What is a Physiatrist?

This article explains the roles and qualifications of a physiatrist.

Written by: Richard A. Staehler, MD
Article re-posted from: www.spine-health.com

A physiatrist practices in the field of physiatry – also called physical medicine and rehabilitation – which is a branch of medicine that specializes in diagnosis, treatment and management of disease primarily using "physical" means, such as physical therapy and medications.

Essentially, physiatrists specialize in a wide variety of treatments for the musculoskeletal system - the muscles, bones and associated nerves, ligaments, tendons and other structures – and the musculoskeletal disorders that cause pain and/or difficulty with functioning. Physiatrists do not perform surgery.

A physiatrist's treatment focuses on helping the patient become as functional and pain-free as possible in order to participate in and enjoy life as fully as possible.

A physiatrist can be either a medical doctor (MD) or a doctor of osteopathy (DO). A physiatrist may be referred to as a:

• Physiatrist
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation physician
• PM&R physician

Physiatry Training and Specialization

A physiatrist's training includes four years of medical school as well as four years of residency training. The first year of residency training focuses on internal medicine (general practice), and the following three years of residency emphasize specialty training.

After residency, further specialization and training is available through Fellowships in a particular field. A Fellowship is typically one to two years of training in a particular specialty.

Physiatrists may complete one of the following Fellowships that provide additional focus and training in particular forms of treatment:

• Spine - for treatment of back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and any form of pain or dysfunction that originates in the spine
• Pain management - for treatment of many types of chronic pain (e.g. back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis pain). Physiatrists who specialize in pain medicine have additional specialty training in injections used to treat pain.
• Sports medicine - for sports injuries
• Brain injury (e.g. stroke) - for rehabilitation
• Spinal cord injury - for rehabilitation
• Pediatric medicine - for physiatric treatment of children under age 18

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialty

The specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or physiatry, is approximately 60 years old. Today, there are over 8,000 physicians practicing physical medicine and rehabilitation1.

Many PM&R physicians who treat back pain are part of a Spine Center or Spine Hospital, treating patients within a practice that includes other specialists, such as physical therapists, spine surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, and more.

Whether or not they work in a multispecialty spine practice, many physiatrists also serve to coordinate the patient’s care with a multidisciplinary team of other doctors and specialists, such as physical therapists, spine surgeons, psychologists, chiropractors, and more.