Physical medicine and rehabilitation is also called physiatry. It focuses on treating people who have a health problem or injury that impairs their normal function.

A physiatrist is a doctor who works in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

These doctors complete four years of medical school and four years of residency training. Many complete fellowship training in a specialty area. After that, they can take the tests of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to become board-certified.

They provide many medical services. But they don't do surgery. They treat many conditions that affect the following:

• Muscles and bones
• Heart and blood vessels
• Lungs and breathing
• Nervous system

This includes conditions such as arthritis and back pain as well as work- and sports-related injuries and brain or spinal cord injuries.

These doctors work in many settings, such as:

• Hospitals.
• Inpatient rehab centers.
• Outpatient rehab centers.
• Private practice.

A physiatrist leads a rehab team. This team may include physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, rehab nurses, and others. The goal is to treat the whole person. This means looking at a person's physical, emotional, work, and social needs.