What is a Physiatrist?

Physiatrists, or rehabilitation physicians, are medical doctors who:

• Restore maximum function secondary to loss from injury, illness or disabling conditions
• Maximize quality of life
• Provide non-surgical treatments such as joint, soft tissue, and spine injections
• Lead a team of medical professionals such as physical, occupational, and speech therapists
• Are experts at diagnosing and treating pain
• Work not only on treatment and function but also prevention
• Treat the whole person, not just the problem area

Rehabilitation physicians are nerve, muscle, and bone experts who treat injuries or illnesses that affect how you move and function. Rehabilitation physicians have completed training in the medical specialty physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R).

Rehabilitation physicians treat a wide range of problems from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. Their goal is to decrease pain and enhance performance.  They often 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.

Physicians & Location