What is a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R)?

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), also called physiatry emphasizes the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders which can cause temporary or permanent impairment. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is one of the 24 medical specialties certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The specialty focuses on the restoration of function to people with problems ranging from simple to complex physical mobility issues.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a relatively new medical specialty. Although it began in the 1920s, it did not grow rapidly until the 1940s thousands of young people were left paralyzed by polio epidemics and thousands more returned from World War II with limb amputations and other disabling injuries. As thousands of veterans came back to the United States with serious disabilities, the task of helping to restore them to productive lives became a new direction for the field. The Advisory Board of Medical Specialties granted PM&R its approval as a specialty of medicine in 1947.