What is Physiatry?

Physiatry is a branch of medicine that diagnoses and treats disorders causing temporary or permanent impairment. A physiatrist (fizz ee at' trist) is a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, focusing on restoring function. They see patients in all age groups and treat problems that touch upon all the major systems in the body.

They care for patients with acute and chronic pain; patients with musculoskeletal problems like back and neck pain, tendonitis, pinched nerves and fibromyalgia; patients who have experienced catastrophic events resulting in paraplegia, quadriplegia, or traumatic brain injury; and individuals who have had strokes, orthopaedic injuries, or neurologic disorders such as multiple sclerosis, polio, or ALS. Physiatrists also treat serious disorders of the musculoskeletal system that result in severe functional limitations.

To become a physiatrist, individuals must successfully complete four years of graduate medical education and four additional years of postdoctoral residency training. Residency training includes one year spent developing fundamental clinical skills and three additional years of training in the full scope of the specialty.

To become board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physiatrists are required to pass both a written and oral examination administered by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPM&R). The ABPM&R also has agreements with each of the boards of pediatrics, internal medicine, and neurology to allow special training programs leading to certification in both specialties.

Our physiatrists have completed four years of graduate medical education and four additional years of postdoctoral residency training. Many have additional training and interests in specific areas, such as: