What Doctors Treat Back Pain?

What is a physiatrist? 
From AAPMR website

A physiatrist (fizz ee at' trist) is a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Physiatrists treat a wide range of problems that include musculoskeletal conditions and neurological diseases. They see patients in all age groups and treat problems that touch upon all the major systems in the body. These specialists focus on restoring function to people. To become a physiatrist, individuals must successfully complete four years of graduate medical education and four additional years of postdoctoral residency training. Training focuses on properly diagnosing and treating the musculoskeletal condition and neurological disease. The patient is treated as a whole person. To treat spine disorders, a one-year fellowship is completed. A focus on diagnosis, history taking, physical examination, and technique of interventional spine injections are part of the training. The training from residency is combined with the training of the spine fellowship to treat spine patients as a whole person.

What is the difference between an anesthesiolgist and a physiatrist?

The anesthesiologist training includes 4 years of medical school training and 4 years of residency. The residency training focuses on perioperative care, postanesthesia care, and pain management during and after surgery. Anesthesiologists also have a role in critical care and trauma for providing respiratory and cardiovascular support. They provide airway management, cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation, advanced life support and pain control. As consultants, they play an active role in stabilizing and preparing the patient for emergency surgery. (Wisconsin society of anesthesiology). Some anesthesiologists specialize in pain management, completing a one year fellowship focusing on treating pain with medications and interventional spine procedures.