. "69"^^ . "2009-06-18T00:00:00"^^ . . "I'll start with the positive, after suffering lifelong back pain, it finally grew to the point of it becoming difficult to just survive.\nI lost 220 pounds, which should have helped, but didn't, I started working out, which made me feel better, but my back was still in agony.\nAfter wasting a year in the Mayo clinic pain program, my doctor recommended I go to DPI, which i did.\nThe pain specialist immediately told me to stop everything I had been doing (mostly walking 2 hours a day and gym 3 times a week) Because the nerves in my back needed to be given a chance to heal and relax far more than I needed core strength right now. That combined with spinal injections would be the treatment plan. \nAfter a few weeks of basic immobility, He ordered water based workouts twice a week.\nI'll admit, it was great, and frustrating, it's so counterintuative not to work out! Or to be a chair bound slug! But it was slowly starting to get better while in the pool, and I was hping that soon I would be able to do some weight bearing exercises.\nEveryone who works there is nice, the facilities are new and spacious, etc etc,\nSo why the 2 stars?\nBecause under the smiles, they dont care.\nHeres how it went wrong, I had a family emergency, and in my haste, I called and canceled my appoint, but thought I had canceled 3 for the week\nOK, even though I believe it's shared, but fine say its all me. \nThe next Friday I got a phone call from them saying that since I had missed 2 appointment's they would no longer schedule physical therapy for me. \nAnd I had to pay the no show charges (which I understand) but what I didnt understand was the fact that in all the forms or web pages, or anyplace, do they state that if you miss 2 appointments they fire you. They say they charge you, which i understand, it's rude to make anyone wait like that. \nBut what got me, was I'm in the middle of therapy, under doctors orders to do NOTHING weight bearing, so everything I know how to do on my own is out the window. And I have to be careful what I d in the pool because even then I could screw up a nerve (joy oh joy) and when they cut me loose, I asked them if this was a permenant ban or just a temp thing. Nobody knows.\nI called and asked for a referal to another physical therapist, and received no response. \nThey did call me to let me know that I could continue to pay them and use their pool on my own, I just wasn't allowed to work with a therapist. and they also recommended that I could continue to see the Phycologist who specializes in long term pain management (nice guy, literally didnt help at all, to give you an idea, think of a stereotypical \"by the numbers\" shrink, no matter what you say, he has his check list he's going down, I'm open to overcoming pain through willpower (to a point) and this program... is not it, not for me anyway.\n\nI spoke to the pain specialist DR that I see and told him my problems, he said that he knew about it, and that I needed to keep moving, I asked if it would be OK if I started walking, he was emphatic in his no, so our current compromise is that I can ride a recumbent bike 5 times a day, for 5 minutes a pop, which is... unacceptable to me, but OK, I'll do it) \nI asked the Doc (Doctor Boyd, who even with this shafting, I trust as a mechanic, and would recommend, although with the caveat that he's a cog in a machine, and he does not deviate from that specific buisiness.)\nOf all the pool based physical therapists practicing in the area, he acts as if non exist, and couldn't recommend one at all. \n\nFor that, I gotta say, I'm looking for another pain specialist as well. \nWhen I describe that my back should be getting better, but it's motion that's holding me back, he agrees and when I ask him how can I start to move again, he is adamant against my walking, everything has to be waterbased, I told him I've searched all over the vally for a facility that can work for me, as it turns out, most of these places basically 3 big hot tubs and some paddles... no thanks. They really pushing the hot tub aspect... well guess what, I love a hot tub with some friends etc, and yes, it's to relax after a workout, but I could care less, I'm looking to work out and get healthy, and I do my best to have a good time while I do it.\n\nIf things go smooth for you, this place is the best, but if it's a mistake on th\nor the community pool, but theres no trainers there.\nI'm doing everything I can to avoid back surgery, and they just dumped me. \nI hate to write this when frustrated, but since it's been over a month, and I'm still frustrated the only relpy I got from DPI w, I figure I might as well share my experiences.\nIf you can guarantee you will never miss an appointment, and if you must, make sure you talk to a human and make them say it back to you. \nI understand a abuser, but 2 days in 8 months, in the same week, complrtely isolated I had been a motivated patient, making headway, Now, they are zero help. Any yelpers have any clues?"^^ . "0"^^ . "1"^^ . . "2"^^ .