Physiatrists (pronounced "fizz-EYE-a-trists"), or rehabilitation physicians, are nerve, muscle, and bone experts who treat 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).
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 pinpoint accurately 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 team might include other physicians and health care professionals such as: neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors, and physical therapists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, rehabilitation physicians help people stay as active as possible at any age.
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