Dr Deane Halfpenny

• Specialty: Pain Medicine Consultant, treating both acute and established pain, including spinal pain, sports-related pain and persistent post-surgical pain

• Conditions seen: acute back pain, acute neck pain, sciatica, disc prolapse, spinal stenosis, acute shoulder pain, whiplash, piriformis syndrome, hypermobility, arthritis, osteoporosis, sports injuries, tendinopathies, occupational and work-related upper limb syndrome, myofascial (soft tissue) pain syndromes, persistent post-surgical pain conditions, chronic pain

• Tests, treatments and procedures: ultrasound-guided injections, facet joint injection, pulsed radiofrequency, facet radiofrequency thermocoagulation, caudal epidural, dorsal root ganglion block / transforaminal epidural, Intracept (basivertebral nerve ablation), orthobiologic treatments including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell treatments.

• Often consulted by patients with: pain that has become troubling, uncontrolled or disabling; back, neck or shoulder pain; sports-related pain; pain that has persisted after surgery

• Patient ages seen: 18+

• Also: clinic lead in developing the City and Hackney back pain service; one of the first trainees in the UK to complete a fellowship in advanced pain management; has worked with athletes returning to international competition

• Language: English

Dr Deane Halfpenny is a Pain Medicine Consultant at Welbeck’s Pain Medicine centre in London. He treats both acute and established pain, with particular expertise in spinal pain, sports-related pain and persistent pain following surgery. His practice encompasses a wide range of musculoskeletal and nerve-related conditions, including back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, sciatica, disc prolapse, spinal stenosis, sports injuries, tendinopathies and myofascial pain.

Treatment is tailored to the cause of the pain, its impact on everyday life and each patient’s individual goals. Dr Halfpenny offers a range of targeted interventions, including ultrasound-guided injections, facet joint injections, pulsed radiofrequency, facet radiofrequency thermocoagulation, caudal epidurals and dorsal root ganglion blocks / transforaminal epidurals. He also offers Intracept (basivertebral nerve ablation), a minimally invasive procedure that targets the basivertebral nerve in certain cases of persistent lower back pain.

A former national-level gymnast in South Africa, Dr Halfpenny has a longstanding interest in and understanding of pain in sport. He has worked with a number of prominent athletes, supporting their return to competitive sport at international level. Within his clinic, he has also pioneered the use of orthobiological treatments, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cell treatments and other interventional therapies.

Dr Halfpenny takes a holistic approach to pain management, considering a patient’s coexisting medical conditions, current level of function, lifestyle and personal aims when developing a treatment plan. He works alongside multidisciplinary colleagues, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, cognitive psychologists and personal trainers, to set realistic and achievable goals.

Dr Halfpenny was appointed as a consultant in pain medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the Homerton Hospital in 2001, and was integral to the development of the City and Hackney back pain service as clinical lead.