Jen​nifer Miller MD 

​​​Call 518-264-3600

Dr. Miller feels passionate about providing quality rehabilitation care to amputees. She became invested in this population's care after being involved with the rehabilitation of the Boston Marathon survivors during her training at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital / Harvard Medical School.

Ideally, a rehabilitation specialist like Dr. Miller will be involved in an amputee patient's care even before amputation surgery. The rehabilitation specialist can help define expectations for the patient, provide education on the process for obtaining equipment and other care such as physical therapy, and help plan the amputation level to make the outcome as functional as possible. Most often, however, the patient meets a rehabilitation physician after their surgery, sometimes after they have already been working with a prosthetist, or artificial limb maker.

In most cases, at some point the amputee patients' surgeon will eventually no longer need to follow them / discharge them from post surgical care. At this point, the rehabilitation specialist becomes the primary specialist for amputation-related needs.

Specifically, Dr. Miller often helps amputee patients with evaluation for new equipment including their initial prosthetic limb and improvements/replacement of prosthetic limbs over time. Insurance often requires detailed documentation for the acquisition of these devices which is unfamiliar to primary care physicians. Dr. Miller is well-versed in this process.

Additionally, greater than half of all amputee patient suffered from hyperhidrosis or increased sweating of their residual limb. There are multiple treatments for this available, including over-the-counter management techniques, prescription medications, and an office treatment such as Botox injections. Dr. Miller prescribes physical therapy for gait training and oversees the rehabilitation process through correspondence with your physical therapist.

She can provide consultative input on pain medication management and make recommendations to the prescribing physician. Dr. Miller does not prescribe opioid pain medication.

Patients may call for an evaluation or many area prosthetists can help facilitate an appointment if you are already under their care. Monthly amputee clinics occur for amputee patients only, in addition to Dr Miller seeing amputees on regular clinic days. Your prosthetist is always invited to attend appointment with you, if you desire.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Why do I need another doctor?

A rehabilitation physician can be a lifelong resource for the patient with amputation. Similar to seeing a cardiologist after having a heart attack, undergoing an amputation adds complexity to your care needs that a specialist is usually best suited to manage. The rehabilitation physician will be most involved as you are fit for your initial prosthesis, when you need upgrade or change to a new prosthesis, or when issues with walking, sweating, or prosthetic fit are impairing your function.

2. Should I call my surgeon or my rehabilitation specialist?

Both doctors are involved in your amputation care in the first few months following amputation, so there is not really a wrong answer, but generally speaking, questions about your wound, stitches/staples, and healing from surgery should be directed to your surgeon. Dr Miller can help with questions about equipment, therapy, pain, return to functional goals, and expectations going forward. If you are out of work, out of work related concerns should be directed to whichever provider first signed off on your disability status / started the out of work process as most likely the same person should see it through to completion.

3. Why follow up?

Hopefully the usefulness of an initial physiatric evaluation for your prosthesis will be clear. It is also important to continue to follow up with Dr Miller to trouble shoot other issues that may arise, anticipate upgrades to better equipment when you qualify for them, and to monitor your progress. Often amputees know few or no other amputees at first, so expert input on your recovery can help gauge how you are doing. Time will be spent during every appointment answering any questions you may have and guiding expectations.