Comprehensive Pain Management Center

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Narvani’s for approximately three years after being referred by my personal physician. I have been impressed by her caring demeanor and that of her staff – physicians, PA’s, and the rest of the staff. They have taken the time to explain things to me and on one occasion, Dr. Narvani held up the procedure at the surgical center until she could reach my personal physician by telephone to confirm my history. Yes, she is extremely busy and it may take a while to get your 1^st visit because she is popular and has many patients, but the wait is worth it. My condition is degenerative and I know Dr. Narvani and I will have a long, satisfying relationship.

Received a phone call from Dr. Navani’s office two weeks after my review. The office manager states she «spoke with Dr. Navani, and she was very upset and would like to talk with me regarding my less than pleasant experience with the office». I declined. Mind you, I had requested to speak with the Doctor while in the office the day of my appt., as well as PRIOR to my appt, (as I didn’t think it was a necessary appt). I also sent two messages via the patient portal, no reply– so… No. I’m good.
Thanks for the apology, but I’m guessing it was more about PR, than it was about ME. ;)

As I Read Mark K’s & Coco’s review I know I’m going to the same Dr. Or P. A actually, you rarely see Dr. Navani. I go to get refills & everything is mmm kinda ok but cold & not personal, THEN the p.a. starts writing the prescription, its like its causing her a great deal of grief & she just turned into a monster. Believe me I can see the big picture. THEN she tries to schedule you for 5 weeks out knowing damn well the prescription wont last! They need to walk in our shoes before making judgement. Some of us REALLY are in pain & is the reason we are seeking what is supposed to be help. The pain meds dont completely take the pain away, just take the edge off. The last epidural was like torture, they went thru the vein with the IV then poked the damn epidural in before any drugs were working, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I’ll be going back in January to face the dragons again as I need the relief. I’m doing everything I possibly can to get away, Diet, exercise daily! I’m not dismissing the fact that I do get help, just trying to give constructive criticism hoping they will read & take just a little to heart. This place needs help!

There has been improvement. After meeting with Dr Narvani and discussing the issues I had, we have resolved them

I have been going to Dr. Navani since 2008. She is a great Doctor and I feel knows exactly the treatment I need. I have been to several pain Doctors since my accident and she is far the best! She is one of the few Doctors that doesn’t just give you a bunch of pain medication to cover up the issue in hand. A lot of Doctors will do that these days and all it does is mask the real problem. I would highly recommend!

I have been seeing Dr Navani for the last 2 years. I think she’s a great spine doctor. Her injection therapy has worked really well for me. She had injected my spine nerve areas and my pain has disappeared. Most amazingly, she has cured my severe back problem. I have discs in the low back pushing on my nerves. I had episodes of pain so severe I had to lay down, I could barely get out of bed, and had to miss work. When I initially met her we sat down and discussed my goals. She explained to me that she did not believe in merely masking the pain with pain medications but rather finding the cause and fixing it. And indeed, she did. Initially I didn’t think injections could solve the problem, but much to my amazement I am pain free now with just 3 of them! Dr. Navani is my hero!

Terrible and SOOOOOO OVERPRICED!!! They wouldn’t take my insurance, so I had to pay out of pocket at the cash price of $ 355 for a 20 minute joke of a consultation.

There are certain qualities that we, as pain patients, look for in our pain doctors. Things like integrity, honesty and compassion for the situation that we have found ourselves in. Unfortunately I didn’t find any of those qualities at this clinic, and when I speak of this clinic, I am referring to Dr. Navanni specifically, as she was my treating doctor.
This is going to be a very frank review because what you did to me Dr. Navanni was illegal but more importantly, it was unethical and I feel compelled to warn other patients, in hopes that they will stay clear of this clinic.
I am a Physical Therapist Assistant that hurt my back at work almost 19 years ago. It is safe to say that, in the course of all those years, that I have met and remet ALL of the doctors in the local pain community. This clinic was by far, the worst. Let me explain…
I was referred to this clinic because they are supposed to be experts in pain management. I asked a couple of times over the course of the 8 months that Dr. Navanni treated me, if we could go over my recent MRI report for a couple of reasons. MRI’s don’t lie and I was hoping if she read my MRI report, (which they apparently lost) she might see that I could be in some kind of physical pain. I do have 14 screws, 2 Harrington rods & cages in my back!
Dr Navanni told me I was too complex, I wasn’t a candidate for any surgeries or injections (remember she couldn’t find my MRI report) She had absolutely no idea what was going on with my back, but she knew I wouldn’t benefit from an injection? Funny thing was, when I did get in with another clinic, that was the first thing they wanted to do!
When I asked her what she meant by complex, she said she prefers «the fresh injuries» Her Words not mine. Maybe this clinic should be called Dr. Navanni’s Fresh Injury clinic! Comprehensive means it includes everyone and this clinic seems very selective on whom they want to treat.
I called two days before my appt and explained to the girl who I was and that I was calling to see if someone could find the MRI report. She put me on hold and when she came back said «you’ve been discharged» and then I heard a click. I thought my phone had dropped the call so I called back. I explained again who I was and that I thought my phone had dropped the call. The girl said «oh, no, that was me. A letter was sent out to you, you’ve been discharged» and another click. She hung up on me twice! It’s a good example of how patients get treated at this clinic, just discarded!
In the letter of discharge that I got,(which I got 2 days after my appt) Dr. Navanni referred me to Valley Med (that’s a heck of a referral) and said she would be available to me for 30 days for refills of meds, etc,. Within days she said I should have found another doctor and wouldn’t refill anything. Another good example of how she treats patients, just kicked to the curb!
She’s an anesthesiologist masquerading as a pain doctor! She was affiliated with another clinic for a short time and then voila… She has her own clinic and pain program? How does a doctor pay for such an expensive clinic? This doctor does it on the backs of her patients! Ask for your records from this clinic and see if you’re not as surprised as I was to see what gets billed out by this clinic. Quite a few things in my records, they never did but they got paid for it! Ask for your records, they’re your records, and it might be very enlightening for you to see exactly what you are paying for.
This clinic is a lawsuit waiting to happen. If it’s not me, it will be another patient because your patients, Dr. Navanni, deserve better. We’re human beings.
Dr. Navanni, you have to stop lieing to your patients. Who taught you to lie to your patients? Did you learn that at Stanford or was it at the medical school in Calcutta? You lied to me several times at our first appointment. I asked you then for my medical records because I could hardly believe what you were saying. My exact words were «I would love to see that because I don’t remember it that way» and your response was you would get them for me from medical records. Did you not want to go over those records with me because it would be proof you were lieing to me?
A doctor that is confident in their skills should not have a problem turning over medical records to a patient that requests them. This doctor said fu to me and kicked me to the curb! Ask for your records…

The Doctors and Physicians Assistant that work at this facility are knowledgable and eager to help patients who are in need. The staff do their absolute best to make each patient feel comfortable and confident that they are being helped. They work together to please the customer.

I have been a patient at the Center for the past four years. Dr. Li and PA Clark Bishop have been my primary caregivers that have maintained my physical wellbeing for this length of time. My health professionals understand my long term needs due to the degenerative nature of my condition. I receive not only the best quality assessment and associated care, but the entire staff at Comp Pain Management place my care, and what I’ve witnessed about all patients, above any of the staff needs. It’s so refreshing to have such caring and thoughtful professionals in my corner. Dr. Li and Mr. Bishop are the best! Thanks for all your support and care!
I also enjoy two major conveniences that Comp Pain Management offers. First, the facility (since relocating) is at a more accessible location, and the traffic flow is less stressful. Second, the office and patient rooms are far more comfortable than before. Lastly, the staff portrays and demonstrates an honest desire to help the patient. I am very fortunate to have the office staff support, but also the best in my pain management doctors — thank you Dr. Li and My favorite PA, Mr. Bishop.

While this office is very busy, it is obvious how hard the doctors and staff are working to accommodate and please. They always work with me to get the best care possible and are attentive and understanding. If you want great care and a compassionate staff, this is the place to go.

I must say this office is one of the most cleanest doctors offices I have seen in quite a long time. The environment is very busy and hectic from my point of view, but it is handled well. I came here to schedule a new patient appointment (line was outside the door) but patients were being helped by three different receptionists. I did not mind the wait period because if they are busy they must know what they are doing! I have not had my consultation yet as it is scheduled accordingly to my availability. But overall, I was greeted and treated like a patient should be. Looking forward to my appointment with Dr. Gang Li. I have heard great things about this office and hopefully they can continue to please me with my high expectations.

I have been working with pain clinic for quite some time now. I can definitely say that CPainMC is not only an understanding clinic that respects patient privacy but also a place I can feel safe. After visiting multiple offices that did not meet my expectations for relieving my pain. I can say with confidence that the providers here definitely know what they’re doing. I am incredibly grateful for Dr. Li. Thank you all!

Update: we went in to see Dr. Massih for a refill on my wife’s pain medication since by the time they had actually scheduled her the medicine had run low. Nearly two months after the first injection, Dr Massih was still unable to tell us whether my wife’s injection had contained steroids or just a local anesthetic. Apparently the information was not in my wife’s chart, and they were unable to locate the op report. So, that’s comforting.
Dr. Massih then proceeded to tell us that it does not matter which was in the injection and we should cancel the second injection. The information she used to make this determination is the exact same information that we provided at the follow up weeks before — that the pain had never subsided after the treatment even for a few hours, and that it was in fact much worse than before. She engaged in some inelegant CYA maneuvers and claimed we had not told her this at the follow up several weeks before, then when we asked her why she had prescribed narcotic pain medicine at that appointment if we had not told her that the pain was worse (my wife had never been proscribed this medicine for regular use before then) she said that we were «bombarding» her with too many questions and ended the appointment, referring us back to the spine surgeon.
We are beyond horrified at the idea that my wife would have needlessly been subjected to what would have doubtless been a second extremely painful injection due to Dr. Massih’s negligence. I guess we (and the clinic) were saved by their scheduling staff’s incompetence because if they had scheduled the procedure like they were supposed to after the first follow up appointment, my wife would have had the injection before her pain medication ran out and we never would have had that second appointment.
This clinic is a massive malpractice lawsuit waiting to happen. The negligence and indifference with which they handled my wife’s care is breathtaking.

Wow. Proceed with caution. This place is a circus.
I walk in and there is a couple ahead of me trying to check in. There are two people at the front desk ignoring them. The man brings the woman to sit down. She is clearly in a lot of pain and having serious involuntary movements. Finally guy at desk looks at the man who explains they were at the ER yesterday and told to come here. ER said patient is having response to a medication this office prescribed.
Man at desk says they are seeing a different doctor than their own because of the last minute appointment. Very calmly and politely the other man asks if they can see the patient’s doctor because the situation is so extreme. Man at desk says no.
A doctor and a PA walk out and speak to the couple in the waiting room so everyone hears their private conversation (HIPAA violation). Doctor asks what’s going on and then tells PA loud enough that I can hear across the room to look up patients meds, and if she isn’t on something that causes seizures to send her back to the ER. Doctor says this as he walks away (and doesn’t return).
The patient is now in tears and patient says she can’t be seizing because she is talking.
I offer at the front desk to let them take my appointment. It is hard to get anyone’s attention as both people at the front desk are on the phone, papers are coming off the printer on to the floor. There is a line of people behind me waiting to check in and out.
Finally someone says that Navani will see the other patient and me.
I am eventually taken back to a room and given an exam by a physicians assistant. I warn her that these exams pull my SI out and leave me in a lot of pain but she goes through it all and says she will come up with a plan with the doctor and come in. She and Navani come in and then Navani gives me another exam. She doesn’t explain her findings and suggests starting to give me injections. No testing first which nerves are causing the problem. Her nerve blocks aren’t CT guided.
When I made the appointment they said to see Navani because I am curious about prolotherapy but Navani says a different doctor does this. I am shocked by how little attention she pays to my case and seems to be more interested in doing procedures than figuring out what will help me and what will hurt.
She also contacted my GP immediately after the appointment and accused me of doing something wrong with medication, which if she would have brought up with me I could have explained. Really insulting.
When I leave I see a long line at check out. The place is still a circus. Staff are rude to patients waiting and on the phone.
And to top it all off, I am left in more pain from the exam.

For the lawyers who stalk consumers; «The truth is always a defense.». So don’t bother trying to come after me. Documented and witnessed.
Had special neurological condition. Doctor claimed to be an expert. But, coincidentally upon my initial examinations never diagnosed it. Because of screw ups from previous physicians, over the previous years, misdiagnosing my condition or just not caring, I was prescribed what turned out to be a highly addictive extremely dangerous drug, benzodiazepine family. Pain center doctor off hand asks why I’m taking this med. «I don’t know.». Doctor’s response was a casual «well stop taking it». So I did.
It almost killed me because it triggered unmanageable pain & withdrawal symptoms far more grievous than opiates. I called to ask what was wrong, what to do about it, and if this was withdrawal, how long would I go through the process. I was dismissed with «Go see a psychiatrist.» & «Go to ER.».
Months later got into Stanford Pain Clinic and was diagnosed positively with my actual condition. Sent back to Comprehensive Pain Center for treatment (Part of CPMC’s contract w/​Stanford). Now this same insensitive doctor was suddenly an expert in the condition (Her exact words were; «I read the chapter on your condition.»). But coincidentally refused to accept any responsibility for treating the condition (Also explicitly part of CPMC’s contract w/​Stanford.). The Comp Pain Center promptly sent me back to Stanford and dumped me on them.
Is that the kind of concern or care you want when you’re in horrible pain and desperate for a caring staff? Or in this specific, documented case, in a crisis induced by a thoughtless remark, and having no where to turn and no meds strong enough to suppress the pain?
Since then, I’ve discovered that not only is my condition common, thoroughly researched, but is relatively unresponsive to opiates (Only med prescribed, in excess quantities, by CPMC). Apparently the expert above, has never read the research, never heard of Na+ Channel Blockers, nor is aware that there are 9 specific Na+ channel sites. I’m a patient. How do I know more than the expert? Oh yea, I read the research and papers that are published.
Lastly, over the last 8 years, I have encountered every pain management doctor and clinic in the S. Bay. Stanford is mediocre at best. CPMC is too scary to contemplate. All else are worse or cherry pick their patients.
Coincidentally, I polled those in the waiting room, before the few appts I had there. Most everyone was on a monthly regimen of opiates. They were required to show up for an appt each month, to get a refill on their prescriptions. Now what kind of common tabloid business model does that sound like?

My experience with the Comprehensive Pain Clinic has been very frustrating. I need a shoulder replacement and hip surgery. My arthritis doc wanted to have me go to see Dr. Navani for my pain meds. I have been taking them for over a long period of time but with the State controlling Rx she did not want to deal with me. Yes, the P.A. I saw did treat me with disrespect and blinked her bambi eyes and said I could go from 4 pills to one… and just tough it out. She ended up turning me into the State as my orthopedic doctor said I was in severe pain and that she was crazy. I never received any treatment to eliminate my pain. Only good experience I had was with the nutrient guy, he was great. I did the Detox diet and was very successful at finding trigger foods.
Funny that Cheslie answers the Unilocal comments but the 100 times I called her she NEVER CALLED ME BACK!!!
STAY AWAY FROM THIS OFFICE. there has to be better places out there. I hope so…

I should have read the reviews prior to thinking this place would… or could help me!
First there was my back, compressed disk. Dismissed quickly as too far gone to treat.
Then, I have a common torn ligament abductor. Diagnosed in 12 seconds by a well known orthopedic surgeon. This place, three visits and wasted MRI later… we can’t help you, see nothing and «will send you back to your doctor»…Sweet! Nice comment and actually both rude and inane. More later… The MRI may not have found anything by this place but I could get three MD’s to disagree with them. More like Comprehensive inability to help people according to many of the reviews below. Sorry folks, I and an orthopedic surgeon do not agree!~

People fear the dreaded pain clinic but I have found nothing but helpful doctors and a great staff there. I’ve had pain for many years then I was diagnosed with perpetual neuropathy all over my body. My Dr looked at my test results and told me she didn’t have the tools to help me and referred me to Dr, Gang Li and with the help of Clark Bishop we are working to make my pain bearable. They have the tools to help. The staff is warm and friendly. They always remind me of my appointment too. I’ve had nothing but a great experience there

I should have known from the start that this would be a problem place. I had to call at least 10 times in order to reach a person, and the only reason I reached the person on the 10^th call was because I called from my cell phone drove to the office and told them I was in the reception when they finally picked up.
I was seen more or less immediately and the doctor prescribed the serious procedure called epidural steroid injection. I underwent two surgeries under Dr. Navani, yet she never made time to actually meet with me. Follow-​up was done by a physician’s assistant.
It is so clear there are to maximize profit at this office. There are understaffed. You don’t get to meet with the doctors. They don’t care about their patients. Run don’t walk away from this practice unless the pain is too bad.