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- Oct 19, 2005
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Has anyone noticed on the interview trail that some programs seem opposed to promoting interventional spine?
Personally, I think its the branch of rehab with the most promise. There are so many new technologies coming out in coblation, RF ablation, spinal cord stimulators, IT pumps... and many more are on the horizon. Granted many procedures have not been proven, and IDETs had major setbacks in demonstrating efficacy in some trials, I think our innovative approach in this field (along with anesthesiology, neurology) is great.
What shocked me on the interview trail is that not all PDs feel this way. I recall one in particular saying how pain managment procedures are not going to hold up, esp epidural injections. This was a shocking statement and I think it reflected a pretty poor attitude that I think we as future physiatrists should fight. We want to continue to do research in these fields that promise pain relief to our patients. There seems to be a recurring pattern with regard to innovations as they come out--there's always an older, more traditional subgroup of skeptics who deny the validity of technology without realize that the technology is evolving as we speak. Sure right now epidural have many limitations and they only occasionally give long term relief. But we will keep on improving the technology, injecting new medicines & drugs and testing it in controlled trials. We will improve and develop new technologies.
Sometimes when I think of where pain management is headed I think of the innovative cardiologist and their stents. At first they did not do so hot and they were criticized by peers and esp CT surg. Later they added IIb-IIIa inh. Now they have advanced eluting stents with all kinds of drugs like paclitaxel, sirolimimus, etc etc. The only way they got here is through their innovative spirit and willingness to invest heavily in research. I feel more rehab programs should head in the same direction. And not just in pain managment, but other areas such as cardiac rehab technologies.
Personally, I think its the branch of rehab with the most promise. There are so many new technologies coming out in coblation, RF ablation, spinal cord stimulators, IT pumps... and many more are on the horizon. Granted many procedures have not been proven, and IDETs had major setbacks in demonstrating efficacy in some trials, I think our innovative approach in this field (along with anesthesiology, neurology) is great.
What shocked me on the interview trail is that not all PDs feel this way. I recall one in particular saying how pain managment procedures are not going to hold up, esp epidural injections. This was a shocking statement and I think it reflected a pretty poor attitude that I think we as future physiatrists should fight. We want to continue to do research in these fields that promise pain relief to our patients. There seems to be a recurring pattern with regard to innovations as they come out--there's always an older, more traditional subgroup of skeptics who deny the validity of technology without realize that the technology is evolving as we speak. Sure right now epidural have many limitations and they only occasionally give long term relief. But we will keep on improving the technology, injecting new medicines & drugs and testing it in controlled trials. We will improve and develop new technologies.
Sometimes when I think of where pain management is headed I think of the innovative cardiologist and their stents. At first they did not do so hot and they were criticized by peers and esp CT surg. Later they added IIb-IIIa inh. Now they have advanced eluting stents with all kinds of drugs like paclitaxel, sirolimimus, etc etc. The only way they got here is through their innovative spirit and willingness to invest heavily in research. I feel more rehab programs should head in the same direction. And not just in pain managment, but other areas such as cardiac rehab technologies.
