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Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

This specialty is founded on the basic sciences: anatomy; kinesiology; exercise, muscle and neural physiology; and biomechanics. Physical medicine and rehabilitation also combines elements of internal medicine, radiology, rheumatology, neurology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, geriatrics and behavioral science. The department strives for excellence in clinical care, education and research. The faculty instructs medical students, residents, psychology interns, graduate students and allied-health students.

Because the specialty spans a wide range of areas -- from the application of medical-clinical skills to related disciplines such as speech pathology -- the physical medicine and rehabilitation faculty researches diverse topics. Some current topics include changes in mood and personality following traumatic brain injury, health-care reform, pediatric and adult neuropsychology, the evaluation of interventions for management of disordered movement, fibromyalgia, injury prevention and traumatic brain injury.

Physiatrists care for patients at Rusk Rehabilitation Center, a new 60-bed facility that provides a variety of services to aid those who have suffered physical injury or disease. A pediatric rehabilitation unit is included for the treatment of pediatric patients with head injuries, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.

The department offers outpatient programs in such areas as chronic pain management, work hardening and brain rehabilitation. The center features clinics for amputees as well as for patients with spinal cord and brain injuries. Back injuries, sports injuries and industrial injuries also are treated in the clinics.

Faculty participate in the School of Medicine's problem-based curriculum as group facilitators and in introduction to patient care courses as faculty and preceptors. A four-week clinical elective is available to medical students in their third and fourth years.

Last Updated 9/4/08

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