Dr David Johnson

Doctor David Johnson is an Australian trained brain and spinal neurosurgeon who has had a pioneering role in the establishment of multidisciplinary spinal practises and holistic care for neurosurgical patients for over twenty years. He has worked extensively in both the public and private sector but now exclusively operates at Brisbane Private Hospital. His rooms and specialised spinal rehabilitation facility is at Woolloongabba.

Dr Johnson has aided the recovery of thousands of patients with chronic low back and neck pain and is the first clinician in the world to publish the Clinical Model which describes the cause for low back pain symptoms.

Dr Johnson is an Olympic Weightlifting Coach and nationally competitive highly ranked Functional Fitness Athlete finishing top ten in Australia from 2021-2025 in the CrossFit Games Worldwide Open. His passion for elite athletic functional capacity, requiring functional movement proficiency of the spine, has led him to numerous research publications, lectures, allied health education workshops and book chapters on the clinical application of spinal Movement Theory for spine related pain and disability.

In 2015 Dr Johnson established the first of now multiple Functional Movement Training Centre Affiliates nationwide, delivering NeuroHAB Movement Therapy for the rehabilitation of low back pain and neck pain symptoms. This represents the first specific and distinctive spine rehabilitation methodology which addresses the disease of “Movement Dysfunction”. A term he coined to emphasise that epidemic levels of back pain must have a ubiquitous and reversible root cause that must be effectively treated to prevent relapse.

His extensive experience in the industry and his unique appreciation of functional causes for spine related pain permit Dr Johnson to help patients with spine related pain make the important decision of whether surgery or non-surgical functional rehabilitation options are most appropriate for their condition.  Dr Johnson has long asserted that the primary role of the spine pain surgeon is teaching patients how to avoid surgery and assisting them through the stressful ordeal of surgery and equally important post operative rehabilitation should no other option be available.

“It is an honour and privilege to be entrusted to perform surgery and restore the health of every patient” Dr David Johnson.