Athmaja Thottungal

An extensively experienced medical professional with achievements across education, research, management and clinical practice. Internationally renowned as an innovator and thought leader in holistic pain management, anaesthesia and palliative care. 

Winner of multiple awards for clinical care, presentations, research, leadership and academic achievement. A forward thinking strategic leader with inspiring interpersonal skills. A firm believer and practitioner of holistic approach to healthcare and wellbeing. Avid practitioner of lifestyle and preventive medicine leading to personal and organisational wellbeing. Active member of the community, with external interests spanning a range of charitable and value-focused initiatives.

Specialised in

• Chronic Pain Management
• Anaesthesia
• Palliative Care
• Lifestyle Medicine
• Wellness
• Women’s Health

CONSULTING HOSPITALS

1. East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Kent and Canterbury Hospital

Ethelbert road, Canterbury

Kent CT1 3NG

Ph: (44) 1227 766877

2. One Ashford Hospital,

Kennington Rd, Willesborough,

Ashford, Kent,

TN24 0YS, UK

Ph: (44) 1233 423 000

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

• Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management, January 2010 – present
• Council member- Regional Anaesthesia UK, April 2021 onwards
• Co-founder Long Covid support group for trust employees, March 2021- present
• Health and Wellbeing strategic group member, EKHUFT, March 2021-present
• Member- International Delphi Study of lower limb blocks, August 2021- present
• Member, RAUK- International Delphi study of Plan A blocks for upper limb, January 2021- present
• Member, ASRA-ESRA Trunk fascial plane blocks nomenclature Delphi consensus project , September 2020 – March 2021
• Member, Opioid Working Group, June 2017 – Present
• Quality Improvement Project Supervisor, King’s College London, June 2018 – Present
• Project Lead, Stop Before You Block, September 2017 – Present
• Local Pain Medicine and Educational Supervisor, Faculty of Pain Medicine, February 2016 – Present
• Regional and Pain Modules Educational Lead, February 2015 – Present
• Organiser, LSORA Annual Ultrasound in Pain Medicine Workshops, February 2013 – Present

• 2021 Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine (Dip IBLM/BSLM), International Board of Lifestyle Medicine / British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
• 2017 Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP), World Institute of Pain
• 2017 Certified Interventional Pain Sonologist (CIPS), World Institute of Pain
• 2010 Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of Royal College of Anaesthetists (FFPMRCA), Faculty of Pain Medicine-Royal College of Anaesthetists
• 2009 European Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia (EDRA), European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine
• 2006 Fellow of Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA), Royal College of Anaesthetists
• 2000 PLAB, General Medical Council
• 1996 MBBS, Kerala University

• General Medical Council
• Royal College of Anaesthetists
• British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
• Regional Anaesthesia UK
• Association of Anaesthetists
• Faculty of Pain Medicine, World Institute of Pain
• Faculty of Medical leadership and management
• European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain medicine
• Neuromodulation Society of United Kingdom and Ireland
• British Medical Association
• British Pain Society
• Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland

• Co author of article which received Albert Van Steenberge award for best scientific article in Regional Anaesthesia 2024
• Thottungal A, Kumar P, Bhaskar A- Interventions for myofascial pain syndrome in cancer pain: recent advances: why, when, where and how. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care: September 2019 – Volume 13 – Issue 3 – p 262–269
• Standardizing nomenclature in regional anesthesia: An ASRA-ESRA Delphi consensus study of abdominal wall,    paraspinal, and chest wall blocks: July 2021,Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 46(7):571-58
• International consensus on anatomical structures to identify on ultrasound for the performance of basic blocks in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia: January 2021, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 45(7):486-494
• Thottungal A-ESRA19-0594 Ultrasound guided percutaneous neuromodulation and block to treat chronic shoulder pain-A retrospective analysis of 50 patients. Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine 2019;44: A99.
• Thottungal A, Parameswaran V-ESRA19-0598 Ultrasound guided superior trunk percutaneous neuromodulation to treat contralateral acute on chronic shoulder pain after shoulder surgery under GA and interscalene block-Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Medicine 2019;44: A96
• My transformation through Covid-19- European Society of Regional Anaesthesia news letter November 2020.
• Regional nerve blocks in Anaesthesia and Pain therapy: image guided and traditional techniques -Springer publication- in the process 2020 – chapter coauthor. Currently for print
• Complications of Pain-Relieving Procedures: The Illustrated Guide- World Institute of Pain,co-authored a chapter and is in publication 2021.
• FIPP procedure guidebook- World Institute of Pain-3 Chapter reviewer,2021.
• Revision notes in pain medicine -Author of seven chapters for the book by Oxford press- 2018-19. In the process of publication.
• Ultrasound for interventional pain management by Springer publication- published in 2019- chapter author.
• Sciatic nerve blocks- Authored a chapter for Royal college of Anaesthetists e-learning platform-2017, Athmaja, T. R., & Sanders, G. M. (2005). An Unusual Presentation of Epidural Acinetobacter Infection. Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, 30(6), 577–579.
• Antibiotics for epidural abscess- Letter to the editor- British Journal of Anaesthesia Volume 96, Issue 3, March 2006