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Comprehensive Spine Care. The right care from the beginning.

Surgical and non-surgical treatment pathways focused on restoring function and quality of life.

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Our Services

About Us

Leaders in spinal care, committed to your wellbeing

Sydney Spine Institute provides multidisciplinary care for spinal, neurosurgical, and musculoskeletal conditions. Our team consists of experts in neurosurgery, spine medicine, workplace injury, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, pain education and metabolic care. 

Whether your condition requires surgical assessment, non-surgical management, rehabilitation or workplace support, our team can help guide you toward the most appropriate treatment pathway based on your goals and needs.

Meet the Team

How we help

Integrated Care for Spinal Conditions

Spinal conditions affect patients in different ways. Some patients need timely surgical assessment. Others need reassurance that surgery is not the right answer. Some patients need careful explanation of their radiology, pain management, rehabilitation, or work-focused recovery. SSI was developed to help patients and referrers get the right spine care from the beginning.

 We provide treatment pathways designed to help patients understand their condition, access appropriate care, and work towards meaningful recovery goals.

Spinal Conditions we Treat

Neck and back pain, sciatica, disc herniations, spinal stenosis, myelopathy and workplace injuries.

Conditions

Surgical and Non-Surgical Spine Care

Evidence-based treatment pathways tailored to individual needs.

Services

Workplace Spinal Injuries

Assessment and management of work-related spinal injuries, rehabilitation planning, and return-to-work support.

Workplace Spinal Injury

coordinated, evidence-based treatment

Why Choose Sydney Spine Institute?

Spinal conditions are often complex. Better decisions are made with input from multiple healthcare professionals. Our integrated model brings multiple experts under one roof. Surgeons, physicians, and allied health professionals work collaboratively to help patients access coordinated, evidence-based treatments that suit their specific needs. Recommendations are based on an unbiased review of all available options.

Coordinated, team-based approach

Integrated collaboration between surgeons, physicians and allied health professionals. Clear communication, shared records and streamlined referrals.

Surgery Only When Appropriate

Informed decision-making before surgery is considered. The most important decision in spine medicine is whether surgery is likely to help.

Comprehensive Referral Review Process

All referrals are carefully reviewed by a senior medical specialist to determine urgency and the best treatment pathway.

Dedicated workplace back and neck injury clinic

Specialist clinic led by Occupational Physicians focused exclusively on the treatment of workplace spinal injuries.

Research & Innovation

Active involvement in clinical and biomedical research focused on improving patient outcomes.

Leading Surgical Expertise

Professor James van Gelder

Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeon

Professor James van Gelder is co-founder and director of Sydney Spine Institute and an experienced Australian-trained neurosurgeon and spine surgeon with expertise in complex spinal, cranial and peripheral nerve conditions.  

He has more than 30 years of experience across major public and private hospitals where he held senior leadership positions. He continues to lead clinical and biomedical research, surgical education, and the development of evidence-based spinal care.

  • Director of Neurosurgery, Concord Repatriation General Hospital 2010-2025
  • Director of Neurosurgery, Sydney Adventist Hospital
  • Expertise in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery
  • Conjoint Associate Professor, UNSW
  • Current NHMRC-funded research leader
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Your Care Pathway

Comprehensive care in one specialist practice 

Every patient’s condition and goals are different.  From Referral to Recovery, Sydney Spine Institute offers coordinated care. Our team brings together neurosurgery, spine medicine, workplace injury care, physiotherapy, exercise physiology, pain education and metabolic health. 

Not every patient needs every service. The value of a multidisciplinary clinic is that the right expertise can be brought in when it is needed — whether your problem requires surgical treatment, non-surgical care, rehabilitation, work injury management or support with recovery.

Referral or Initial Enquiry

You or your referrer contact us. Our team gathers initial information and guides you through the next steps.

Assessment & Diagnosis

A comprehensive assessment is completed to understand your condition and establish an accurate diagnosis.

Non-Surgical Care / Rehabilitation

We develop a personalised treatment plan focused on conservative care, therapy and rehabilitation to help improve function and manage symptoms.

Surgical Assessment if Appropriate

If surgery may be beneficial, our specialists will review your case in detail and discuss the most appropriate options with you.

Recovery & Ongoing Support

We support you through recovery and provide ongoing care to help you achieve your long-term goals.

Research & Innovation

Research is embedded within our clinical practice. Our clinicians are actively involved in clinical trials, outcomes research and the development of new technologies aimed at improving care for patients with spinal and musculoskeletal conditions.

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Insights

Latest News

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Need Assessment or Guidance?

Whether you are seeking a surgical opinion, or non-surgical treatment, our team can help guide you toward the most appropriate pathway.

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