Physical medicine & rehab for personal injury

Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, called physiatrists, treat injuries without surgery. They diagnose the source of pain and loss of function, direct physical therapy, perform injections and EMG studies, and manage recovery over the life of a case.

Because a physiatrist oversees the whole non-surgical plan, their records often give the clearest picture of how an injury progressed and what it still limits. In a personal injury case the physiatrist frequently writes the final narrative report and the impairment rating. Many PM&R practices that see injury patients accept liens or letters of protection.