What is a Pain Medicine Consultant?

I’m a consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine, this means that my parent specialty is anaesthesia, but I have also completed specialist training in pain medicine and have the recognised qualification: Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, which is part of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. 

Why do we experience pain?

Pain is medically defined as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage". It is very common, with almost a third of the population experiencing daily pain that interferes with their lives. For most people, this is due to changes in our bodies as we age, but for others it can be caused by arthritis, trauma, illness, surgery, cancer treatment or even unknown causes.

Believe it or not, we often cannot always medically explain exactly why some people are in pain, this doesn’t mean that they are imagining it, it’s just that modern scans and tests often come back normal, even when there is a lot of pain.

What is the best treatment for pain?

There are many different types of treatments for pain, but medically it usually comes down to medication, surgery or sometimes targeted injection-based treatments to try and settle inflammation, or selectively switch off some nerves. In addition, there are a variety of hands-on therapies including physiotherapy, psychological therapies and holistic treatments.

How do you work with the other OrthTeam consultants?

At the OrthTeam Centre, I’m a member of a multi-disciplinary team who work together to provide the best possible care for our patients. The team of leading MSK experts includes Neurosurgeons, Orthopaedic Surgeons, Sport and Exercise Medicine Physicians and Radiologists.

There are two Neurosurgeons, Mr John Leach and Mr Ankur Saxena, and most of my patients start by seeing them, and are then referred to me with an acute (new) problem such as sciatica due to a slipped disc where often a targeted steroid injection can help whilst the condition settles.

What types of patients do you see at the OrthTeam Centre?

As well as treating patients with acute conditions like sciatica, I also look after those with localised lower back pain from the facet or sacro-iliac joints, and these can be treated with targeted radiofrequency therapy to the affected joints. I have become very experienced at these interventions, and I can usually quickly work out if they will be successful when I assess patients in clinic. They are relatively simple and effective treatments, however they don’t work as well in very advanced degenerative conditions.

I always review my patient’s medication, as there are many on the market, but unfortunately most become less effective over time and many patients feel better in themselves when they are on less medication. This is always done carefully because altering medication is complex and needs careful ongoing medical review.

To book a consultation with Dr Nick Fraser or for more information, please call 0161 447 6888.

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