People often ask me what I do as a specialist doctor in rehabilitation medicine. 

Rehabilitation physicians provide medical care to people who have become disabled by injury, illness, disease or have been disabled from birth. Not many people identify themselves as being disabled as this is an old term, now replaced by loss of function or activity limitation. The common conditions we treat include

• Persistent (chronic) pain (neck, back, work-related, post-surgical, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia)
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Stroke
• Amputation
• Traumatic Brain Injury (including concussion)
• Deconditioning after medical or surgical illness or any hospital stay
• Orthopaedic conditions (joint replacement, fractures, especially fractures of the hip and shoulder)
• Cancer pain, fatigue and deconditioning
• Falls
• Long Covid
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I describe our hospital role to Registrars who are training in Rehabilitation Medicine as having two major components:

1. We medically treat patients to help make them (or keep them) well enough so that they can participate in rehabilitation programs of exercise and strategies

2. We educate, motivate, guide and counsel people so that they are ready to participate in rehabilitation programs

Rehabilitation medicine doctors working in hospitals are usually involved in leading interdisciplinary teams which includes patients, their families and carers as well as multiple clinicians including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists, exercise physiologists and dietitians.

Outside of inpatient care, in private or hospital-based clinics, rehabilitation physicians provide medical treatment for pain and other medical conditions interfering with recovery. In this setting, we continue to help people to promote their function and independence so that they can continue to live their life in their place of choosing. We help people return to their enjoyable activities, driving, study and work. Our focus is always on helping people to live their best life.