The Department of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation
The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh provides physician services to the UPMC Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (IRR). The department consists of 20 full-time physicians and 6 faculty who focus on advancing the practice and science of rehabilitation in both clinical and research environments. Our physiatrists are consistently listed as “Best Doctors” in Pittsburgh Magazine and our program is ranked one of the top rehabilitation programs by U.S. News &World Report.
A physician who receives specialty training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, or physiatry, is called a physiatrist (fizz-e-a’-trist). Physiatrists focus on restoring function. They care for patients with acute and chronic pain, and musculoskeletal problems like back and neck pain, tendonitis, pinched nerves, and fibromyalgia. They also treat people who have experienced catastrophic events resulting in paraplegia, quadriplegia, or traumatic brain injury;
and individuals who have had strokes, orthopaedic injuries, or neurologic disorders such as multiple sclerosis, polio, or ALS. We are committed to developing individualized treatments for patients and advancing research.
Research Through the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Brain injury and spinal injury care at the IRR is funded partially through grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The department is ranked fifth in awards to academic physical medicine and rehabilitation departments from the National Institutes of Health.
Research advancements are leading to improved care, rehabilitation, and independence for patients. These advancements include regeneration, medication therapy,
and electrical stimulation. Research has contributed to the development of new therapies, better rehabilitation technology,
and a greater understanding of physical and cognitive impairments.