Cancer rehabilitation

[Dansk2011]

For those of you incorporating cancer rehabilitation into your practices, what are some things you are doing differently then general PM&R and pain. How are you going about getting referrals from oncology (what are you marketing to them) and what specific types of things are you generally treating? Genuinely interested as I am looking to incorporate some newer ideas/techniques/procedures into my practice that I might be overlooking to help build volume.

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[j4pac]

For those of you incorporating cancer rehabilitation into your practices, what are some things you are doing differently then general PM&R and pain. How are you going about getting referrals from oncology (what are you marketing to them) and what specific types of things are you generally treating? Genuinely interested as I am looking to incorporate some newer ideas/techniques/procedures into my practice that I might be overlooking to help build volume.

I’d offer to do all their conservative management…lymphedema, shoulder pain, debility, neuropathic pain, chest wall pain, etc. Chest wall nerve blocks (PEC 1/2, SAP blocks) are $$$, and it’s a skillset that onc won’t have

 

[Dansk2011]

Awesome!! Much appreciated. Love the idea of blocks. I guess botulinum for fibrosis, trismus, post-mastectomy pain, etc. would be good too.

 

[PainApp2021]

I’d offer to do all their conservative management…lymphedema, shoulder pain, debility, neuropathic pain, chest wall pain, etc. Chest wall nerve blocks (PEC 1/2, SAP blocks) are $$$, and it’s a skillset that onc won’t have

Wouldn't this all be covered by pain + opportunity to put in pumps, do cpb's, stims, etc?

 

[j4pac]

Wouldn't this all be covered by pain + opportunity to put in pumps, do cpb's, stims, etc?

It’s been my experience that most pain providers have no interest in the rehabilitation side of these patients care (not all, but most). Botox would also be a skillset that is not adequately taught in a Pain fellowship. I think that an argument can also be made that PM&R has better non-spine MSK training than Pain, and these patients typically have a lot of Ortho/MSK issues. A PM&R resident with a Pain fellowship has a huge skillset.

 

[Dansk2011]

Wouldn't this all be covered by pain + opportunity to put in pumps, do cpb's, stims, etc?

Probably depends on the provider(s) and set up. The "pain" physicians at my hospital are interventional spine trained. Neither has a formal pain fellowship and they do pretty much do just procedures, most of which are axial. No implants of any sort and they definitely don't do peripheral blocks or Botox. I've consider the pump route as I already manage baclofen pumps and do have ACGME pain fellowship training, but would only do pain pumps on hospice patients...for obvious reasons. Haven't committed to anything but I am trying to drum up business for my clinic and thought maybe "cancer rehabilitation" could be a good marketing tool.