UPMC Pain Medicine at UPMC St. Margaret

"I was referred to see a pain psychologist after being honest during a neuropsych screening for a spinal cord stimulator. Spinal cord injury patient who not only has damaged nerves, but nerves constricted and twisted in the scar tissue that formed after my decompression surgery. Instead of instructing me on how the "pain psychology" process works, I was thrown literature and resources to do it on my own time. This neuropathic pain in limbs/appendages I cannot feel or use anymore on a daily basis and fentanyl patches aren't helping, I cannot process reading a book, or looking through resources. There are days I can't even grab the remote! Also, there is very little support for any patients that report suicidal ideations from chronic, debilitating pain that lasts for days on end with nothing to take for breakthrough. Of course one's mind would start thinking you have no quality of life with this pain and there is NOTHING to help you, except on extreme option. Very disappointed, Pittsburgh is where you go to see the best in the state, I didn't get that impression here."

"The worst place I have ever been to the nurse takes me to a room she goes over my meds I take, blood pressure,temperature very nice lady. A doctor walks in and does the same thing that the nurses did 5 minutes before then a doctor walks in and says we need to do a procedure they are gone for 25 minutes. Doctor comes back in, the man never looked at my medical records at all he said to me you need a MRI I just had one done at the end of the month he said o ok . This place is a joke don’t go there unless you have 3 hours to waste"

"Negative stars should be an option?!! So difficult to receive actual help. I don't even have words to describe my frustrations, but at least I get to add a headache to my physical pain. YAY me.... They don't respond to voicemails and then pass the blame of why you have not received a response (72 hrs....try 2weeks). When I explained the medication was making me sick the nurse told me to keep taking it. You have to chase them for help and end up not receiving any. Then you get to feel like a pos because you are in pain. I just want to not have shooting pains in my back and legs...you have the x-rays and MRI stop treating everyone like a junkie. Some people are actually in pain and need help. And sorry doc...I am pretty sure that a pain therapist isn't going to fix my non-existent cushion between my vertebrae ...I have delt with increasing pain for many years....I don't need to dish out money for someone to help me mentally deal....I need actual help with my actual pain..."

"If you have to see a PA, watch out. "Not a doctor" with a power trip will do his best to shame you in front of other people, and if you dare to file a complaint you'll be banned from all pain management offices affiliated with UPMC. My wife fell down the stairs, needs an injection for her back, but they wont see her because a thin-skinned PA got his feelings hurt. When a patient says: I'm in pain 24 hours a day, and I don't want pills, what else can we do? You would think they would want to figure it out, but no, not really. Do yourself a favor and go see one of the non-UPMC affiliated pain management centers in the city. They will actually listen to you and fix your problem."

"The doctor there, she kept lowering the amount of medicine she would prescribe and when my pain worsened, she was nowhere to be found. She wouldn’t come into the room to discuss the issue. Only her lackeys would see me which isn’t productive because they can’t make decisions. I think I saw the main female doctor twice in almost 2 years. Very ineffectual way to deal with patients. Avoid her at all costs. I have a few choice names for her but I’ll not go there."