Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

What is Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?

Physicians or doctors studying in physical medicine and rehabilitation work to help patients with disabilities of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Physiatrists work with patients of all ages and strategy care plans for conditions, like the spinal cord or brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and musculoskeletal and paediatric rehabilitation. Not like numerous other medical specialities, physiatrists work to recover the patient quality of life, instead of seeking medical cures.
Physiatrists or doctors are specialists in scheming comprehensive, patient-centred treatment action plans and are essential members of the care team. They use cutting-edge also as time-tested treatments to maximize function and quality of life for his or her patients, who can choice in age from new-born children to octogenarians.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians or doctors, also recognized as physiatrists, treat a large range of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons.
PM&R physicians are medical doctors who have finished their training within the speciality of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and should be sub-speciality certified in Brain Injury Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, Pain Medicine, Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and/or Sports Medicine.

In particular, PM&R physicians or doctors:

• Treat patients of all ages.
• Focus treatment on function.
• Have broad medical knowledge that permits them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.
• Analyse and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, or disabling condition.
• Decide and lead a treatment/prevention plan.
• Lead a team of medical professionals, which may consist of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician extenders to improve patient care.
• Work with other physicians or doctors, which may consist of primary care physicians, neurologists, orthopaedic surgeons and several others.
• Treat the entire person, not just the problem area.

Sub-specialities in this field consists of the following:

• Brain injury medicine
• Hospice and palliative medicine
• Neuromuscular medicine
• Pain medicine
• Paediatric rehabilitation medicine
• Spinal cord injury medicine
• Sports medicine