Preferred Spine and Pain

I’m don’t usually write reviews, but this being a doctors office and I feel my experience needs to be said. At the first visit, there was a dog in a crate in the hall where Kaplan stood and his staff did not acknowledge me when I came in. After a 30 minute wait, he took me back and looked at my back. He said I needed to have an MRI, see a Rheumatologist (he «thinks» I have a autoimmune disorder) and then wrote me a prescription for pain medication. I came into his office for a solution, not to continue on pain meds! As I read his reviews, I see that he recommends the same things for all his patients. My boss also went to see him and said after his visit, he felt very uncomfortable and would not be continuing any treatment with him. Kaplan also recommended him to have an MRI and to see a rheumatologist as well. I feel this office is a little shady and that Kaplan is a little shady. Be careful if you choose to see him and make sure you get a second opinion!

Let’s start from the very beginning, shall we? When you first get into the waiting room of Dr. Kaplan’s «office» aka Reavis Rehab & Wellness Clinic — because he rents a tiny space in there with a small sign that says «Preferred Spine and Pain» — you wait in line for 10 – 15 minutes just as you would for the Rehab side of things. Once you finally get into the waiting room it’s full of screaming children and other people. Did I mention that it’s hot as ever? This is Texas. Turn on the A/​C! This poor elderly woman beside me is gasping because the air is so thick.
Once you wait an hour to two hours, you’re finally pulled back. Yes this is a nearly two hour affair — unless you ask when you are next. Then each time you are magically next. My first appointment with Dr. Kaplan was abrupt and he obviously didn’t read any of my medical history that was referred over by my rheumatologist to begin with (I have fibromyalgia/​chronic pain). He then looked at my weight and assumed I was lying when I said I had lost 55lbs. He changed me to a medication I blatantly told him made me sick and lethargic. He assumed that it was the quick release capsule that was making me sick and put me on extended release. I tried to argue with him, but instead trusted that maybe he knew what he was doing. That was when he put me on physical therapy. I advised that I go to the gym three times a week, sometimes four and one of those days is always with a trainer who has a master trainer’s license. I lift 200lbs with my legs and 50lbs with my arms. He still say I needed physical therapy.
So I trusted him and went to the physical therapy where Anna — who is sweet as can be — guided me through STRETCHES and advised I also do AQUATIC STRETCHES. Are you kidding me? No. I’m not paying $ 60 a week for stretches that I do at the gym four times a week and pay a trainer for. That’s ridiculous. Not only that, but he had ordered an MRI for me. I have had several MRIs due to going through cancer. So I know the drill and figured he just wanted updated scans. I paid nearly $ 300 (actually my mother did because I am so broke that I couldn’t afford it) and he didn’t even remember to send in that I needed sedation due to the fact that I am extremely claustrophobic.
My second appointment comes (this is Thursday 5÷07÷15) and again it’s the waiting room game. There was a new nurse this time and she treated me as though I were a new patient instead of coming in for a SCHEDULED FOLLOW UP. «What brings you in today?» Uh, I was told to come in. «Have you had any imaging done recently such as an MRI or a body scan?» Um… yes…that’s what I’m here to follow up on. «What medications are you taking?» Can you please bring the doctor in and also let him know I don’t think physical therapy will work for me? So finally she leaves and we wait another 20 minutes (after an hour in the waiting room) for him to come in. He only came in, by the way, when I opened the door to make it more obvious we were waiting and I had to be at another appointment at 5:30pm. My appointment here was 3:30pm. Plenty of time right? Wrong. When he came in he said «I’m not going to argue with you on physical therapy but you do have arthritis in your lower back like I knew you would have. So you’re going to need some injections in the back that are severely painful.» He said this all while not showing me the MRI and not explaining why all of a sudden — after several full body scans — one that was even a couple months ago — I have arthritis. This is not an affliction that just magically appears. It develops over years.
I agreed to the injections as to not argue with him anymore and vowed never to come back.
PS. I got the MRI scans sent to my chiropractor and he says there’s nothing there. What a vindictive jerk of a doctor.

Dr. Kaplan and his staff are amazing. I was offered an appointment the next day (it didn’t work plans I had) but was scheduled for the next week. The girls were helpful and knowledgeable. I didn’t have to wait very long and then Dr. Kaplan spent 20 minutes letting me talk and express my concerns while he listened and responded with ANSWERS! We came up with a plan that I was comfortable with and I have been finding relief ever since. I recommend his practice to anyone!