Dr Paul Frank is a pain specialist and anaesthetist with over 17 years experience in chronic pain medicine on the Sunshine Coast.
Brief curriculum vitae (CV):
- Fellow of the College of Pain Medicine
- Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists
- Sunshine Coast Educator for the Procedures Endorsement Program
- Staff Specialist at Sunshine Coast Persistent Pain Management service
Dr Frank completed his internship at Nambour General Hospital in 1995, following graduation from the University of Queensland. He then spent some time in rural hospital / GP work in North Queensland where he developed an interest in both critical care and the holistic care of patients in a primary care setting. This led to him pursuing dual fellowships in anaesthesia and pain medicine which were awarded in early 2005. Following 12 months as a staff specialist at Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital where time was split equally between anaesthesia and the Professor Tess Cramond Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, he made the decision to move back to the Sunshine Coast. Between 2006 and 2009 Dr Frank held a staff specialist position at Nambour General Hospital, before moving primarily into private practice from 2010. Dr Frank has maintained a public appointment at the Sunshine Coast Persistent Pain Management Service where he contributes his approach to pain management as the unit continues its evolution into an accredited training unit. Dr Frank's private practice has evolved from primarily anaesthetics to primarily pain management.
Dr Franks aim is to provide appropriate pain treatment procedures within a community based multidisciplinary approach. A significant component of his time with patients is spent educating them about the complexities of pain and what options and resources are available. Recommendations are made taking into consideration further investigations, medications, procedural interventions, further education and management through appropriate physiotherapy (including optimising biomechanics, reconditioning, and graded motor imagery) and pain psychology (including ongoing pain education, dampening the tendency to central sensitisation, and developing strategies to optimise outcome). Dr Frank is able to offer interventional procedures including, but not limited to diagnostic blocks, epidural steroid injections, radiofrequency neurotomies, peripheral and spinal cord neurostimulation trials and permanent implants.
Dr Frank has a particular interest in ultrasound guided procedures. It follows that his anaesthetic practice is primarily orthopaedic in nature. This technique facilitates targeting of peripheral nerves involved with excessive neural input through both pulsed radiofrequency and neurostimulation techniques. Therefore a significant component of his practice is post-surgical neuropathic pain.