A Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) veterinarian is first and foremost a doctor of veterinary medicine and is therefore highly trained to diagnose and provide therapy for animals with disease and injury. In addition,PM&R veterinarians have advanced training, expertise, and most importantly, experience in the management of pain and loss of function through injury and illness. Many PM&R veterinarians have post-doctorate training in the areas of orthopedic surgery, pain management, acupuncture, chiropractic and/or rehabilitation that has led to specialization and/or certification in these fields. People who are not veterinarians can also perform some forms of physical rehabilitation on animals; these people include physical therapists, human chiropractors who have trained in animal chiropractic, animal massage therapists and physical therapy assistants. However, only a veterinarian can provide whole body care, prescribe needed medicines, and perform a veterinary diagnostic evaluation prior to designing a treatment plan.
A veterinarian should always be involved in your pet’s physical rehabilitation, and we are happy to work closely with other professionals such as those listed above. Veterinary technicians can be trained and certified in rehabilitation, and technicians will often perform therapies under the supervision of a veterinarian.
In addition, many pet insurance companies now cover physical rehabilitation with the condition that it is performed in a veterinary clinical setting with a veterinarian prescribing the treatment.
Many PM&R veterinarians have post-doctorate training in the areas of orthopedic surgery, pain management, acupuncture, chiropractic and/or rehabilitation that has led to specialization and/or certification in these fields. People who are not veterinarians can also perform some forms of physical rehabilitation on animals; these people include physical therapists, human chiropractors who have trained in animal chiropractic, animal massage therapists and physical therapy assistants. However, only a veterinarian can provide whole body care, prescribe needed medicines, and perform a veterinary diagnostic evaluation prior to designing a treatment plan. 
