Brief Pain Inventory form
Bring this completed questionnaire to your first appointment about your brief pain (PDF,229.66 KB)
The Back Assessment Clinic (BAC) Service is a specialist service for the assessment of spinal disorders such as back pain, neck pain and sciatica. The service can also assistance in ongoing management.
This clinic helps to give you faster access to expert assessment and management of your back and / or neck pain.
You will be asked about:
After talking about your problem, you will then be examined. This will involve undressing parts of your body in order to look at and feel your back, and also to test the strength and sensation in your arms and legs. Please wear suitable, loose-fitting clothing to your appointment.
The clinician will then discuss your problem and a management plan to help you, which may include:
The clinic is staffed by a Rheumatologist and Advanced Practice Physiotherapists, the same professionals that you may see in the Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic or Rheumatology clinics at Royal Melbourne Hospital. All of these staff members have extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of back and neck problems.
The physiotherapists working in the BAC are very senior clinicians within their field and have extensive experience in assessing and treating spinal problems and are reviewing you in that capacity, rather than performing ‘routine’ physiotherapy treatment. The physiotherapists in the BAC currently work together with the spinal surgeons in the Neurosurgery and Orthopaedic Spinal Clinics at Royal Melbourne Hospital and have been through additional training and assessment to ensure a high level of competency in their role. Research in the UK has shown that these types of physiotherapists are as effective as doctors in assessing spinal problems.
People with back and / or neck pain who live in the area serviced by CoHealth Services and Merri Health.
You need a referral from your GP or medical practitioner to access this service.
Every time you come to hospital for a test, day procedure, surgery or treatment, you should bring:
If you come for a clinic appointment, you should also bring:
Images of any spinal investigations on a CD, a report alone is not sufficient. You can get this from the centre where the spinal investigation was done
In a medical emergency, call 000. If you are feeling unwell, see your local GP or go to your local hospital Emergency department for help.