Physiatrists, or rehabilitation physicians,
are nerve, muscle, and bone experts who treat injuries or illnesses
that affect how you move
Rehabilitation physicians are medical doctors who
have completed training in the medical specialty of physical
medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). Specifically, rehabilitation
physicians:
- Diagnose and treat pain
- Restore maximum function lost through
injury, illness or disabling conditions
- Treat the whole person, not just the
problem area
- Lead a team of medical professionals
- Provide non-surgical treatments
- Explain your medical problems and
treatment/prevention plan
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The job of a rehabilitation physician is to treat
any disability resulting from disease or injury, from sore shoulders
to spinal cord injuries. The focus is on the development of a
comprehensive program for putting the pieces of a person's life back
together after injury or disease – without surgery.
Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to
accurately pinpoint the source of an ailment. They then design a
treatment plan that can be carried out by the patients themselves or
with the help of the rehabilitation physician’s medical team. This
medical team might include other physicians and health
professionals, such as neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and
physical therapists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan,
rehabilitation physicians help patients stay as active as possible
at any age. Their broad medical expertise allows them to treat
disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.
