Dr Nigel Kellow, Consultant Interventional Spine and Pain Physician

Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Wellington Hospital
Published September 3rd, 2010 | Last updated February 24th, 2012
Make an appointment Ask a question

Dr Kellow is a Consultant in Spinal and Interventional Pain Medicine. He is a member of the Wellington Hospital Pain Medicine Unit. He trained in London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Paris and was appointed as a Consultant at Barts and the Royal London Hospitals in 1996.

He has published widely in peer reviewed journals and has contributed to many books. He is regularly asked to speak at important educational meetings

His particular interest is in the use of image guided techniques to manage focal spinal and neurological Associated with the nervous system and the brain. problems. Amongst these are sciaticaPain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which is the main nerve in each leg and the largest nerve in the body. and brachalgia; mechanical back and neck pain; metastatic tumours; osteoporotic fractures; failed back surgery syndrome; complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS); neuromodulation. He was one of the first specialists in the country to perform balloon kyphoplasty, a special treatment for vertebralAffecting the vertebrae, the bones of the spine, or the joints between them body fractures.

Personal treatment philosophy: People who come to see me have often seen a number of other specialists and are not only often in a lot of pain but they also often have a number of secondary problems. I spend a lot of time explaining problems to patients and covering all treatment options. It’s a great feeling to be able to help people out of pain.

Articles: 

  • The Ageing Spine

    By Dr Nigel Kellow, Consultant Interventional Spine and Pain PhysicianContact
    Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Wellington Hospital

    Like the rest of our bodies the spine is in its best shape in early adult life, but as the years go by after that the twin effects of age and the consequences of our ancestors having adopted an upright posture begin to take their toll. This article looks at the ways in which the spine changes as we get older, and the problems they can cause.

  • Sciatica and Brachialgia

    By Dr Nigel Kellow, Consultant Interventional Spine and Pain PhysicianContact
    Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Wellington Hospital

    The terms sciaticaPain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which is the main nerve in each leg and the largest nerve in the body. and brachialgia are used to describe nerveBundle of fibres that carries information in the form of electrical impulses. pain in the leg and in the arm respectively. Anyone who has ever had nerve pain will tell you that it is like no other pain they have ever had before. They tend to use very characteristic words to describe it, like “burning”, “gnawing”, “aching”, “shooting”, “electric shock.” Nerve pain does not respond very well to normal painkillers that you can get from a pharmacy, and even many doctors often find it hard to believe that it is painful as patients tell them it is. 

  • Image guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of bone metastases

    By Dr Nigel Kellow, Consultant Interventional Spine and Pain PhysicianContact
    Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Wellington Hospital

    Most patients with cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. develop metastatic tumourAn abnormal swelling. deposits in their bones at some stage. These are most often as the result of secondary spread from primary cancers in the breast, lung, and prostateA gland that surrounds the urethra near the bladder. It produces a fluid that forms part of the semen., but less common cancers such as those arising in the kidneyOne of two bean-shaped organs that are located on either side of the body, below the ribcage. The main role of the kidneys is to filter out waste products from the blood. or thyroidA gland in the neck that produces hormones with a role in controlling metabolism. frequently spread to bone. 

  • Understanding Pain and Painkillers

    By Dr Nigel Kellow, Consultant Interventional Spine and Pain PhysicianContact
    Barts and the London NHS Trust, The Wellington Hospital

    We can take a sample of bloodA fluid that transports oxygen and other substances through the body, made up of blood cells suspended in a liquid. from a patient and measure the levels of hundreds of substances in it; we can use x-rays, ultrasoundA diagnostic method in which very high frequency sound waves are passed into the body and the reflective echoes analysed to build a picture of the internal organs – or of the foetus in the uterus., MRIAn abbreviation for magnetic resonance imaging, a technique for imaging the body that uses electromagnetic waves and a strong magnetic field., and radioisotopes to image any part of the body in minute detail. We can even take a sample of hair and tell if someone had taken drugs months previously. But if a patient tells us they’re in pain we can’t measure their pain in a blood sample, or look at it on an x-ray, and we certainly can’t tell from their hair that they were in pain a few months earlier. We have to believe them, and a good doctor will always believe their patients if they tell them they’re in pain. Pain is entirely subjective. 

Continuous improvement requires feedback and your opinions count. Do you have a few minutes to tell us what you think about this site?

Yes
No