Southcoast Spine and Pain is a medical practice in Aiken, SC specializing in the treatment of spine and joint pain.  With over two decades of experience treating patients in pain, our physicians have the knowledge and expertise to help relieve pain quickly. Many patients are referred to us for traditional, insurance covered treatments, to relieve pain.  These treatments include:

• Medications (many types, including possible opiates-but we minimize these medications)
• Spine or joint injections
• Physical Therapy
• and more definitive treatments like spinal stimulation

Quite often, insurance may cover these treatments, yet this typically requires an office visit and assessment prior to treatment and may include the need for PT as well.

Lumbar and Cervical Injections

For patients suffering neuropathic pain from an injured nerve root or pain from an arthritic spine, injections may be helpful.  These injections are typically done with local anesthesia with the patient awake, lying prone on a table, while x-ray guidance is used for accurate placement. Each procedure lasts only minutes, is generally not very painful, and may give pain relief quickly. Our physicians are well trained in the use of these injections and many hundreds of similar injections have been done in our facilities without problems.

Joint Injections

Patients with arthritis and pain from an injured joint may benefit from joint injections. These injections may be simple steroids with anesthetics or they may be more involved like the use hyaluronic acid for knee and shoulder pain. Some of these injections are done using x-ray or ultrasound guidance, while others, like knee injections, do not require such guidance. Most often these injections are covered by Medicare and typical insurance, but in some cases other adjuncts like PRP may be added to give better relief, and this most often is not insurance covered.

Stimulation

Spinal Stimulation is a treatment that has existed for decades. It has traditionally been used in cases where patients fail to improve after back or neck surgery and are left in chronic pain. The treatment is based on using tiny electrical currents to interfere with the transmission of pain.

Stimulation is a three part process consisting of:

• the patient undergoing a psychological evaluation which is required by Medicare
• a short trial period during which the device is temporarily inserted and the patient assesses the relief provided (done in office)
• permanent implantation if the trial is successful (done in a hospital)

The latest use for stimulation is in the treatment of pain and neurologic symptoms from peripheral neuropathy.

If you are a current patient of our practice you may schedule an appointment online.  You may also contact us either via phone 803-226-0102 / fax / 803-226-0384 / or you may email us  (please do not email immediate needs or urgent medication needs) southcoastspine0102@gmail.com

If you would like to communicate with us via the web, we need you to register via our portal. This is an important step in being able to schedule online appointments and communicate with staff. Please register now if you have not done so already.

Biologic Therapy

Have you tried steroids, medications, and seem to be facing surgery?  Did you realize that newer biologic therapy helps many patients avoid surgery, reduces inflammation better than any other treatments, and can relieve pain?

PRP, AMNIOTIC injections, and Autologous Cell therapy all are powerful ways to relieve pain using biologic agents that actually heal tissue. This is the future of medicine, but many patients are gaining relief from this approach now. Ask the doctor if you may qualify for these exciting new ways to avoid surgery.