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Welcome and Introduction to the Practice

 

Welcome and Introduction to the Practice

Neurosurgery and Pain Specialists is an independent medical practice located in central North Carolina.  Dr. Curling is a neurological surgeon who has practiced in central NC since 1991 and is the primary physician provider in the practice, though in recent years has focused primarily on non-surgical management of brain, spine, and peripheral nerve injuries, as well as treatment of other related pain issues.  He has a particular interest in medicolegal cases, and regularly performs independent neurosurgical and pain evaluations (IMEs), second surgical opinions, rating evaluations, and records' reviews, while also maintaining an active clinical practice focused predominantly on the treatment of various neurosurgical  and other related pain problems.

In his 30+ years as a neurosurgeon, Dr. Curling has worked in various practice settings, including Carolina Neurosurgical Associates, Winston Neurological and Spinal Surgery Associates, Neurosurgical Evaluations of the Carolinas, Preferred Pain Management & Spine Care, and most recently Neurosurgery and Pain Specialists.   After several years in a typical active operative neurosurgical practice in Winston Salem, during which time he performed several thousand brain, spine, and nerve surgeries, Dr. Curling was involved in a significant motor vehicle accident, following which he underwent multiple spine surgeries himself.  Due to persistent difficulty with prolonged standing following his own back surgeries, he subsequently stopped performing major surgical procedures and has since pursued a strictly office-based practice, focused on evaluation and predominantly non-operative treatment of neurosurgical and other pain-related issues.  Although he presently sees patients only in the Winston Salem office, he has at times in the past also maintained offices in Kernersville, Charlotte, Greensboro, and New Bern, NC.

 

The primary goal of Neurosurgery and Pain Specialists is to provide a unique opportunity to obtain thorough and thoughtful evaluations and subsequent treatment (when indicated) to help patients achieve their optimal results and return to a productive lifestyle, whether that be at work or at home.  Unlike the typical mechanized, business-driven model that has engulfed much of "modern" medicine, Dr. Curling still adheres to the belief that time and attention to detail for each and every patient's case leads to optimal results.  The primary goal of the practice is to help all patients receive a full evaluation and understanding of their condition and thereafter to help them to minimize their pain, recover from their injuries, and return to a more functional state.  A secondary goal of the practice is to help all parties involved in each case (whether the patient and family, the adjusters or case managers, the attorneys, or others) to realize the efficiencies to be gained by having patients evaluated early in their course by a highly trained specialist who devotes the time and energy to focus on the big picture and whose goal is to develop a tailored approach to navigate the patient from injury to MMI and a return to productivity (thereby avoiding the all too frequent, inefficient, and frequently frustrating approach of having the patient/claimant wind their way over the course of months or years between multiple providers and multiple practices, with no single individual coordinating care).  While many services can be performed in house, Dr. Curling also maintains relationships with specific providers in the area and can facilitate referral as needed for additional services that may not be presently available in house, whether pain psychology evaluation/treatment, physical therapy, brain or spinal surgery, or other related issues.

Please visit the other pages of our site for additional information regarding services offered, scheduling, location, contact info, etc..  Thanks for visiting!

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