GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA
Recognizing the national trend toward a Center of Excellence approach for complex health problems, South Carolina Spine Center was created by Self Regional Hospital to improve the care of back and neck pain. South Carolina Spine Center emphasizes non-surgical treatment options in advance of spine surgery. If spine surgery is needed, the spine center has three fellowship-trained neurospine surgeons — the highest level of medical education possible. Minimally invasive spine surgery techniques enable many patients to go home the same day to recover in their own home. We have in one location spine surgeons, non-surgical spine specialists, spine therapists, exercise gym, pool, x-rays, MRI, injection suite and the most advanced operating room environment.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA SPINE CENTER
Residents across South Carolina or North Carolina who suffer from an attack of back or neck pain often travel to many cities and clinics in their quest for relief of pain symptoms. Along the way, they can receive treatments, diagnostic studies, contradictory advice and treatment that is often way too aggressive for the symptoms they display. South Carolina Spine Center recognizes the national trend in spine care is to take a Center of Excellence approach, with a multidisciplinary team of spine specialists working together under one roof, emphasizing nonsurgical options.
South Carolina Spine Center is located in Greenwood, SC and includes the expertise of:
- Dr. Karl Boellert, a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who is fellowship-trained in spinal injections who specializes in non-surgical care of back and neck pain.
- Dr. Mathew Gowans, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who specializes in non-surgical care of back and neck pain.
- Michael Kilburn, MD, a board-certified neurological surgeon who is fellowship-trained in spine surgery.
- Sumeer Lal, MD, a board-certified neurological surgeon who is fellowship-trained in spine surgery.
- Gregory McLoughlin, MD, a board-certified neurological surgeon who is fellowship-trained in spine surgery.
Fellowship-training is the highest level of medical education possible. A fellowship in spine means that the specialist has done an additional year of training in a spine center environment learning the most advanced methods of spine care.
Within the same building are spine therapists who help many patients back to activity without surgery. These spine therapists have an internal exercise gym where patients learn specialized stretches to reduce pain symptoms and strengthen the back and neck to make it more flexible and resistant to future strain. This addresses the prevention aspect of the treatment process to reduce future back strain and injury.
All the necessary diagnostic testing from x-rays to MRI, and non-operative treatment is provided at the same location. This is a welcome alternative to the typical fragmented approach to spine care, and eliminates the need for multiple referrals, delayed care, driving around town — and confusion and miscommunication among the specialists involved. A nonsurgical approach to back and neck pain
What makes South Carolina Spine Center unique is its emphasis nonsurgical treatment options to back and neck problems. This can include spine-specialized therapy or the use of spinal injections which can relieve pain symptoms. Spinal injections can also provide new diagnostic information to the spine care specialist about what is causing your pain symptoms.
Dr. Boellert is proficient in pain-relieving cervical, thoracic, & lumbar epidural injections, facet injections, medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency ablation as well as sacroiliac joint injections. This includes the new COOLIEF*, the latest technology that uses cooled energy to safely target the sensory nerves causing pain. The COOLIEF* system circulates water through the device to create a larger treatment area and more successful pain relief.
EMG tests provide by the physiatrist can also reveal the extent of neurological problems that may be caused by a herniated disc.
If your back or neck problem requires surgery, the spine specialized neurosurgeons and South Carolina Spine Center already treat the region’s most complex surgical cases. These cases include herniated discs, spinal fractures and spinal tumor. Our surgeons use some of the most advanced instrumentation and spine surgery techniques.
In early 2016, Dr. Greg McLoughlin was the first spine surgeon in the State of South Carolina to use the latest instrumentation to restore proper spinal curvature after fusion surgery. The new VariLift technology enables the surgeon to remove the damaged disc and restore the proper lordosis which lessens the risk of further disc degeneration at disc levels above and below the fusion site. The minimally invasive surgery is performed through a tiny incision with a tubular retractor which involves less blood loss, less time in the hospital and a faster recovery.
Where possible, the spine surgeons at South Carolina Spine Center use of minimally invasive techniques that shorten the incision, reduces blood loss, enables patients to be home the same day and speeds return to activity through a less painful recovery period.
Those patients needing neck surgery can also benefit from new technology in artificial disc replacement. The patient would have to meet criteria to qualify for cervical disc replacement.
Everything under one roof
By having physical medicine doctors, spine neurosurgeons, spine therapists, an exercise gym, MRI and an injection suite — all under one roof — on the campus of Self Regional Healthcare, the back or neck pain patient no longer has to drive around town. Best of all, communication is improved between the spine care team, which speeds the patient’s return to activity.
FEATURED REVIEW
"These doctors and staff are great....makes an otherwise bad day, a good day...uh think I said that right hmm.....great service and really professional staff..."
PHYSICIANS OF SOUTH CAROLINA SPINE CENTER
Karl Boellert, MD
Board-Certified in Physical Medicine
Fellowship-Trained in Interventional Spine & Musculoskeletal Medicine
Dr. Karl Boellert is a board-certified and fellowship-trained specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at South Carolina Spine Center in Greenwood. Within his role at the spine center, Dr. Boellert specializes in helping patients with back and neck pain resolve symptoms through non-surgical spine treatment options. He completed fellowship training in Interventional Spine & Musculoskeletal Medicine at Ahwatukee Sports & Spine in Phoenix, AZ.
Dr. Boellert's focus of care is interventional pain medicine, including the assessment, diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of back and neck pain problems. Dr. Boellert is proficient in pain-relieving cervical, thoracic, & lumbar epidural injections, facet injections, medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency ablation as well as sacroiliac joint injections.
Mathew Gowans, MD
Board-Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Dr. Mathew Gowans is a specialist in the non-surgical treatment of back and neck pain. He joined the staff of South Carolina Spine Center in mid 2015. He is a member of the Self Regional Healthcare medical staff.
Dr. Gowans received his bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. and his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. He then went on to complete his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, N.C.
As South Carolina Spine Center, Dr. Gowan specializes in the diagnosis of back pain and neck pain, and helps patients explore non-surgical treatment options. This can include therapy that relieves pain symptoms, and makes the back stronger, more flexible and resistant to future strain. Dr. Gowan works closely with Dr. Boellert related to spinal injections, and the spine neurosurgery team.
Michael P.B. Kilburn, MD
Board-certified Spinal Neurosurgeon
Fellowship-Trained Spinal Neurosurgeon
Dr. Michael Kilburn is a board-certified and fellowship-trained spinal neurosurgeon at South Carolina Spine Center, who specializes in complex spine surgery, cervical disorders, degenerative spine, spinal deformities, trauma, tumor infection and minimally invasive spine surgery. He is also proficient in endoscopic spine surgery techniques. He is a member of the Self Regional Healthcare medical staff.
Dr. Kilburn graduated medical school from University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and later completed his residency at Royal University Hospital. Dr. Kilburn completed a fellowship in neurosurgery at University of Alabama. He is also a Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada-Neurosurgery.
Sumeer Lal, MD
Board-certified Spinal Neurosurgeon
Fellowship-Trained Spinal Neurosurgeon
Dr. Sumeer Lal is a board-certified spinal neurosurgeon with 20 years of experience, who specializes in complex spine surgery, cervical disorders, degenerative spine, spinal deformities, trauma, tumor infection and minimally invasive spine surgery. He is a member of the Self Regional Healthcare medical staff.
Dr. Lal received his medical degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He then went on to complete his neurosurgical residency at Royal University Hospital in Canada. Dr. Lal also completed a Masters of Surgery Program at University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He later completed a Neuro-oncolgical Fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He is also a Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada-Neurosurgery.
John Cole IV, MD
Board-certified Spinal Neurosurgeon
Fellowship-Trained Spinal Neurosurgeon
Dr. John Cole IV is a board-certified neurosurgeon who is fellowship-trained in spine. He is a member of the Self Regional Healthcare medical staff.
Dr. Cole graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC and received his medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington, KY. He also completed his neurosurgical residency and a spine fellowship in Lexington at the University of Kentucky.
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