Dr Bjorn Birk

I am a Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia at University Hospitals Sussex, where I provide specialist care for patients with both acute and chronic pain. My approach combines advanced image-guided techniques with compassionate, patient-centred care, ensuring that each treatment plan is tailored to the individual. I have a particular interest in managing back pain, joint pain, sciatica, neuropathic pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, and peripheral neuropathy.

I offer a range of interventional pain treatments, including medial branch blocks (facet joint injections) and radiofrequency ablation for neck and back pain, nerve root blocks and epidural injections for sciatica, and peripheral nerve blocks for joint pain. I also provide innovative treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles pain), including QUTENZA® high-strength capsaicin patches and botulinum toxin (BOTOX®) injections.

Alongside my work in pain medicine, I provide anaesthesia for a wide range of surgical specialties, including trauma, orthopaedic, spinal, and ophthalmic procedures.

I qualified from Nottingham University Medical School in 2013 and completed my early postgraduate training in anaesthesia in the South East of England. I then undertook advanced training in Pain Medicine at St George’s Hospital, London, where I gained extensive experience in interventional pain procedures, multidisciplinary care, and the management of complex neuropathic and spinal pain conditions. I was appointed as a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at University Hospitals Sussex in 2023.

My clinical interests include ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia and interventional pain techniques, which enhance precision, safety, and patient outcomes. I am passionate about teaching ultrasound-guided techniques and supporting simulation-based education, with my work presented nationally and internationally and published in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to my clinical practice, I teach medical students at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and mentor postgraduate doctors in anaesthesia and pain medicine. I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and a Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, and I remain committed to continuous professional development, clinical governance, and improving standards of care.

Pain Management: Conditions treated: Back, neck, and joint pain, sciatica, neuropathic pain, peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia (shingles pain).

My treatments also include: Medial branch block, nerve root blocks.