At a medical conference I attended a few years ago, one of the presentations was entitled “The Elevator Pitch.” The purpose of the session was to help physiatrists explain to laypeople what exactly it is that a physiatrist does. Many of us in the audience understood the implications of the presentation immediately. We had all struggled at one point or another to explain what exactly a physiatrist is and what we do. It is a particularly difficult thing to explain and so a brief summary to explain the medical field of physiatry over the course of one or two minutes would be helpful. I thought maybe I could try to take a crack at it…
First, it should be pointed out that physiatry is not psychiatry. The two words are spelled and sometimes pronounced similarly but are very different medical specialties. Physiatry is another word for the wordy title “Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.” Both “physiatry” and “physical medicine and rehabilitation” refer to the same thing, the medical specialty. And before you ask, this “Rehabilitation” is not drug rehab or addiction medicine. Confusing, right?
The medical field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation originated in the early 20th century when physicians began using physical agents to treat medical illnesses. They examined the use of hydrotherapy, massage, exercise, and different modalities in the treatment of patients. Eventually dedicated residency trainings were established and the field was recognized as a distinct medical field in 1947 by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
So what exactly do physiatrists do? Most physiatrists work at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital where they take care of patients who have suffered from spinal cord injuries, stroke, brain injuries, amputations, joint replacements, and neuromusculoskeletal disorders. Physiatrists lead the medical team, treating the different medical conditions patients have but also manage unique medical problems that arise due to their particular problem, for example bladder management in spinal cord injured patients. Physiatrists lead the rehabilitation team as well, working with physical, occupational, and speech and language therapists to improve patients’ function and quality of life. Physiatrists work with case managers, prosthetists and orthotists, nurses, and other medical professionals to establish the best way to help patients adjust to their new life parameters. That’s quite a bit to explain over the course of an elevator trip, don’t you think?
A further subdivision of physiatry is pain management, the use of different procedures, therapies, medications, and modalities to treat patients in acute and chronic pain. As a fellowship-trained interventional physiatrist, I keep my physical medicine and rehabilitation training in mind with every patient I encounter. I look at the patient in the context of their function, interests, and quality of life. I think this perspective helps me work with patients to get them where they want to be at the best health and function we can accomplish. It is a challenging field but ultimately, I serve to help patients get as close to “back to normal” as they can get. Perhaps you have a musculoskeletal pain or injury. Maybe you would benefit from seeking a physiatrist consult for your back pain or other injury. Leave a comment and let me know!
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