • Injections of joints, tendons and ligaments
  • Hydro-dissection of entrapped peripheral nerves
  • Spasticity treatment
  • Manual medicine/osteopathic treatment
  • Prosthetics and orthotics prescription and fitting
  • Concussion management

Conditions Commonly Treated in Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation:

  • Neurorehabilitation – Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Guillain-Barré, Myasthenia Gravis, Parkinson’s Disease
  • Musculoskeletal care: Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory Myopathies, Fibromyalgia, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Sports injuries: Achilles Tendonitis, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Turf Toe, Medial & Lateral Epicondylitis, Rotator Cuff Pathology, Acromioclavicular Separation, Biceps Tendonitis, Stress Fractures, Concussion
  • Post-operative care: Joint Replacement, Amputations, Cardiac / Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Pediatric functional and developmental disorders: Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Down Syndrome
  • Prosthetics and orthotics: Gait and Movement Disorders, Assistive Devices and Ambulation Aids, Spinal Orthoses, Neuro-prostheses
  • Specialized rehabilitation: Cancer, Cardiac, Pulmonary, Pelvic Pain

 

Our Providers

Jessica Urzen, DO
Jessica Urzen, DO
Dr. Urzen is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physician. PM&R is a medical specialty focused on neuro rehabilitation from stroke, spinal cord injury, and brain injury, as well as musculoskeletal medicine including treating sports injuries and joint pain.

She is the medical director of Catawba Valley Medical Center’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Program and has an outpatient clinic at the Wellness Center on CVMC’s campus.

Prior to completing her residency at the University of Louisville Hospital in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Urzen completed her medical degree at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and her internship at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery.

She is currently a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Academy of Physiatry, the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Medicine.

When she is not working, Dr. Urzen enjoys gardening, hiking, skydiving, bicycling, snow skiing and playing the five-string banjo.

Laura Brown, DNP
Laura Brown, DNP
Laura Brown, DNP, joined Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation on August 5, 2024 after working as a nurse practitioner in the Catawba Valley Medial Center Emergency Department for almost 7 years. A Morganton native, Laura obtained her BSN from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and worked as a bedside Emergency Department nurse in Greensboro for many years before going to graduate school. She completed her Masters of Science in Nursing at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and is dual certified as an adult geriatric/acute care nurse practitioner as well as a family nurse practitioner. She holds a Doctor of Nursing practice degree from Vanderbilt University as well.

Helpful Links:

Catawba Valley Health System Locations

Our aim is to provide exceptional healthcare services delivered by a compassionate team committed to enhancing the overall well-being of the community we serve. See below for our full list of Locations.

828.326.3000


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