Our Services A - Z - Pain Clinic / Pain Management Services
About the service
At our Trust, we offer a multidisciplinary Pain Clinic which helps our patients to both treat and manage their pain.
This is based on a holistic approach to each patient and assessment often begins by the completion of an in-depth Pain Clinic Questionnaire, involving several scoring tools so that we can fully understand the pain but also the effect it is having on the patient. Treatment can then be tailored to each individual patient's needs.
Our team consists of 5 Pain Doctors, a Nurse Clinician, Advanced Musculoskeletal practitioners, Physiotherapists and 3 excellent and sympathetic secretaries. The clinic runs from 8-5 Monday-Friday with an answerphone outside these times. We offer Outpatient clinics in normal office hours, but also early appointments on Fridays and evening appointments on Mondays. Clinics are held in Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals.
- Clinic Services
We offer holistic care to our chronic pain patients suffering from following pain conditions
Musculoskeletal Pain
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Knee pain including chronic postoperative pain and denervation
- Shoulder pain
- Hip pain including denervation approaches
- Prolapsed/bulging discs
- Sacroiliac joint disorders
- Trochanteric bursitis
- Soft tissue (sports) injuries – upper/lower limb, trunk
- Chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain
- Chronic pain following surgery
- Spinal stenosis
- Facet joint syndrome
- Failed back surgery syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
- Persistent pain after surgery
- Whiplash associated pain
Neuropathic Pain
- Sciatica, chronic back and leg pain
- Orofacial pain
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Chronic pain related to neurological and neurodegenerative disorders
- Central pain syndrome
- Phantom limb pain
- Post herpetic neuralgia
- Peripheral / polyneuropathy
- Meralgia paraesthetica and other nerve entrapment syndromes
- Interventional management of primary and some forms of secondary headache (e.g. postdural puncture, occipital neuralgia, cervicogenic headache, trigeminal neuralgia)
Abdominal and Pelvic pain (male and female)
- Abdominal pain
- Acute and chronic pancreatitis
- Vulvodynia
- Prostate pain
- Testicular pain
- Bladder pain syndromes
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Medical management of endometriosis and related disorders
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Pudendal neuralgia
- Obturator nerve injury post sling insertion
Cancer pain
We offer a service for patients troubled with Cancer related Pain which has close links to both the Hospital based Palliative Care department and also the Willowbrook Hospice. This includes nerve blocks, Epidural based infusion devices along with other interventions. In extreme cases, we liaise with the regional unit at the Walton Centre for their support.
- Cancer pain
- Bone pain
- Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy
We offer a wide range of treatments and therapies, ranging from medication reviews, specialised physiotherapy, TENS, Medical and Specialised Physiotherapist Acupuncture clinics, Pain Doctor and Nurse Clinician led outpatient pain clinics to Day case based injection based interventions.
Our interventional injection lists are all based in St Helens hospital in either the Operating theatre or the Radiology suite, depending on injection type. We offer a range of interventions from simple muscular injections to complex nerve blocks/Epidurals.
Simple Procedures
- Trigger point injections
- Tender point Injections
- 8% capsiacn (QUTENZA) patch treatment
- IV Lidocaine infusion
X-ray guided injections
- Epidural injections – lumbar, caudal, transforaminal. Nerve Root Blocks
- Sacroiliac joint injections
- Facet joint Diagnostic Medial Branch Block
- Diagnostic/therapeutic facet joint/medial branch blocks
- Radiofrequency denervation procedures
- Pulsed radiofrequency treatment to nerve roots, trunks and peripheral nerves
- Sympathetic blocks with or without radiofrequency treatment
- Injection therapy for migraines / headaches and myofascial pain
- Periarticular injections: Genicular Nerve blocks for knee / Hip
- Scar/neuroma injections
Ultrasound guided injections
- Suprascapular Nerve Block
- Pyriformis block
- Pudendal Nerve Block
- ACNES block for abdominal pain
- Stellate ganglion block
- Genitofemoral Nerve Block for groin pain
- Ganglion Impar block
- Coccyx injection
- Greater Occipital Nerve Block
Cancer Pain Management
Nerve blocks: Ultrasound guided Regional Anaesthesia, Continuous catheter techniques
Neuro-ablative procedures: Intrathecal neurolysis (Saddle block)
We also are fortunate to have the support of a team of Psychologists who can offer one-to-one treatments but also a formalised Pain Management Programme (PMP) in conjunction with expert Physiotherapists.
Many of our patients can be helped by careful assessment and specialised advice, however other patients may need individualised treatments or referral to other clinicians (such as Rheumatologists, Neurologists or Neurosurgeons). We are well placed to offer this Multidisciplinary support.
The Acute pain team provides a specialist inpatient service, delivered by an experienced team of two Acute pain specialist nurses and non-medical prescribers and three part-time Acute pain sisters. The team's statement is an honest, open and effective communication and collaboration between the patients, their carers and the multi-disciplinary professionals, to provide effective care and support for patients in acute and acute on chronic pain.
The team will support and help review your enhanced recovery analgesia post- orthopaedic, renal, colo-rectal, gynaecology surgery. The referral pathway is via medical or surgical team looking after the patient. The Acute pain team are a visible presence on the wards for questions and advice and provide multiple teaching events for all nursing and clinical staff for up to date knowledge on the principles and practice of acute pain relief in order to demonstrate an appropriate level of skill for their area of work.
We receive very positive feedback from most of our patients and run a friendly, supportive and professional service.
- About the Team
Managerial and Secretarial staff
Mr. John Clayton- Directorate Manager
Rebecca Fitzpatrick - Pain Secretary
Ruth Gibb - Pain Secretary
Medical Staff
Dr. Kosta Levshankov - Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management
Dr. Senthil Jayaseelan - Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management
Dr. Salmin Aseri - Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management
Dr. Michael Forsyth - Associate Specialist in Anaesthesia and Pain Management
Dr. Sara Kelly - Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management
Dr Mohamed Khafaga - Clinical Fellow in Anaesthesia and Pain Management
Senior Nursing Staff
TBC – Nurse Clinician in Acute on Chronic Pain and Chronic Pain Management
Advanced Musculoskeletal Practitioners with Special Interest in Chronic Pain Management
Mr Kevin Bonney
Ms Lisa Williams
Clinical Psychologists with special interest in Pain management
TBC
- Additional Information
We are first NHS trust in the Mersey Region to provide (PRP) Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for Joint OA & Tendinopathies
Platelet-rich plasma is prepared by a clinician or a technician. Platelets contain growth factors that are thought to stimulate chondrocyte proliferation, leading to cartilage repair. The aim is to relieve symptoms, potentially delaying the need for joint replacement surgery. Blood is taken from the patient and centrifuged to obtain a concentrated suspension of platelets in plasma. The platelet-rich plasma is injected into the joint and around tendons, usually under ultrasound guidance.
- Relevant Leaflets/Documents/Links
- Patient information leaflets on medications and interventions commonly used to treat persistent pain
- Driving and Pain patient information
- Understanding and managing pain after surgery
- Taking opioids for pain
- Epidural pain relief after surgery
- Your spinal anaesthetic
- Headache after a spinal or epidural injection
- Nerve blocks for surgery on the shoulder, arm or hand
- Information for adult patients prescribed Non- steroidal anti-inflammatories(NSAID) drugs for the treatment of Pain
- https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/patient-information/patient-information-resources/patient-information-leaflets-video-resources
- https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/patient-information/patient-information-resources/anaesthesia-risk/risk-leaflets
Page last updated on 17th May 2024
