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Spinal Conditions

Expert surgical care for a wide range of spinal conditions

The spine (spinal column) is one of the body’s most complex and vital structures.

It extends from the base of the skull to the tailbone and consists of 33 individual bones (vertebrae), grouped into cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), lumbar (lower back), sacral and coccygeal (tailbone).

The spine protects the spinal cord, supports posture and enables movement. When spinal conditions arise, they can cause debilitating pain, nerve symptoms and a significant impact on daily life.

At Coastal Neurosurgery in North Gosford, we offer expert surgical care for a wide range of spine conditions — from degenerative diseases to trauma, tumours, infections and deformities. Our team employs the latest surgical techniques, including minimally invasive approaches where appropriate, to deliver optimal outcomes for our patients across the Central Coast.

Below is an overview of the spine conditions we commonly treat.

Degenerative Spine Conditions

As we age, wear and tear on the spine’s structures can lead to various degenerative conditions. These are among the most common reasons Australians seek neurosurgical care for back and neck problems.

When the soft inner material of an intervertebral disc protrudes through its outer layer, it can compress nearby nerves.

  • Symptoms: back or neck pain, radiating limb pain, numbness, weakness
  • Causes: age-related disc degeneration, injury, heavy lifting
  • Risks: more common in adults aged 30–50; occupational risk factors
  • Treatment: conservative care (physiotherapy, medication); microdiscectomy if symptoms persist

Narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots.

  • Symptoms: pain, numbness, weakness, balance problems, neurogenic claudication (pain worsens with walking)
  • Causes: degenerative changes, disc herniation, ligament thickening
  • Risks: increasing age; most common in over-60s
  • Treatment: laminectomy (decompression surgery), sometimes combined with stabilisation

Progressive breakdown of intervertebral discs, leading to pain and reduced spine function.

  • Symptoms: chronic neck or back pain, pain radiating to limbs, stiffness
  • Causes: ageing, repetitive strain, previous injury
  • Risks: family history, occupational loading, smoking
  • Treatment: physiotherapy, medication; surgical intervention in severe cases (disc replacement or fusion)

Degeneration of the small joints that connect the vertebrae.

  • Symptoms: localised back or neck pain, worse with movement or prolonged standing
  • Causes: wear and tear, injury
  • Risks: increasing age, repetitive strain
  • Treatment: injections, radiofrequency ablation, surgical fusion if instability is present

Forward slippage of one vertebra over another.

  • Symptoms: back pain, leg pain (sciatica), stiffness, instability
  • Causes: degenerative changes, congenital defects, stress fractures
  • Risks: most common in adolescents (congenital) and older adults (degenerative)
  • Treatment: physiotherapy; surgical fusion in symptomatic or unstable cases

Spine Trauma

Traumatic spine injuries can have life-changing consequences and require timely specialist care. In Australia, motor vehicle accidents, falls and sporting injuries are leading causes of spinal trauma.

Breaks or compression of vertebrae, which may or may not affect spinal cord function.

  • Symptoms: severe back pain, spinal deformity, nerve symptoms if cord is compromised
  • Causes: trauma, osteoporosis-related fractures
  • Risks: high in elderly with osteoporosis; trauma in younger adults
  • Treatment: bracing for stable fractures; surgical stabilisation and decompression for unstable fractures

Damage to the spinal cord, causing partial or complete loss of function below the injury level.

  • Symptoms: paralysis, loss of sensation, bladder and bowel dysfunction
  • Causes: trauma (vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries)
  • Risks: young adults (risk-taking behaviour), older adults (falls)
  • Treatment: emergency surgical decompression and stabilisation; long-term rehabilitation

Spinal Tumours

Tumours affecting the spine can originate within the spinal cord, in surrounding tissues or spread from elsewhere in the body. In Australia, metastatic spine disease is significantly more common than primary spinal tumours.

Tumours within the spinal cord itself.

  • Symptoms: progressive neurological deficits, limb weakness, sensory loss, pain
  • Causes: primary tumours (ependymomas, astrocytomas)
  • Risks: rare; can occur at any age
  • Treatment: microsurgical resection where possible; adjuvant therapies

Tumours outside the spinal cord but within the spinal canal.

  • Symptoms: pain, nerve root compression symptoms, progressive weakness
  • Causes: meningiomas, nerve sheath tumours (schwannomas)
  • Risks: more common in middle-aged and older adults
  • Treatment: surgical excision; often curative for benign tumours

Secondary cancer spread to the spine, affecting bone and/or the spinal cord.

  • Symptoms: back pain, pathological fractures, neurological compromise
  • Causes: most often from breast, lung, prostate or melanoma
  • Risks: patients with known systemic cancer
  • Treatment: decompression, stabilisation, radiotherapy and systemic cancer management

Infections and Inflammatory Conditions

Spinal infections are uncommon but serious, requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment.

A collection of pus between the dura mater and vertebrae, causing spinal cord compression.

  • Symptoms: severe back pain, fever, neurological deficits, sepsis
  • Causes: bacterial infection, often from bloodstream
  • Risks: immunosuppression, IV drug use, prior surgery
  • Treatment: emergency surgical drainage; intravenous antibiotics

Infection of the intervertebral disc and adjacent vertebrae.

  • Symptoms: back pain, fever, spinal tenderness, elevated inflammatory markers
  • Causes: haematogenous spread of bacteria, post-surgical infection
  • Risks: diabetes, immunosuppression, IV drug use
  • Treatment: prolonged antibiotics; surgical debridement if instability or abscess develops

Spinal Deformity

Spinal deformities can be congenital or develop later in life due to degenerative changes.

Abnormal sideways curvature of the spine.

  • Symptoms: uneven shoulders/hips, visible curvature, back pain
  • Causes: congenital, idiopathic, degenerative
  • Risks: adolescent growth spurts; elderly with degenerative scoliosis
  • Treatment: bracing in mild cases; surgical correction for severe deformity or functional compromise

Excessive forward curvature of the spine, leading to a hunched posture.

  • Symptoms: visible deformity, back pain, fatigue
  • Causes: osteoporosis, Scheuermann’s disease, degenerative changes
  • Risks: older adults with osteoporosis
  • Treatment: bracing and physiotherapy; surgical correction in severe cases

Spinal Instability

Spinal instability can result from injury, degeneration or congenital factors, compromising spinal alignment and function.

Instability at the junction between the first two cervical vertebrae.

  • Symptoms: neck pain, neurological symptoms, gait disturbance
  • Causes: trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, congenital conditions
  • Risks: patients with connective tissue disorders or inflammatory arthritis
  • Treatment: surgical fusion to stabilise the segment

Excessive movement between vertebrae anywhere in the spine.

  • Symptoms: mechanical back pain, nerve compression symptoms, deformity
  • Causes: degenerative disease, trauma, prior surgery
  • Risks: increasing age, previous spinal procedures
  • Treatment: spinal fusion surgery to restore stability

Nerve Root and Spinal Cord Compression

Compression of nerve roots or the spinal cord can cause significant pain and neurological impairment.

Nerve root compression causing pain and neurological symptoms in the limb.

  • Symptoms: radiating pain (e.g. sciatica), numbness, tingling, weakness
  • Causes: herniated disc, foraminal stenosis, tumour
  • Risks: common in middle-aged adults
  • Treatment: conservative management; decompressive surgery if persistent or severe

Compression of the spinal cord itself, often due to degenerative changes.

  • Symptoms: balance problems, weakness, numbness, bladder dysfunction
  • Causes: spinal stenosis, disc herniation, tumours
  • Risks: more common in cervical spine of older adults
  • Treatment: surgical decompression to prevent progression and restore function

At Coastal Neurosurgery, we understand how profoundly conditions of the spine can adversely affect quality of life.

Our expert team is committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care, using the latest surgical innovations to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients on the Central Coast.

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Expert Neurosurgical and Spinal Surgical Care on the Central Coast

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