Spine Care
Care for back and neck pain, with surgery as the last option rather than the first.
What brings people in
- Back pain that has lasted more than three months
- Pain travelling down the leg
- Numbness, tingling or weakness in a leg
- Neck pain with pain in the arm
- A back that has changed shape
What is done here
- Assessment and conservative treatment first
- Injections for nerve pain
- Physiotherapy and core strengthening
- Surgery only where the examination and the scan agree it is needed
What the visit is like
A full neurological examination is done before imaging, because most back pain does not need surgery and many scans show changes that mean nothing. You will be told plainly whether yours is one of the few that does.
Questions about this treatment
Will an MRI tell me what is wrong?
An MRI shows structure, not pain. Disc bulges and wear appear in people with no symptoms at all. It is read against your examination, and a scan on its own rarely decides anything.
Do I need surgery for back pain?
Very rarely. Most back pain settles with movement, physiotherapy and time. Surgery is for a specific, identifiable problem causing pressure on a nerve that has not settled — and even then it is a decision, not an inevitability.
What warning signs need urgent attention?
Loss of control of bladder or bowel, numbness around the groin, fever with back pain, or weakness in both legs. These go to an emergency department, not a clinic appointment.
Have another question? Call the clinic — there is no online booking.