Spine care and surgery
Back or neck pain examined properly, before anyone mentions an operation.
- A first visit is a consultation, not a procedure.
- None for a routine consultation.
- You go home the same day unless a fresh injury needs otherwise.
- Follow the exercise plan you are given.
What is it?
Most back and neck pain is assessed with a history and an examination. Many episodes settle with movement, medicine and time. Scans are requested for specific warning signs, not for every ache. When an operation is the better option, spine surgery is offered.
Symptoms, causes, who it may help
Symptoms
- Low back or neck pain, with or without pain into an arm or leg.
- Pain after lifting, sitting long hours, or a minor twist.
Causes
- Muscle and disc pain are common. Infection, fracture, tumour and severe nerve compression are the rare reasons an examination looks harder.
Who it may help
- Anyone with back or neck pain can be assessed. Red-flag symptoms need a same-day clinical decision, not a website.
How it is assessed
- exam
- Walking, nerve tests, and a look for warning signs.
- xray
- Not automatic. Useful after injury, or if a structural problem is suspected.
- mri
- Requested for nerve symptoms that are not settling, or for red flags. It can be done at any scan centre convenient for you.
- clinic
- The spine model is on the consultation desk and is used to explain, not to frighten.
Treatment options
| Option | Without surgery | With surgery |
|---|---|---|
| The right plan for most acute back pain. | No operation. | |
| Bed rest for days is not the advice. | ||
| Physiotherapy at this clinic when that is the plan. | Spine surgery, when the examination and scans show it is the better option. | |
The procedure, step by step
- 01
Story
Where the pain goes, what makes it worse, and any bladder or leg-weakness symptoms.
- 02
Examination
Nerves, walking, and the spine model if it helps the explanation.
- 03
Decide on a scan
Only if it will change the plan.
- 04
A next step
Exercise, medicine, review, or a referral. Named before you leave.
Recovery roadmap
You can: Short walks. Change position.
Avoid: Complete bed rest.
Do, do not, and when to call
Do
- Keep moving in small doses.
- Tell the doctor about bladder changes, night pain, fever, or a fall.
Do not
- Do not stay in bed all week.
Call the clinic
- New trouble passing urine, numbness around the groin, or both legs becoming weak. Seek urgent care.
- Back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, or after a significant fall.
Risks and honest expectations
- The risk being managed is missing a rare serious cause, and also over-treating a common ache.
- If spine surgery is advised, its specific risks are explained before you decide.
Many people improve without a scan. If you do not, the next step is named, not guessed.
See it
At the clinic
Consultation room 1.
Questions
Yes. Spine surgery is offered when it is the better option for your case. Most back pain settles without an operation.