See Also: physical medicine and rehabilitation(encyclopedia)
physical medicine(medicine)
Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation(health)
Healthsouth Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Center(health)
Healthsouth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center(health)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital- Medicine Lodge(health)
Orthomolecular medicine (orthomolecular nutritional medicine, orthomolecular therapy)(health)
physical(dictionary)
physical map(medicine)

physical medicine and rehabilitation (sh)




or physiatry or physical therapy or rehabilitation medicine

Medical specialty treating chronic disabilities through physical means to help patients return to a comfortable, productive life despite a medical problem.

Its objectives are pain relief, functional improvement or maintenance, training in essential activities, and functional testing of areas such as strength, mobility, breathing capacity, and coordination. Physical medicine may use diathermy, hydrotherapy, massage, exercise, and functional training. The last can mean learning to work with a guide dog or a prosthesis or learning new ways to carry out everyday activities with a limb missing, sometimes by using assistive devices. Physician specialists head rehabilitation teams including a physical therapist, rehabilitation engineer, rehabilitation nurse, psychological counselor, and sometimes a respiratory or speech therapist. See also occupational therapy; orthopedics.