“What is the difference between a physical therapist and a physiatrist?”

A physiatrist is a physician who specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. A physical therapist is someone who has been trained in physical therapy and will help with muscloskeletal problems and injuries with machines and body manipulation.

What is a Physiatrist?
What is a Physiatrist?

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians, also known as physiatrists, treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

PM&R physicians are medical doctors who have completed training in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), and may be subspecialty certified in Brain Injury Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Neuromuscular Medicine, Pain Medicine, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, and/or Sports Medicine.

Specifically, PM&R physicians:

Treat patients of all ages
Focus treatment on function
Have a broad medical expertise that allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime
Diagnose and treat pain as a result of an injury, illness, or disabling condition
Determine and lead a treatment/prevention plan
Lead a team of medical professionals, which may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician extenders to optimize patient care
Work with other physicians, which may include primary care physicians, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and many others.
Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
Depending on the injury, illness, or disabling condition, some PM&R physicians may treat their patients using the following procedures/services:

EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies
Ultrasound guided procedures
Fluoroscopy guided procedures
Injections of spine
Discography, Disc Decompression and Vertebroplasy/Kyphoplasty
Nerve Stimulators, Blocks and Ablation procedures—Peripheral and Spinal
Injections of joints
Prolotherapy
Spasticity Treatment (Phenol and Botulinum toxin injections, intrathecal baclofen pump trial and implants)
Nerve and Muscle Biopsy
Manual Medicine/Osteopathic Treatment
Prosthetics and Orthotics
Complementary-alternative medicine (i.e. acupuncture, etc.)
Disability/impairment assessment
Medicolegal consulting

A 'physiatrist is a physician who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. ... A physiatrist diagnoses, manages, and treats pain from injury, illness, or medical conditions, predominantly using physical means for recovery such as physical therapy and medicine.

Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education. ... Physical therapists examine each person and then develops a treatment plan to improve their ability to move, reduce or manage pain, restore function, and prevent disability.

Physiatrist is a medical doctor who prescribes medications, does injections, refers to physical therapy.

Physical Therapists are clinicians who are experts in movement and goal is to have you achieve maximal function/return to previous activity with the use of exercise/manual therapy/balance/other physical activities.

If your arm has been seen by a medical doctor and has been casted and now you are cleared for activity, see a physical therapist.

Daniel Prata PT, DPT, COMT

You should see a Physical Therapist for this rehabilitation.
Regards
Dr. Ramky Kavaserry DPT

Excellent question as you must have some idea of what a Physiatrist is versus a Physical Therapist. You may see a Physiatrist, which as you know is a medical doctor, who may refer you to see a Physical Therapist. The PT would then establish your specific rehabilitation program of Neuromuscular activities which may include exercise, balance, proprioception, kinesthetic awareness, modalities, manual interventions and therapeutic activities. Depending on where you are located, you could just go straight to the Physical Therapist. Typically a bout of therapy is performed on a weekly basis, much more frequently than you would see a Physicatrist for follow up. Best of luck to you.