These conditions include back pain, sciatica, spondylolisthesis, disc prolapse, stenosis, neck pain, spinal tumours, and instability. We treat patients with simple problems, such as an acute disc prolapse, to patients with more complicated underlying issues such as spinal deformity (spondylolisthesis, kyphosis and scoliosis).
The Precision Comprehensive Spine Clinic is led by our experienced team of neurosurgeons, spine surgeons, pain specialists and rehabilitation physicians. Other team members include neurologists, occupational physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists.
We understand that many individuals with spinal problems are in pain or are anxious about their condition, and so we attempt to schedule appointments with the shortest delays possible.
Our specialists are highly regarded in their fields, and as a result there is tremendous demand to see them. This is why we have set up a dedicated Spine Clinic, allowing us to streamline the process and reduce waiting times.
Patients referred to the Precision Comprehensive Spine Clinic will receive priority treatment, and will be assessed initially by two of our key team members:
- A pain specialist or rehabilitation medicine physician
- A neurosurgeon or spine surgeon
The aims of these two initial consultations include:
- Making an accurate diagnosis
- Determining the most likely generators of pain and sources of other symptoms
- Presentation of all on-surgical treatment options, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, pain management programs, injections and radiofrequency denervations
- Discussion of the range of surgical options (if surgery is applicable)
Our team of experienced clinicians work together to formulate a range of treatment options designed to give you the best possible outcome. We generally aim to avoid surgery, and are able to customise a treatment plan which typically includes medications, injections, physiotherapy and pain management.
At our comprehensive spine clinic, our pain specialists will assist in the management of your pain and are also able to perform state of the art injections to help make an accurate diagnosis. They can also offer a suite of non-surgical procedures such as radiofrequency denervations and pulse radiofrequency neurotomies, which may provide longer lasting pain relief.
Our team of pain specialists are also experts in neuromodulation- the implantation of small electrical devices which are used to reduce pain perception.
Our rehabilitation physicians are specialists in the assessment and treatment of patients with acute and chronic sports, musculoskeletal and spinal injuries and conditions.
They understand and employ evidence-based non-interventional approaches to the successful management of these conditions, and bring together a team of other medical and allied health practitioners who work together to offer integrated and individualised treatment programs.
If surgery is required, our expert spine surgeons and neurosurgeons will be able to provide you with the latest techniques, delivered with the surgical judgement and technical expertise that many years of training and operating have produced.
The types of surgical procedures offered include keyhole (minimally invasive) cervical and lumbar spine surgery (decompression, microdiscectomy and fusion), artificial disc replacement (arthroplasty), robotic spinal surgery, and scoliosis surgery (spinal deformity correction).
Prof Richard Bittar was the first surgeon in Victoria to incorporate robotic spinal surgery in to his practice- a trend now being followed by a number of other surgeons who understand the benefits of this approach in terms of patient safety and outcomes.
He specialises in the treatment of cervical and lumbar spine problems, with an emphasis on keyhole surgery, motion preservation (artificial disc replacement), and less invasive fusion procedures. Our neurosurgeons treat disc prolapse, sciatica (leg pain) and brachialgia (arm pain), spondylolisthesis, tumours, and other spinal conditions.
Mr Greg Etherington is a highly experienced and comprehensively trained orthopaedic surgeon who exclusively performs spinal surgery. His orthopaedic and biomechanical engineering background position him impeccably to assess and treat the full range of conditions affecting the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
He has a major interest in spinal deformity, and manages conditions such as spondylolisthesis, kyphosis and scoliosis. He also manages more straightforward problems such as spinal stenosis and disc prolapse. Mr Etherington is a strong advocate of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of spinal problems, and prides himself on a high level of clinical judgement and technical expertise.
The Victorian Comprehensive Scoliosis Clinic
Led by Mr Greg Etherington, The Victorian Comprehensive Scoliosis Clinic at Precision Brain Spine & Pain Centre is a highly specialised medical clinic dedicated to the assessment and customised treatment of individuals with spinal deformity, including scoliosis.
