What is a Physiatrist?

A Physiatrist is a general term for a practitioner of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. A specialist in this field has completed a four-year residency program in the field of Physical Medicine. The specialty has historically been to provide expert care for patients with long-term disabilities as a result of injuries, surgery, medical illnesses etc. Common conditions include Strokes, Spinal Cord Injuries, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Amputations as well as numerous orthopedic injuries or surgeries such as Total Hip and Total Knee Replacements, Cervical and Lumbar surgeries to name a few. The Physiatrist works as part of an inpatient multidisciplinary team of specialists including physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, case management and nursing that work together towards overcoming patient’s disabilities and injuries after surgery etc. and, through the use of dedicated therapy, restoring a patient’s function and ability to perform self-care activities and achieve functional independence.

Physiatrists can also further become fellowship trained in other subspecialties including Brain Injury, Amputation Management, Spinal Cord Injury Management, Electrodiagnostics, sports medicine and Interventional Pain Management.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Houston TX

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation