Dr Qasim Akram
Consultant Rheumatologist and General Physician
BSc(Hons),MBChB, MRCP(UK), MRCP(Rheum)
"The facilities and environment at Spire Healthcare are conducive to high quality patient care."
I am a Consultant Rheumatologist and General Physician based in South Manchester. I am a specialist in the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatological diseases. Additionally, I have a sub-specialist interest in Early Inflammatory Arthritis and Giant Cell Arteritis/Large Vessel Vasculitis.
I treat a range of conditions including degenerative diseases including osteoarthritis as well as metabolic bone diseases including osteoporosis, Paget’s Disease, osteomalacia and hyperparathyroidism. I manage inflammatory arthropathies including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), reactive arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis) related arthritis, crystal arthritis (eg gout and pseudogout), septic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), adult onset still’s disease, infection related arthritis eg HIV, hepatitis B/C and arthritis secondary to paraneoplastic, endocrine and haematological disease.
I also treat soft tissue diseases and chronic pain conditions, including frozen shoulder and rotator cuff syndrome, back pain, sports related eg tennis and golfer’s elbow, Fibromyalgia Syndrome (chronic widespread pain), Chronic Regional Pain Syndromes (CRPS), Trochanteric Bursitis and any general (internal) medicine.
I also manage systemic conditions and connective tissue diseases including Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), Sjogren’s Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Vasculitis including ANCA associated Vasculitis and Henoch Schonlein Purpura (HSP), Sarcoidosis, Dermatomyositis, Polymyositis, Relapsing Polychondritis, Behçet's disease and Systemic Sclerosis.
Following consultation and assessment, interventions offered include diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound (any swollen or painful joint), interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound, joint aspirations (for synovial fluid analysis and confirmation of diagnosis), joint injections, soft tissue and tendon injections (for frozen shoulder, rotator cuff syndrome, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, trochanteric bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, flexor/extensor tenosynovitis, tendinopathy). I perform these on a frequent and almost daily basis in my NHS practice.
Treatment information
Some of the principal treatments carried out by Dr Qasim Akram at Spire include:
Rheumatology
- Back pain investigations (discography)
- Bone density scan for osteoporosis
- CT scan
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Joint pain treatment (joint injections)
- MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging scan)
- Nerve conduction studies and Electromyography (EMG)
- Pain management
- Ultrasound scan
- X-ray
Other treatments
- Ultrasound guided diagnostic joint aspirations
- Ultrasound guided soft tissue and joint injections
Get in touch
Important information about Covid-19 tests
COVID-19 testing or antibody tests are not available as a standalone service at Spire Regency Hospital Macclesfield.
Additional information
Clinical interests
Connective tissue disease
Inflammatory rheumatic disorders
Lumbar spine disorders
Metabolic bone diseases
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Pain management
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatology
Soft tissue rheumatism
Sports and exercise medicine
Sports injury
Qualification and professional memberships
MBChB / University of Liverpool / 2007
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Professional memberships
British Society of Rheumatology (BSR)
Royal College of Physicians (RCP)
Manchester Medical Society (MMS)
Professional leadership
Council member for the Manchester Medical Society (MMS)
EULAR Level 2 Ultrasound Instructor
Faculty and tutor for cadaveric ultrasound course by The Ultrasound Site Ltd
Organiser and tutor “Introduction to Rheumatology Ultrasound” hosted by the Ultrasound Site
BSR North West Ultrasound Mentor
Ultrasound lead for North West Rheumatology Ultrasound Network
Research and publications
My main research interest, at present, is in the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of inflammatory arthritis, improving ultrasound services and seeing wider dissemination of this invaluable clinical tool within the rheumatology community in the UK.
Articles
'Ultrasound in Rheumatology: a Practical Guide to Diagnosis
April 2020
A regional audit of the investigation and management of giant cell arteritis
April 2018
Training Issues in Ultrasound and the benefits of an International Fellowship
May 2017
Media Coverage
Stockport's new one stop shop ultrasound clinic
February 2020
Current NHS posts
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and East Cheshire NHS Trust
Personal profile
Outside of medicine, I am kept busy with my family and love to travel and learn about different cultures and cuisines. I speak three languages fluently and I am currently learning to speak Spanish. I am a keen sportsman and love to play football and squash on a weekly basis. My summer is spent playing cricket and I have recently started playing golf.
Contact information
| Telephone | 01625 505 412 |
| Website | https://southmanchesterrheumatologist.com/ |