Private pain clinic in Northwich

At our specialist clinic, you will meet a consultant pain management specialist dedicated to helping patients manage and alleviate chronic or acute pain. Pain management specialists focus on diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions that cause discomfort, including back pain, nerve pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. They provide expert care, creating tailored treatment plans to address your unique needs and improve your quality of life.

During your initial consultation, your pain specialist will take the time to understand your symptoms, medical history, and personal healthcare goals. The appointment will typically include a detailed discussion about how your pain affects your daily activities, along with a physical examination to identify potential underlying causes. Your consultant may also recommend additional tests, such as imaging scans or blood tests, to gain a clearer understanding of your condition. If further diagnostics are required, you may need to schedule a follow-up visit to review the results.

Following your consultation, you will receive a comprehensive summary letter detailing your diagnosis and a personalised treatment plan. This plan may include a combination of medication, physiotherapy, minimally invasive surgery, or lifestyle modifications. Your consultant will also discuss the costs of any proposed treatments or procedures (often provided as a clear, fixed-price package) during your first appointment. Our goal is to help you regain control and find effective relief from pain.

At our pain clinic, here are some of the tailored options we offer:

An epidural for back pain

An epidural for back pain is a minimally invasive procedure that delivers targeted pain relief by injecting medication directly into the epidural space around your spinal cord. The procedure typically begins with you lying on your side or sitting up while a local anaesthetic is applied to numb the injection site. Using fluoroscopy (X-ray guidance), your consultant carefully inserts a thin needle into the epidural space and might also inject a contrast dye to ensure accurate placement. Once confirmed, a combination of corticosteroids and anaesthetic medication is injected to reduce inflammation and block pain signals. The entire procedure usually takes around 15–30 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis (meaning you can leave the clinic on the same day as the epidural).

Facet joint denervation

Facet joint denervation, also known as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), is a minimally invasive procedure designed to reduce chronic pain originating from the facet joints in your spine. These joints, located between the vertebrae, can become a source of pain due to arthritis or injury. During the procedure, your consultant uses imaging guidance, such as fluoroscopy, to precisely place a needle near the nerves that supply your painful facet joint.

Once the needle is correctly positioned, a small electric current is delivered through it to heat your nerve tissue, effectively disrupting its ability to send pain signals to your brain. The procedure typically takes about 30–60 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis. Facet joint denervation is often recommended when other treatments, like physiotherapy or medications, have not provided sufficient relief. It can provide long-lasting pain relief, often lasting six months to a year or more, allowing you to return to a more active lifestyle.

Specialist treatment for neck pain

Treatment options may include non-invasive treatment such as physiotherapy, which focuses on strengthening your neck muscles, improving your posture, and increasing your range of motion. Medications like anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, or pain relievers may also be prescribed to manage your symptoms.

For more persistent or severe cases, interventional treatments may be recommended. These include cervical epidural steroid injections to reduce inflammation around irritated nerves, facet joint injections targeting specific painful joints, or trigger point injections to relieve muscle tension. In some cases, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), may be used to disrupt nerve signals transmitting pain.

Specialist treatment for sciatica 

Specialist treatment for sciatica focuses on addressing the root cause of your pain, which typically results from compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve. The treatment begins with a thorough assessment, including a detailed medical history, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging like MRI or CT scans to pinpoint the source of your nerve irritation, such as a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, and other spinal conditions. Non-invasive options often include physiotherapy to improve your mobility, strengthen your supporting muscles, and correct your posture, along with medications like anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, or pain relievers to manage your symptoms. For more severe cases, interventional treatments may be recommended, such as epidural steroid injections to reduce inflammation and relieve nerve pressure or nerve blocks for targeted pain relief. In rare instances where conservative treatments fail and symptoms are debilitating, tailored surgical options may be considered to alleviate pressure on your sciatic nerve.