Pain and Spine Center of the Desert

Carolyn Reed

It is challenging to get the pain medicine I need to abate my chronic pain issues. It's a struggle to get the qty of pills I know I need to last me a month. They always want to reduce, like I'm an addict or something. I just know what I need and I have to fight each month to get what I need. And I most often never do. It's very frustrating being told how much pain you should be in and to live with it. But, at least they are there for the minimal help.

Constance Stevens

I have been going to Dr. Bouffard for 2 years now. It did take me a while to establish rapport with him, but as I got to know him better, I have learned to trust and appreciate his expertise and style. I have many "pain" syndromes and medical problems and since I started with his office, I also developed bone on bone knee arthritis and had to have knee replacement surgery. Dr. Bouffard listens to me and has always come up with reasonable solutions. I have had injections, which were delivered professionally and with little discomfort. I have had emergencies, where he is the only one of doctors who had my back. He has communicated with my other doctors when needed and advocated for me. He treats me with respect, which is very important to me. We have been able to reduce my medications and I am better now than I have been in 30 years. With all my problems, I came to him feeling hopeless at 65. Now, I feel better, I am more active and definitely have a better quality of life at 68, even though my body is physically getting more challenging to cope with. I like his office staff. They are professional, sincere, compassionate and friendly. This office is more relaxed and casual than most and I like that. It is not stuffy and arrogant. I did not give this practice 5 stars, because I have had a number of communications snafus, that have been very frustrating to me. But not more so than any other doctors' offices and each time, things did get resolved. My recommendation, which is true with all business dealings is to get the name of the person you are talking to, because it is always the first thing people ask: "who said that"? I always forget and it feels like things would go more smoothly if I could tell them. I have been to other pain management doctors and Dr. Bouffard is the best. I feel in good hands for the first time in many years.

Phyll

I love this office because they have fairly comfortable chairs and dr Bouffard is extremely timely 19/20 times. If he is late, it's a total anomaly. I love that because sitting in one position makes me uncomfortable no matter the chair, and other doctors have made me wait at least an hour. The staff is very courteous and they don't insist on yanking on your joints or anything during regular visits, which is lovely and makes me not dread the visits. Dr Bouffard is extremely knowledgeable about treatments and specialists, and will give you a referral for some really awesome physio and seems to know every type of specialist, from acupuncturists to biofeedback techs. he sent me to aquatherapy for a hip issue. However, he never tried to "sell" anything. He is also the best injector for knee injections that I have tried so far. Edit/Update: 10/10 stars; I just spent a month begging My nurse practitioner for an ultra sound and even when I begged, she refused to give me one (I have a slipped rib but the cartilage can’t be detected on xrays or CT scans. I told her this and mentioned the negative X-ray but she went ahead and ordered a useless CT instead, after admitting that she didn’t even know what a costochondroidal injection was!) and as soon as dr Bouffard saw my rib, he immediately said “I’m ordering you an ultrasound!” Without me having to even ask! I’m not very touchy-feely myself, and perhaps that’s what I like about Bouffard’s style; he will never hold your hand or condescend to you as if you are a child. Even more importantly, he will NEVER disrespect you by focusing on your torn hip when you tell him that you are there to get a solution for your painful rib.

Sarah D.

These 5 star reviews have to be written by staff and friends. This facility is very lackadaisical and inefficiently run. I received an angry letter saying they would charge me a $25 fee for not keeping an appointment which I attempted to cancel not once, but 3x including telling a staff member that I was cancelling on the phone. She obliviously didn't make note of this. Readers of this review, do yourself a favor and go to a much better methodically run doctor's office. Good Luck!