Spine Center

OINJ offers expert orthopedic care across multiple specialty areas, with dedicated Service Centers. Each Service Center features an on-staff, board-certified specialist in order to deliver the highest level of care for that specific department or area. Our Centers of Excellence include our Spine Center, Foot & Ankle Center, Sports Medicine Center, Women’s Sports Medicine Center, Hip & Knee Reconstruction Center, Hand & Upper Extremity Center and Rheumatology Center.

OINJ’s Spine Center provides comprehensive care for patients with a wide spectrum of spinal issues. Here, you’ll find an experienced back specialist to collaborate with you in order to improve your pain and function abilities. They exhaust all non-surgical options. Our Spine Center is led by the following specialists:

Behnam Salari, DO is the Orthopedic Surgeon with the Spine Center at The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey. He is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Salari is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society. He also maintains membership in The Society of Lateral Access Surgery and has been published on topics related to spine surgery, treatment and care. Dr. Salari is known for his clinical and surgical skills involving the spine and his commitment to patients. He exhausts all non-operative treatments to address the pathology of the spine before considering surgical options.

Christopher Castro, DO is a Physiatrist with interventional training performing pain management services for The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey.He is Board-Certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. His goal is to provide excellent, cost-effective care to his patients to help them improve function by integrating medications, therapies, injections and lifestyle changes. A native of central NJ, Dr. Castro is an avid runner and is active in the community coaching youth sports.

Dr. Michael S. Gutkin is a Partner and a Physiatrist with Interventional Training performing Pain Management services at The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey.
He is dual Board Certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in sports medicine as well as physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dr. Gutkin, a life-long resident of northwestern New Jersey, resides with his wife and four children. With his extended family nearby, they all enjoy sports-related activities together.

Amy Wedderman, LPN is a Licensed Practical Nurse with The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey. Amy Wedderman first studied nursing at Raritan Valley College, and completed her studies in Hunterdon County. She spent the beginning of her career working in Facility Nursing and later became the Charge Nurse at Heath Village. Amy enjoys helping patients recover to get back to their healthy lifestyle.

Michael Gundell, PA-C is a Physician Assistant with The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey.
He is Board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).  He first discovered his passion for sports medicine through his work as a rehabilitation aide during his time at Rutgers University. Soon after, he developed an interest in the diagnostic and treatment aspects of sports medicine and orthopedic care.

Olga Debrin, PA-C has been a physician assistant at The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey since 2016. Board certified in 2015, Olga received her master's degree from the Physician Assistant program at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

See our complete list of best-in-class OINJ physicians here.

The board-certified orthopedic spine team at the Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey (OINJ) can guide you towards a personalized solution to help you get back on track.

OINJ’s spine doctors use the most effective, innovative methods available for relief from acute back injury and other chronic conditions of the spine. In many spine injury situations, non-operative treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy and spinal injections can help you feel better fast. In other situations, surgery may be necessary to provide relief.

An OINJ spine doctor can diagnose, treat and provide preventative care tailored to your back orthopedic needs. If surgery is necessary, a spine surgeon can use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other advanced technology to pinpoint the problem, make a more precise anatomic diagnosis, and recommend just the right surgical technique to address your condition.

Note: If your back pain is severe, you can’t stand, you can’t pick up your leg or you’ve lost control of your bladder or bowels, go to the hospital emergency department for diagnosis and treatment, which may likely include immediate surgery. These symptoms signal a medical emergency.

OINJ serves countless satisfied spine patients across NJ. Here is one of our many patient testimonials: “A little more than a week ago I had a multi level ACDF surgery done by Dr. Ben Salari. He is a highly intelligent and highly skilled surgeon. So far my results have been excellent. Really, I couldn’t have had a better experience or result. Can’t wait to see him for my follow up so he can tell me how well things are going. Ben, you rock!”

If you have spine pain and it doesn’t improve after a couple of weeks, it’s time to seek medical help from a spine specialist or back surgeon. Searching for a back doctor “near me?” OINJ provides the best spine care across Sussex County, Warren County and Morris County—including our new office in Morristown, NJ. We serve individuals, schools, sports teams and organizations that are looking for top-notch care in their own backyard.

At OINJ, we treat a variety of spine orthopedic conditions, including:

• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Arthritis—back, spine and neck
• Cervical Radiculopathy
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Herniated or ruptured disc
• Facet Joint Syndrome
• General Neck & Back Pain
• Lower Back Pain
• Osteoporosis
• Sacroiliac Pain
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Spine fractures
• Spinal Trauma
• Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis

OINJ’s Spine Center performs a variety services to fit your individual needs:

• Botox^®
• Disc Replacement
• Peripheral Nerve Injections
• Sympathetic Nerve Blocks
• Transforaminal/Translaminar Epidurals
• Trigger Point Injections