Fran and David Jolson, of Upstate Spine and Sport

I love sitting down with local businesses that are committed to the overall well being of their clients and the community.  Dr. David and Fran Jolson, husband and wife duo, and owners of Upstate Spine & Sport, are dedicated to just that.  In two short years they have grown their unique clinic, which combines chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, and stretch therapy into a Greenville staple for pain management and performance.  Not only are they extremely experienced, warm and friendly, they are also trusted as the chiropractor of local sports teams - Greenville Triumph, Furman University, Hincapie cycling, local PGA Tour pros, and consultant for the Greenville Drive.  I have gotten to know them the past year as David has helped to manage low back pain from a long-time injury, and I‘ve just had my first couple of acupuncture sessions with Fran.

I can’t wait to see how my body responds, but for now, I’ll be back for the 30-minute nap under the heat lamp, regardless!

Q:  Many people question working with a spouse.  What’s it’s like for you two?

David: “It’s really hard! I don’t know how she spends so much time with me, but luckily, we both do very different things. We met in Chicago while we were in school and got fired up about creating something special by combining both of our specialties.”

Fran:  “Since I also have a western medical background on top of my acupuncture training, we can easily understand each other.  The hardest part is not talking about work at home or when we’re out to dinner.  There’s no off switch, and we have pretty loose guideline with ourselves.“

Q:  What’s special about combining both of your practices?

Fran:  We joke about having two sides of the hallway, East vs. West. On my side we view acupuncture as a “reset button”, helping to calm down the nervous system. We communicate as a clinic about each patient who we co-manage to give them the best chance of a successful outcome.

David:  “Pain is complex, it’s never just muscle, joint, or tissue - it may also be related to fear, family, beliefs, stress, nutrition, etc. In our clinic, we think of pain as the perception of threat by our brains. It’s a signal that is helping to protect us. Our goal is to help our patients understand their pain to create long term results, and often times we co-manage them in our clinic or with other providers in the upstate to get them the best results.”

Q:  You just celebrated 2 years in business!  Congratulations.  What have the first two years been like?

David:  Wild!! We feel lucky. The Greenville community has been so incredibly supportive! We’ve loved getting to know the vibrant movement and fitness community. We’ve found amazing people to help our team grow. We now have a new chiropractor, Dr. Jake Aleck, who will be a great asset to our community as well.

Q:  What are the most exciting cases or patients to work with?

Fran:  I enjoy helping patients dealing with headaches. They are complicated and sometimes can be mismanaged. I also enjoy working with women on their fertility journey.  It’s challenging and emotional, but really special and I cherish those relationships.”

David: A recent case that stands out is a medical referral of a 17-year-old female after 2 years of failed therapy, advanced imaging testing, and injections. She is a great young athlete and couldn’t play because of these issues. Long-case history and treatment approach aside, we minimized the variables and have helped that patient understand their pain. She’s back to it within weeks with no pain and performing at a high level.

Q:  What does the future bring for Upstate Spine and Sport?

David: The big picture is to be able to treat patients all the way from pain to performance – we have some plans in the works to expand our services and space!!

Q:  Most important question:  Do you treat each other?

Fran:  Points her finger at David, “Worst patient ever!”

David:  Points his finger at Fran, “Worst patient ever!”

You can find Fran and David at https://upstatespineandsport.com/

or follow along on Instagram and Facebook @upstatespine