What
is physiatry?
 Introduction
Physiatry – also called physical medicine and
rehabilitation – 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 conservative treatments for the
musculoskeletal system (the muscles and bones) and do
not perform surgery.
The specialty of physiatry is approximately 50 years
old. Today, there are over 6,000 physicians practicing
physical medicine and rehabilitation. Because the back
is the locus of most of our musculoskeletal system,
many physiatrists are essentially specialists in treating
back pain.
To become a physiatrist, one must complete 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). The following
three years of residency emphasize specialty training.
Fellowships for additional specialization are available
in sports medicine, brain injury (e.g. stroke), spinal
cord injury, pain management and pediatric medicine.
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