Richard M Meltzer, Dpm

Looks like Dr Meltzer is one of those ‘love him or hate him’ kind of people. I would never recommend this doctor to anyone. I went in awhile back for a second opinion regarding plantar fascitiis and bunions, and he was a bit dry in tone when discussing the issues, but the real kicker is when he proceeds to tell me that I was ‘too old’ (at the age of 40) to be doing all this running and that I had ‘mental problems’ since obviously I didn’t know that I should stop. Wow. mind boggling! I can’t believe I didn’t just leave and refuse to pay. but I was so surprised that I just took it, and continued with the exam. But needless to say, I never went back, nor did I follow any of his advice (ie. to quit exercising and running). Ridiculous.

Dr. Meltzer is wonderful! I’ve had foot problems all my life and wish I had found him sooner! He’s professional. patient, listens to my concerns and is extremely knowledgable about feet! I trust him expertise and his bed-​side manner is a definite plus!

Awesome experience with Dr. Meltzer. Was recommended to him by my general care physician. Front office staff is very friendly and accommodating. Never sat in the waiting room for longer than five minutes for my appointment!
He performed surgery on my right foot, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

I recommend this Doc if you have foot issues. I have Plantar Fasciatis and was referred to him by my primary physician.
After my exam, including some prodding of the foot and a lot of conversation I was diagnosed. The doctor has now given me 2 out of the 3 cortisone injections and my feet feel soooo much better. He also gave me some new shoe insert/​supports that have made a huge difference for me.
I like him because he explores all options, he talks, suggests a course of action and listens to you.

Experience counts, he is great at diagnosing and treatment, great staff. Both heels with plantar faciatis, went away with injection and Aleve, the best bunion guy in the area. Getting it fixed before it goes to a stage 3, 3 weeks in a boot vs 2 months on crutches. Thank you Dr Meltzer.

so VF from los gatos i am calling you out personally because the only people who are arrogant and unsociable are people like you you take every comment like a personal insult and i cant stand people like you that leave reviews on Unilocal wasting everyone’s time and babbling on about how the business or person being reviewed did not meet your arrogant and in the sky expectations not everyone you meet is going to be exactly the way you want them to be witch in your case would be a introverted image of your self.
now with that out of the way i have been seeing dr meltzer scince 2001 when i was in first grade i had gotten a pair of heelys for Christmas which were all the rage back then and after 2 days of using them i had excruciating heel pain so i went to see him and could not have been more happy he has made 7 pairs custom of orthotics for my feet and taken care of my right foot in which i broke all 4 metatarsal bones straight in half TWICE IN A ROW! he has been nothing but kind and knowledgeable and has helped me through may feet problems he said i am his worst case as far as feet problems and has helped me through all 13 years i have known him he is a fantastic and kind dr and i would never see another.

I’ve only had great experiences with Dr. Meltzer. I’ve been in for 3 different foot injuries (I’m a klutz) and he’s accurately diagnosed and corrected my problem every time. I find his personality to be quirky, but endearing, and I don’t doubt that he is very good at what he does. He shows genuine concern for his patients and in doing a good job, which I find rare in health care professionals.
Either I’ve been incredibly lucky, or the wait time at this office is best in class. The last 2 times I went in, I didn’t even get a chance to sit down in the waiting room before my name was called. Of course, I then expected to wait in the exam room, but my average wait time in the exam room has been less than 5 minutes. I’ve been in perhaps 7 times now, and I’m guessing my TOTAL wait time has been less than 20 minutes. Even when I’m early I get seen right away. When I complemented the doctor on his promptness the last time, he was very modest and just said he tries very hard, that sometimes emergencies get him behind, but it was important to him to keep on schedule. Gosh, a doctor who is considerate of other people’s time. I think I’ll keep him.
The reviewer who said podiatrists aren’t «real Doctors» is confused. Podiatrists are DPMs. «Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) are physicians and surgeons who practice on the lower extremities, primarily on feet and ankles. The preparatory education of most podiatrists includes four years of undergraduate work, followed by four years in an accredited podiatric medical school, followed by a three or four year hospital-​based surgical residency. It’s true that in some other countries „Podiatrist“ doesn’t mean „physician“, but in the US it does.» Google it dude.
In short, don’t let a few unhappy people scare you off from this guy. There’s way more good than bad in this office.

Dr. Meltzer is one of a kind, and I would never go to anyone else! I have been his patient since 2008 and he has done all 3 of my surgeries. The first two were bunions on both of my feet! He did a great job, and you can barely see my scars. He takes great pride in his work, and did a fabulous job on my feet. My most recent surgery was on my tendon in my ankle. I am 3 weeks post surgery, and everything is going smoothly. Not only is he an amazing doctor and surgeon, he diagnosed what was wrong with my ankle before we even got the MRI. He told me «I’m pretty sure you have a split tear in your tendon.» and he was 100% right on. That is exactly what was wrong with my ankle.
In regards to him as a person, and how he treats his patients, I have absolutely no problem with him. He is personable, and always makes me laugh. I can be quite the baby when it comes to pain, and not only does he calm me down quickly, he makes me laugh about the situation and I forget he’s even doing anything. He was recommended by another doctor I see at Good Sam, and I am grateful he was! I would recommend him to anyone looking for an amazing, experienced, funny, and personable podiatrist. Thank you Dr. Meltzer for everything you have done for me, and everything you continue to do. You are the BEST!!!
In addition to Dr. Meltzer being a great doctor, the staff is so nice and friendly. Since I’ve been going to him for the last 5 years they know me by name and always ask how I’m doing, what’s new in my life, and are genuinely interested. Big thank you to the staff for their warm welcome and professionalism.

I finally received my refund check today, 73 days after being charged. It still blows my mind that they weren’t able to do this immediately by refunding my credit card.

I definitely did not experience any negativity as written by some. Dr. Meltzer is very polite and professional. I am very glad i went to him! The staff is very polite and helpful as well! I recommend!!!

DO NOT USE THIS DOCTOR!
I was referred to Dr. Meltzer by my primary care doctor. Dr. Meltzer is a very rude, arrogant person but that is not the reason for the 1 star review. Rude and arrogant are okay with me as long as they are not incompetent. Right away he said to me «you’re a nervous person». I didn’t appreciate being psychoanalyzed by an idiot foot doctor who’s not even really a medical doctor (Podiatrists are not MD’s).
He starts asking me about my line of work and how business is during the recession which was none of his business. It seemed to that he was trying to size up my financial status. He bragged that his business was doing good despite the downturn. I found it all very strange that he spent so much time talking about his business during a medical exam. I could care less about his business and just wanted answers.
He finally gives me his diagnosis and says he can either do surgery on both feet OR he can fix the problem with orthotics. mmm, wonder who would choose surgery!
He sells me (and I emphasize SELLS) custom orthotics that cost over $ 650.00. I put these things in my shoes and as I am leaving his office my shoes are falling off my feet because they are so thick I cannot keep my shoes on. He says «oh, your feet will learn to adjust to keep them on». I take his word for it – after all, he is supposed to be the expert.
5 months later I am not improving and there is no way I would go back to Meltzer, so I get a second opinion from a highly rated doctor in Palo Alto. The Palo Alto doctor had the most shocked look on his face when I told him what Meltzer had diagnosed.
He said the orthotics were making my feet worse and promptly gets me diagnosed.
Dr. Meltzer’s only concern is profit and he’s a terrible diagnostician.

Dr. Meltzer diagnosed my daughter’s toe problems and performed her surgery with expertise. The staff was warm, courteous and responsive. A good experience and a good outcome.

Dr Meltzer was TERRIBLE.
My rheumatologist referred me to him to get a nerve conduction test, and he disrespected her and me by refusing to do it. He said that we were looking for problems that didn’t exist and we were «wasting» everyone’s time. I have a team of awesome specialists trying to figure my medical problems out, but this doctor didn’t want to answer a single question. He said I’d be cured if I wore his custom orthotics, but couldn’t explain HOW. This was a reasonable question, given that a) my feet are structurally close to perfect (his and other doctors words) b) other doctors said orthotics could make my feet WORSE c) they cost a bundle. In fact I think any question a patient asks a doctor is reasonable, but he scoffed at my questions, expecting me to blindly trust him because he has «30 years of experience». He further substantiated his claim that orthotics would cure me with the impressive stats (NOT!) that his prescribed treatment for 90% of his patients is orthotics. So, 10% of Meltzer’s time is spent using his medical training? (people who own shoe stores can make orthotics, you do NOT have to be a doctor). If my issues were beyong his scope of training and experience, he might have admitted that. The least he could have done was to follow through with the request of my referring doctor. My rheumatologist subsequently sent me to a different (real!) doctor for my tests, and I’m being treated at Stanford.

Great personality and office staff!
He diagnosed my problem and had an orthotic that eases my foot pain. My hammertoe surgery fused the bones in one toe and left a bone hitting the floor when I walk causing extreme pain. Dr. Meltzer said the bone should have been cut before fusion. The surgery was done in Burbank by another doctor. I didn’t want addtl surgery and the orthotic works.
Dr. Meltzer is very caring, professional and comforting. He is really strongly family oriented and has his waiting rooms done in child’s art.

I’m with Andrew H on the «After some X-​rays and masterfully painful „okay, now does it hurt when I do this?“ foot manipulation (he’s like a foot fetishist, but in reverse), he diagnosed the problem.»
SOOOO true.
Dr. Meltzer was professional and quickly diagnosed my ailment with a great explanation. You know, in layman’s terms.

He absolutely knows what he’s doing and he has the most wonderful personality. He explained the problem with my feet (plantar fasciitis) in straightforward terms and outlined my treatment options (cortisone injections, orthotics) and we decided upon the best course of action. I get the sense that he really cares about the well being of his patients.

My girlfriend and I have a normal mode of experiencing cities, which is walking the hell around them. Our recent trip to Kyoto was no exception, we did a nice 15 mile walkabout on the first day. I was a little sore by the end of the day (sitting on a trans-​oceanic flight is not friendly to your body), but no big deal.
The next day I was still sore, my right foot was in pain. Well, no problem, we’ll kick back a bit and go slower.
The pain didn’t get any better, it got worse, and my left foot started hurting, too. Now both my feet were in agony. Then Holly got sick and we spent the rest of the trip learning all about Japanese words for pain relievers (aspurin!) and cold medicines. Sigh…
Anyway, after we got back I went to see Dr. Meltzer at a co-worker’s recommendation. After some X-​rays and masterfully painful «okay, now does it hurt when I do this?» foot manipulation (he’s like a foot fetishist, but in reverse), he diagnosed the problem.
Apparently my crazy Asian flat duck feet (uh, not the term he used) were developing bunions, which is where the big toe’s bone starts to separate outwards from the other toe bones. The sesamoid bones (two little free-​floating globe-​shaped bones normally underneath your big toes’ bones) were pressing against parts of the foot they weren’t supposed to, causing the pain. There is no real cure (surgery is possible but not recommended unless the problem is acute), but wearing orthotics (custom molded shoe inserts) is the treatment.
To summarize, Dr. Meltzer’s treatment was quick, straightforward, and professional. He has a dry physician’s mannerism but was easy to talk to, and the orthotics have worked pretty well. I’d recommend him if you have any foot problems.

Had some ingrown toe nails taken care of that had resulted from my days of soccer playing. I felt that Dr. Metzler did a very thorough job at the time even though I have had minor issues since then.
Dr. Metzler is a little dry, but is really nice and caring once he gets to know you.