Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as physiatry or rehabilitation medicine, aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. A physician having completed 4 years of training after medical school in this field is referred to as a physiatrist. Unlike other medical specialties that focus on a medical “cure,” the goals of the physiatrist are to maximize patients’ independence in activities of daily living and improve quality of life.

Physiatrists are experts in designing comprehensive, patient-centered treatment plans, and are integral members of the care team. They utilize cutting-edge as well as time-tested treatments to maximize function and quality of life for their patients, who can range in age from infants to octogenarians.

PM&R physicians (or physiatrists) evaluate and treat patients with short- or long-term physical and/or cognitive impairments and disabilities that result from musculoskeletal conditions (neck or back pain, or sports or work injuries), neurological conditions (stroke, brain injury or spinal cord injury) or medical other conditions. Their goal is to decrease pain and enhance performance without surgery.

PM&R physicians practice in a variety of clinical settings, including inpatient and outpatient facilities. They have a broad range of knowledge including musculoskeletal, neurological, rheumatological and cardiovascular systems.

Some of the common diagnoses and populations seen by inpatient physiatrists include spinal cord injury, brain injury (traumatic and non-traumatic), stroke, multiple sclerosis, polio, burn care, and musculoskeletal and pediatric rehabilitation. Inpatient physiatrists are often trained using collaborative team skills and work with social workers and other allied health therapists (e.g., physical, occupational and speech) to manage these issues.

Outpatient physiatrists manage nonsurgical conditions including orthopaedic injuries, spine-related pain and dysfunction, occupational injuries and overuse syndromes, neurogenic bowel/bladder, pressure sore management, spasticity management, and chronic pain. Outpatient physiatrists are typically found in multidisciplinary groups consisting of other physiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons and/or neurosurgeons.

On August 24, AAPM&R released the first dashboard that shows how many millions of Americans are estimated to be experiencing Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC or Long COVID) symptoms by state, county and nationally.

Our dashboard is based on data from Johns Hopkins University CSSE COVID-19 data and the U.S. census, and includes state and county level statistics and trends over time for Long COVID. The dashboard has options for estimating the number of Long COVID cases based on different assumptions and percentages. Learn more and explore the dashboard.

Long COVID Guidance Statements

• Fatigue
  • Multidisciplinary collaborative consensus guidance statement on the assessment and treatment of fatigue in postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) patients
    • Access all of the tables from the fatigue guidance statement, which include the methodology, recommendations, health equity considerations and more.
• Breathing Discomfort
  • Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative Consensus Guidance Statement on the Assessment and Treatment of Breathing Discomfort and Respiratory Sequelae in Patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC)
    • Access all of the tables from the breathing discomfort guidance statement, which include the recommendations, health equity considerations/examples, rehabilitation approaches and more.
• Cognitive Symptoms
  • Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative Consensus Guidance Statement on the Assessment and Treatment of Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)
    • Access all of the tables (also available in PowerPoint slides) from the cognitive symptoms guidance statement, which include the recommendations, screening tools, strategies, health equity considerations and more.

The diverse ways in which PM&R is practiced is a strength—but also a potential challenge for the future viability of the specialty. Physiatrists must be unified in voice, in numbers, and in passion so that the patient populations we serve are continuously and positively impacted by our care.

Physiatry is More Than is about sharing the many perspectives of this specialty, and reinforcing the commonality all physiatrists share—a passion for our patients to live functional, fulfilling lives. Whether you’re focused on brain injury, pediatric rehabilitation, neuromuscular medicine, or one of the many other subgroups of physiatry, our diverse clinical roles strengthen our specialty and our impact.

Get involved and tell your story, because united, our impact is magnified.

Visit www.pmrismorethan.org.