London Neuromodulation and Pain Service

The Wellington Hospital
The Harley Street Clinic
London

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Don't suffer in silence

We understand the impact that persistent pain can have on your quality of life, which is why we are proud to offer a wide range of life-changing treatments, including medical, physical and psychological strategies to help alleviate and manage your pain. We offer a holistic approach to assist with optimal pain management.

Chronic pain and movement disorders can have a number of different causes, which is why our expert teams of specialists at The Harley Street Clinic and The Wellington Hospital will work closely with every patient to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to their needs and symptoms.

The London Neuromodulation and Pain Service is led by a multidisciplinary team of world-leading experts in Pain Medicine, Neurosurgery and Psychological Medicine, as well as dedicated nursing staff, psychologists and physiotherapist on hand to support you at every stage of your treatment.

More about The Harley Street Clinic

More about The Wellington Hospital

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Implantable device

What is neuromodulation?

Neuromodulation involves using electrical stimulation to alter nerve activity to treat patients with chronic pain and movement disorders.

This is most commonly done through implanting a small device that delivers low-voltage electrical impulses to specific areas of the body. The impulses then alter pain signals in transit to the brain.

Neuromodulation procedures are normally carried out in two stages, with an initial trial period to assess whether the device is providing enough pain relief. This gives the patient the opportunity to decide if they would like a permanent implant, and the trial equipment is removed.

Our team of consultants will be able to assess whether you are a suitable candidate for neuromodulation and will carefully explain the procedure and the necessary aftercare.

Types of neuromodulation

Spinal cord stimulation

Cutting-edge treatments

Deep Brain Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)

The most common form of neuromodulation we deliver is Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), which is used for a range of spinal and nerve problems. A tiny device is placed under the skin with a lead in the epidural space, which sends electrical impulses to parts of the spinal cord. Instead of pain, you may feel a pleasant tingling sensation, although some patients do not feel anything. Each patient is given a hand-held controller, allowing them to adjust the device and switch it on and off.

Cutting-edge treatments

Pain is complex and every patient that comes to us is unique in their symptoms and their experience. That’s why as well as neuromodulation therapies, we offer a wide range of treatments to improve quality of life, from cutting-edge therapies to pain medication.

Our team are well-experienced in performing minimally-invasive yet highly-effective procedures such as radiofrequency ablation to treat pain. In this case, a small probe is inserted into your back, sending radiofrequency signals that can destroy damaged nerves and prevent signals being sent through the to the brain.

We are also offer Fluoroscopic guided procedures for pain management and ultrasound-guided corticosteroid (steroid) injection, where an injection is administered using local anaesthetic to treat joint inflammation. This may occur in the back, shoulder, knee and hip but injections can also be used to treat inflammation around tendons and ligaments.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is the state-of-the-art surgical technique where tiny electrodes are safely placed deep inside the brain to treat a range of disorders. The electrodes are empowered by a battery pacemaker, often placed below the collar bone. In its current form, DBS has been in use for over 30 years, with 100,000s of patients treated worldwide and it is commonly used to treat patients with severe movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, tremor and dystonia.

DBS can have a life changing impact on patients and many patients are able to decrease their medications significantly, reducing the side effects associated with drugs. All patients referred for DBS undergo extensive assessment, which allows a personalized approach to the therapy, minimizing the side effects and maximizing benefits.

Conditions we treat

Angina
Back pelvic
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Cranial or facial pain
Diabetic neuropathic pain
Dystonia
Essential tremors
Neck pain
Nerve related pain (Neuropathic pain)
Parkinson’s disease
Peripheral ischemic pain
Phantom limb pain
Post surgical pain
Post-amputation pain
Post-traumatic nerve pain
Radicular pain
Visceral pain

Safe and effective care

Chronic pain can have an incredibly disruptive impact on daily life, which is why we aim to give all our patients a swift diagnosis and put a treatment plan in as soon as possible.

After an initial consultation, all patients fill out a highly detailed questionnaire so that our team can better understand when the pain you’re experiencing before any further investigations are carried out.

Both The Wellington Hospital and The Harley Street Clinic are state-of-the-art facilities, equipped with the latest diagnostic capabilities. We can promptly arrange a wide range of tests and scans, including MRI, CT, X-Ray, SPECT-CT and Ultrasound before we work closely with you to prepare for any treatment.

Neuromodulation specialists

World leading experts

At The Wellington Hospital and The Harley Street Clinic, we pride ourselves on working with world-class consultants, many of whom are pioneers their respective fields. The London Neuromodulation and Pain Service is no different, with many of our consultants actively involved in researching and developing new treatments for chronic pain and movement disorders.

Every patient benefits from a multidisciplinary approach that sees consultants, physiotherapists, psychologists and specialist nurses work closely together to ensure you are receive the right treatment and level of care.

Find a neuromodulation specialist

Frequently asked questions

Neuromodulation and Pain FAQs

What sorts of conditions do neuromodulation treat?

Neuromodulation can be used to treat various types of neuropathic pain and chronic pain. This includes post-surgical pain and pain that cannot be treated through surgery or conventional medications. It is also used to treat movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremors and dystonia.

What happens during treatment?

There are different forms of neuromodulation including deep brain stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation and Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), and your consultant will be able to determine which sort of treatment is best suited to your symptoms and needs. Many forms of neuromodulation, including SCS only require local anesthetic, but others may require general anesthetic.

Neuromodulation will involve a trial run, where the device is implanted for two weeks. If the treatment is working well, we will remove the trial implant and you can return two to four weeks later for a permanent device to be implanted.

What are the common risks or side effects?

As with any surgical procedure, there is a very small possibility of infection, bleeding or bruising to the insertion site but we use sterile techniques to ensure this rarely happens.

There is also a small chance that there is a problem with the device itself, which may migrate or malfunction, but device failure very rarely leads to serious or life-threatening complications. Our specialist teams are well-experienced in neuromodulation procedures and on hand to support you if you experience any unwanted side effects.

Will I be able to feel the device after its implanted?

Once fully healed, many patients reportedly forget that the device is there under the skin. In some cases, you may feel a pleasant tingling sensation over the area where you’d be experiencing pain but some people don’t feel anything at all. In many cases, you can switch the device on and off and adjust the tingling sensation to suit you.

Are there other treatments you offer to treat chronic pain?

Yes of course. Patients can access a wide range of pain management options, including precision-guided injections to treat inflammation, radiofrequency treatments to destroy damaged nerves and pain medication. Our consultants will work with you to assess which treatment is best suited to your needs.

We offer a holistic approach to pain management, with support also offered from our world-class team of physiotherapists and psychologists.

Is this procedure covered by private medical insurance?

If you have private medical insurance it is very likely your insurance provider will cover your initial consultation fee, investigations and a potential treatment plan.

Major insurance providers include Bupa, VitalityHealth and Axa Health.

Is it safe to visit a hospital?

Accessing specialist care shouldn’t involve compromising on your safety, which is why all our facilities have put a range of safety measures at the heart of every service and department to go above and beyond national and international safety guidelines.

In some cases, we can also offer virtual consultations via video and phone to minimise trips into hospital.

See a consultant

Book an appointment

Our team can help if you have any questions or would like to book an appointment. Our reception team are also on-hand if you'd like to make an appointment whilst your at the centre.