Physical medicine and rehabilitation, also referred to as rehabilitation medicine, is the medical specialty concerned with diagnosing, evaluating, and treating patients with physical disabilities. A physical medicine physician, also called a physiatrist treats diseases and disorders including neck and back pain, and sports injuries or disorders resulting from trauma, such as spinal cord injury or head injury. The physiatrist works with the patient using X-rays, a physical exam, laboratory study, pain management and/or physical therapy, to achieve rehabilitation. The primary goal of the physiatrist is to achieve maximal restoration of physical, psychological, social and vocational function through comprehensive rehabilitation.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 6,628 practicing physical medicine & rehabilitation doctors. Broken out by state, physical medicine & rehabilitation doctor density in Alabama is 69, in Alaska is 5, in Arizona is 91, in Arkansas is 48, in California is 654, in Colorado is 123, in Connecticut is 94, in Delaware is 22, in District of Columbia is 55, in Florida is 303, in Georgia is 127, in Hawaii is 40, in Idaho is 20, in Illinois is 307, in Indiana is 105, in Iowa is 34, in Kansas is 78, in Kentucky is 81, in Louisiana is 90, in Maine is 29, in Maryland is 173, in Massachusetts is 223, in Michigan is 303, in Minnesota is 153, in Mississippi is 25, in Missouri is 145, in Montana is 19, in Nebraska is 32, in Nevada is 54, in New Hampshire is 28, in New Jersey is 349, in New Mexico is 34, in New York is 786, in North Carolina is 130, in North Dakota is 14, in Ohio is 288, in Oklahoma is 40, in Oregon is 73, in Pennsylvania is 526, in Rhode Island is 14, in South Carolina is 69, in South Dakota is 20, in Tennessee is 89, in Texas is 409, in Utah is 77, in Vermont is 10, in Virginia is 134, in Washington is 197, in West Virginia is 21, in Wisconsin is 167, and in Wyoming is 2.