Welcoming New Physiatrist to Northern California Spine Institute

Sonora Regional Medical Center welcomes Garth Troy Greenwell, DO, who is joining Northern California Spine Institute and will treat patients with a variety of spinal disorders resulting in chronic pain. Dr. Greenwell is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and comes to Sonora from Davis, Calif., where he completed his fellowship in Pain Medicine at UC Davis Medical Center.

As a pain specialist, Dr. Greenwell takes a comprehensive approach to treat chronic pain, utilizing a combination of the latest treatment options from rehabilitation to medication management to minimally invasive procedures such as epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks.

Dr. Greenwell gets a lot of satisfaction in helping people with chronic pain become functional by making their pain more manageable. He not only works to reduce his patients’ level of pain but more importantly helps them reach their functional goals. For example, helping an individual play a round of golf or spend the day fishing without pain becoming a limiting factor.

Dr. Greenwell began his career in the United States Air Force, serving four years as a firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT) and six months deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm. He then served three years as a firefighter and EMT for the city of Twin Falls, Idaho. His experience as an EMT helped build his interest in medicine.

He received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Idaho State University and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Western University of Health Sciences. Following medical school, Dr. Greenwell enlisted in the United States Army and completed a transitional internship at William Beaumont Army Medical Center and three-year residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Dr. Greenwell then served two years as Assistant Service Chief for Physical Medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center and one year deployed to Iraq where he served as Senior Medical Officer. There he was tasked with setting up field battalion aid stations and providing both routine and emergency medical treatment for multiple combat missions in six regions of Iraq. He earned the distinguished Bronze Star for his service in Iraq.

After all of his education and training spent in big cities, Dr. Greenwell is pleased to be back in a small town environment. He grew up in Oakley, Idaho, a town of only 500 people. He is looking forward to settling down, spending time with his eight-year-old daughter and eleven-year-old son, and getting back to an outdoor lifestyle raising chickens, hunting, fishing and playing most any sport. He would also like to pick up an old hobby of fixing up classic cars.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Greenwell, call 209-532-6128.