Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine: The Medical Specialty

Abstract

Incorporating Rehabilitation into the discipline of Physical Medicine has its roots in the 1960s decade, about thesame time that Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) is recognized officially as an independent medicalspecialty. Since that time, the evolving demographics and health care of the Western Europe population and theinternational recognition of the handicapped individual’s need for rehabilitative care has led to a new biopsycho-social approach of the patient and his illness, which is the main core of the World Health Organization’sInternational Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). PMR’s European bodies have been workingto match today’s definition of the competences of the PM&R specialist to this new model, promoting professionalharmonization throughout the European countries. In this manuscript will be broach among others: the right toRehabilitation; Demography and Functionality; the Physiatrist and ICF; the Speciality of Physical andRehabilitation Medicine (PRM); Diagnostic and Evaluation Activity in PRM; Treatment Plan in PRM; Rehabilitationin a Team Approach; Therapeutic Interventions in PRM; Objectives and Results in PRM; European Organisms inPRM.

Keywords: Disability Evaluation; Europe; History, 20th Century;History, 21st Century; Physical Medicine;Rehabilitation; Societies, Medical