Dr Cynthia Udensi
CONSULTANT IN REHABILITATION MEDICINE
MBBS, MRCP UK, AFFMLM, AFHEA, FEBPRM
Dr Cynthia Udensi is a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Neurological Rehabilitation:
Dr Udensi is currently a consultant in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, with a particular focus on Neuro-rehabilitation and Major Trauma. She has extensive experience in neurorehabilitation and high expertise in managing patients with severe neurological impairments, including both acute and chronic assessments of rehabilitation needs in hospital and community settings. Her experience in level-1 and level-2 neurorehabilitation specialist units has allowed her to develop advanced skills and broad experience in managing complex neuro-disabilities.
While working in these units, she gained experience managing complex cases such as patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDOC) and those with highly complex needs, including tracheostomised and non-tracheostomised patients. She was part of the tracheostomy team in a level I specialist neurorehabilitation unit. Additionally, she managed progressive neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and gained experience in complex stroke management. She also has expertise in managing neuromuscular cases, including cerebral palsy, transition services, and cancer rehabilitation. She has advanced specialist skills in managing spasticity, including practical procedures such as botulinum toxin injections, intrathecal Baclofen pump management, and refills.
Amputee Rehabilitation:
Dr Udensi has extensive experience in amputee medicine and prosthetics. She is skilled in managing amputee patients and possesses substantial knowledge of various prosthetic components. She is capable of managing both upper and lower limb amputations, including less common levels, and she is proficient in addressing the rehabilitation needs of patients who have undergone amputation and in conducting pre- and post-amputation counselling and assessments.
Trauma Rehabilitation:
Dr Udensi currently works as a consultant in major trauma services, where she helps define service pathways and assists with rehabilitation prescriptions. She is competent in working with patients who have sustained traumatic injuries within the major trauma service, as well as coordinating care for major trauma patients. She is experienced in assessing rehabilitation needs and planning appropriate rehabilitation programs and has developed skills in managing both the acute presentation and long-term sequelae resulting from major trauma.
Medico-legal experience:
As a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine and Major Trauma Service, Dr Udensi has expertise in assessing and managing patients with long-term disabilities resulting from neurological injuries to the brain and spinal cord. In her daily role, she regularly evaluates patients with spinal cord injuries to determine their rehabilitation needs and guide further management. She completed Bond Solon training for expert witness responsibilities and medico-legal report writing, and she is familiar with an expert’s duty to the court. She has extensive experience in preparing structured clinical reports, conducting multidisciplinary assessments and delivering evidence-based recommendations. She is capable of producing clear and objective reports for medico-legal cases, and she applies an impartial methodology to all instructions.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) Rehabilitation:
Dr Udensi has extensive experience in pain medicine, managing both acute and chronic pain. She gained invaluable experience working within a complex multidisciplinary team (MDT) and managing an opiate clinic. She attended various pain medicine seminars and participated in several theatre sessions for interventional procedures such as epidural steroid injections, diagnostic medial branch nerve blocks, facet joint radiofrequency ablation, selective spinal nerve root blocks, facet joint injections, and local nerve blocks with the support of a pain specialist. This enabled her to develop expertise in pain medicine and pain management procedures. She also worked in a palliative care unit, gaining experience in managing neuro-palliative cases and end-of-life care. She also worked in a spinal orthopaedic unit, gaining valuable experience in interventional MSK radiology, managing spinal orthopaedic cases, and handling scoliosis cases as part of the complex back MDT.
Spinal Injuries Rehabilitation:
Dr Udensi gained experience at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in the Stoke Mandeville National Spinal Injuries Unit in 2021. She acquired extensive and valuable experience in the rehabilitation of patients with spinal injuries. During this period, she mastered long-term management of neurogenic bladder, bowel, and sexual function. She is experienced in managing spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury, and continues to run the intrathecal baclofen services independently and manage
botulinum toxin clinics. She jointly oversees four spinal hub beds in her current role.
Education and Qualification
- FEBPRM European standard for the Fellowship in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 2022.
- AFFMLM Associate Fellow of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, 17th October 2022
- AFHEA Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy – May 2022
- MRCP (UK) Member of the Royal College of Physicians, London, March 2016
- MBBS Bachelor in Medicine, Bachelor in Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 2005.
Society Memberships
- Royal College of Physicians, London, UK- Membership
- British Medical Association (BMA)
- British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM)
- BSPRM Education Sub-Committee member
- International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM)
- Medical Protection Society (MPS)
- Associate Fellow, Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM)
Dr Cynthia Udensi is a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. Dr Udensi has a special interest in post-acute rehabilitation following acquired brain injuries, such as rehabilitation following a brain tumour resection, complex Stroke, traumatic brain injury, as well as rehabilitation of progressive and non-progressive long-term neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and post-acute rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury. Her special interest also includes spasticity management using oral anti-spasticity medication and focal management using botulinum toxin injection.
Dr Udensi is also a Training Programme Director in Rehabilitation Medicine working with NHSE-East of England. She is a member of the rehabilitation medicine speciality advisory committee at the Joint Royal College of Physicians Training Board, an Education sub-committee member of the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and a member of the Neuropathic pain special interest group of the World Federation of Neuro-rehabilitation.
