Rheumatology
Dr Hammond and Dr Batley also work together as Consultants in the General Medicine and Rheumatology Department at Maidstone Hospital where Dr Hammond is the Head of Department. Supporting the Rheumatology service we have a team of fully qualified nursing staff for both out-patient clinics and theatre procedures. Rheumatology is a branch of medicine which deals with arthritis, bones, joints, muscles, tendons and the spine. The commonest rhematological conditions experienced related to wear and tear and are usually caused by “osteoarthritis”. However, many joint related problems relate from disease of the immune system. Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus (SLE) are good examples of this. The diagnosis and treatment of these (and almost 200 other joint related conditions) form a large part of the work of the rheumatologist. Both our rheumatologists have considerable experience in the management of these conditions, having many hundreds of patients under their care, and both tend to take a very active stance towards using the most effective available treatment strategies including the new biological therapies. Dr Hammond particularly, has been involved in research with several of these new treatments. On site x-ray, ultrasound and pathology services help to provide simple one site and where possible one stop consultations. MRI and CT Scans are obtained from local specialist centres. Spinal pain problems in the lower back or neck are commonplace and for some patients it becomes persistent, chronic or severe. Chronic backache, acute or chronic sciatica, post-whiplash neck pain and brachalgia (nerve related arm pain and tingling) are examples of spinal pain problems.
Interventional Spinal Pain Management However, when such treatments fail, there are also a range of “interventional” or procedure based treatments which can be used. Interventions, in this sense, imply x-ray guided needle based closed surgical techniques to diagnose and then treat the anatonomical source of the spinal pain problem. “Anything with a needle, nothing with a knife” as Dr Hammond puts it. Over the last decade Dr Hammond has pursued an active interest in acquiring the necessary skills and techniques to undertake these precision spinal treatments, notably by following the teaching and training of the International Spinal Intervention Society, and American and Australian specialist society (www.spinalinjection.com) on whose behalf he now teaches in Europe. We are therefore able to offer the benefit of a programme of minimally invasive spinal pain management as advanced as anywhere else in the Country. Pain management of this type needs timely access to specialist equipment. At Kings Hill Medical Centre we have a fully equipped treatment theatre which is optimized for the performance of these techniques. All procedures are carried out as day cases under light sedation – we do not undertake general anaesthetics. Patients are then able to recover from their procedure in one of our comfortable daycare rooms until ready for discharge home. Dr Hammond is supported before, during and after these procedures with a specialist team of fully qualified theatre nurses and Consultant Anaesthetists.
Integrated Physical Therapy, Pain Management and Neurosurgery In all cases, patients must have been referred to a Consultant Rheumatologist by their GP. Self referrals cannot be accepted.
Prices for these services are available upon request to: Mrs Michelle Burgess Manager Check a doctors registration status on the General Medical Council Website |
Rheumatology & Spinal Pain Management