The Avicenna Clinic is Peterborough’s only one stop diagnostic & interventional private service for patients who wish to have a thorough and exhaustive examination. Having qualified in Coventry in 1987, I have had a wide range of experience in many areas of work, including spending time in Canada, and in areas such as pain management, respiratory and neurology, all of which means I have seen and l
earnt many things that I can now use in my specialist work in musculoskeletal problems. From 1991 I specialised in musculo-skeletal work and became a musculoskeletal specialist with a special interest in spinal work and I started working with a spinal orthopaedic surgeon, a Consultant Radiologist and a Rheumatology service in the NHS in Peterborough. This service expanded within the NHS over the intervening years and I have been developing my skills in understanding imaging such as MRI scans and learnt to undertake spinal injections including epidurals, being one of the first non doctors in the country to do so, become and Independent Non medical Prescriber, and this has allowed me to become specialised in diagnostic assessment of the human body. I realise that there are still many people who do not have the opportunity to see a specialist about their back or their arthritis or their sports injuries etc because of constraints on GP services, and on the NHS, not least since Covid. In developing a private service at the Avicenna Clinic in Peterborough for patients who wish to have a thorough and exhaustive examination for whom imaging such as MRI scanning or ultrasound scanning, or fluoroscopy imaging, we can provide a holistic and complete service in eluding often treatment since Avicenna also has a dedicated Theatre where procedures such as image guided injections can be undertaken. More importantly, I hope to be able to offer reassurance, understanding and a diagnosis, an explanation for why you suffer the pain you are experiencing. My experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team, also means I can help towards planning how best to move forward to best manage your pain. I will liaise with your GP to ensure they know exactly what the problem is and how to move forward in a treatment plan. As an independent non medical prescriber, I am able to not only advise GPs on appropriate medication but if necessary provide private prescriptions for patients. Whilst seeing me may not mean a cure for your problem, it is always reassuring to understand what causes the pain, and how best to deal with it. I give you the time to fully learn and understand the pathology or the cause of your symptoms. Sometimes just knowing what it is can make all the difference to learning how best to manage the symptoms. The Avicenna Clinic on North Street in Peterborough can provide all the diagnostic and interventional treatments for you under one roof. It has the only OpenMRI scanner in a 100 mile radius, it means you do not have to worry if you are claustrophobic at all, and a loved on or friend can also sit in the scanning room with you for support. We do our best to make your experience with us as easy and comfortable for you as possible. The main conditions I specialise in are
Spinal Pain
Low back pain
Neck pain
Sports injuries
Arthritis
Muscular pain
Injuries
Shoulder pain
Nerve pain
Limb pains
Fibromyalgia
Here is an example of how it can work for you
A case study
Mrs L, presented with severe pain on the outside of her thigh, she was struggling to mobilise, to help her granddaughter look after her horse (which was probably the start of things as she had to walk uphill in a field for a good half hour to retrieve the horse) to enjoy life, and with an important holiday coming up, she feared she might have to cancel it because the pain was too debilitating. Her GP suggested painkillers and whilst there was a bit of relief, they did not agree with her system. The pain was just getting her down, and so she made an appointment at The Avicenna clinic one Monday evening. It cannot be underestimated how important a history is, because by the time all the questions have been asked and answered, a clinician normally knows what to expect to find on assessment. With Mrs L although the pain was in an unusual place for hip joint problems which are normally felt in the groin, all the questions like ease of getting in/out of a car, or stairs, led the way to believing it was a hip joint problem. The examination then ruled out the lower back and ruled in a hip joint problem. Armed with this assessment I discussed the case with Dr El-Madbouh Consultant Radiologist and Clinic owner, who agreed the best investigation would be an MRI of the hip. Within 45 minutes of arriving at the clinic Mrs L is in the Open MRI scanner (the only Open scanner in a 100 mile radius) and sure enough it shows damage to the cartilage at the back of the hip joint. A normal x-ray would probably not have picked this up, but the MRI takes images form all direction and it clearly showed the loss of a patch of cartilage and some swelling in the bone as a reaction. Next stop the operating theatre, kitted out with everything necessary for day surgery treatment and a special type of x-ray called a fluoroscopy machine, giving an ability to take images in real time, which is very important for the next step that of an injection of some anaesthetic and steroid into the joint. Once set up, the injection took 5 minutes and immediately there was a change in the pain for the better. This means we certainly had the right diagnosis, now to see if over the next 6 weeks if this is enough to stop the pain and give Mrs L a pain free holiday. Within 2 weeks, she was painfree, so not only had we made absolutely the right diagnosis, but we also had successful treatment. Potentially if the injection had not lasted, we would have been able to contact the GP and arrange for Mrs L to see an orthopaedic surgeon to discuss a hip replacement. Sometimes it is not possible to do the injections on the very same day, for instance you cannot drive straight after, but we normally make sure your treatment will be within 48 hours. That is obviously so much faster than the NHS can offer their treatments. Sometimes, injections do not work - sadly there can be no guarantee, but with the right diagnosis, at least you can move forward in your treatment, and we always write to your GP to keep them updated on what needs to happen. So coming for an assessment at the Avicenna Clinic with me, could be the start of the path to getting better, quickly.
