Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Physiatry)

Physiatry is a medical specialty that focuses on non-surgical ways to restore optimal physical function in people who have impairments or disabilities due to an injury or illness affecting the muscles, bones or nervous system. A physiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in managing patients with these types of problems without surgery. 

Physiatrists specialize in treating the functional problems that occur after a neurological injury, such as stroke or brain injury. Physiatrists work with a team of specialists including physical, occupational and speech therapists to restore a patient’s independence in mobility, eating, dressing, hygiene and other activities of daily living.

As part of the comprehensive approach to care, patients with chronic neck pain or back pain who have not been helped by previous treatments have access to our physiatrists through the services of the UMass Memorial Spine Center. Our highly trained physiatrists use exercise-based therapies and pain management techniques to help improve an individual’s ability to function and quality of life.

Some other conditions for which physiatrists may provide non-surgical treatments include:

  • Amputations
  • Spinal cord injuries 
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Post-polio syndrome 
  • Conditions affecting strength, walking, balance
  • Cerebral palsy 
  • Osteoporosis 
  • Degenerative disc disease 
  • Herniated disc disease (“slipped disc”)/sciatica 

In addition to exercise, physiatrists can incorporate other approaches to help improve patients’ ability to function as fully and independently as possible. These include:

  • Prosthetics
  • Adaptive/assistive devices
  • Custom braces, splints and orthotics
  • Heat therapy
  • Hydro (water) therapy
  • Electrical stimulation