"2014-12-16T00:00:00"^^ . "1"^^ . "1"^^ . . "0"^^ . . . "In a word...incompetent. Or as the doctor I saw a few days later said \"they don't know anything.\"\n\nHere's my story:\n\nOn December 7, 2014 in the afternoon, I visited the Southwest Medical Associates South Rancho Urgent Care location complaining of back, hip, thigh, knee and calf pain and stated that I thought I might have a pinched nerve from moving furniture up stairs.\nI was seen by an APN who performed a basic examination of my back with no other diagnostic tests (no X-ray, no walking or movement tests). The APN diagnosed me with a strained muscle and prescribed Diclofenac 75mg (NSAID) and TiZANidine 2mg (muscle relaxant). \nWith no relief, I saw Dr. John Thalgott, an Orthopedic Surgeon, on Thursday, December 11, 2015 at the Center For Disease & Surgery of the Spine. He performed a thorough examination and X-rays and diagnosed me with a herniated disk at L4. I told Dr. Thalgott about the examination, diagnosis and prescription offered by your APN, and was told by Dr. Thalgott that the exam was basically a joke and to stop taking the medication. Dr. Thalgott prescribed steroids to ease the inflammation as well as a pain medication. I started to feel relief within three days.\nDue to the APN's inability to properly diagnose my condition, I remained in significant pain for four days until I was properly diagnosed. His negligent failure to exercise the degree of care and skill that should have been used under similar circumstances, especially since I had complained to both him and the intake person about a potential pinched nerve, was nothing less than medical malpractice.\nMy co-pay for this shame of an examination and treatment was $65, and I will demand that this amount be immediately refunded to me, either as a credit to the card I used or by check. I will sign a legal release form, if required. \nI basically paid for nothing. I don't deserve that as a patient and they didn't deserve my payment."^^ . "0"^^ .