Physiotherapy Back and Neck Pain Pathway Triage - Royal North Shore Hospital

We offer a holistic triage assessment for people with back and neck pain who have been referred to a spinal orthopaedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon.

• Completed questionnaires that you will have been sent before your appointment.
• Relevant reports of images or scans (including CT or MRI scan of affected area) if they have been completed.
• List of current medications and drug allergies
• Your referral letter from your GP
• Your Medicare/DVA Card
• Please wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. If possible, bring a pair of shorts to change into for the examination.
• Your reading glasses.

Your GP or non-GP specialist is always your first step in seeking treatment for any condition. You will be referred to our service if your treating doctor feels that your treatment requires the input of an orthospinal surgeon or a neurosurgeon. Once we receive the referral it will be reviewed by the orthopaedic spinal or neurosurgical team. If appropriate, you will be offered a holistic assessment with a senior spinal physiotherapist to determine a patient-centred management plan. Please allow at least 4 weeks for this process to be undertaken. Your initial appointment will be in person, face to face. Your follow up appointment could be via telehealth.  

Patients are referred to our service via the Royal North Shore Neurosurgery or Orthospinal Clinics. For more information, please see the pages for each clinic (linked here and under Related Links).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Progressive neurological signs or signs of cauda equina syndrome 
• Recent Trauma
• Infection
• Fracture

Exclusion Criteria: 

• Back pain with or without leg pain without progressive neurological compromise
• Neck pain with or without arm pain without progressive neurological compromise
• Deformity such as scoliosis/kyphosis

Inclusion criteria for the Spinal Pain pathway:

• Back pain with or without leg pain without progressive neurological compromise
• Neck pain with or without arm pain without progressive neurological compromise

Out of NSLHD: 

• Reason must be stated explicitly.  
• Resident of other LHD that does not provide the clinical service. 
• Continuing care of existing condition already managed by NSLHD 
• Demonstrated complexity requiring services of NSLHD 
• Compassionate circumstances, e.g. family, proximity, staff 
   

www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Services/Pages/neuro-rnsh.aspx

www.nslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Services/Pages/Spinal-Cord-Outpatient-RNS.aspx

https://www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/musculoskeletal/management-of-people-with-acute-low-back-pain/albp-model