Rehabilitation medicine is a branch of medicine that helps improve the condition of disabled people. In most cases, rehabilitation is carried out in a hospital by a team of specialists headed by a physiatrist. Physiatrists are doctors who have been specially trained in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Other members of the team may include nurses, psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists, and various other therapists. The treatment used in rehabilitation depends on the patient's disability.
Surgery can help certain kinds of blindness, deafness, and deformities.
Drugs may be used to treat severe depression and other mental illnesses. Many people with disabilities benefit from physical therapy, which involves treatment by such means as heat, light, and water. Physical therapy may also include special exercises that restore the patient's endurance and muscle strength. A form of treatment called occupational therapy helps overcome or reduce disabilities by teaching patients various skills. These skills help disabled people gain confidence in their ability to live a full and normal life.