Coastal Pain & Spinal Diagnostics

My girlfriend was in a car accident and has been receiving treatments from Dr. Patel. To his credit, she said it’s the only time she’s ever received spinal injections that didn’t hurt and she didn’t have a reaction from. He is a very good doctor.
Durning the last visit (I wasn’t with her), Dr. Patel pushed the idea of setting up my girlfriend with his «friend.» He even went as far as to call his friend from his office while she was there in an attempt to spark an interest between the two. My girlfriend is model-​like beautiful so she gets approached all the time, but to have this occur in the privacy of a doctor’s office is not cool. She was upset afterwards and told me about the encounter. She said it really blindsided her, so she just played it off to placate the doctor. My concern is he also told his friend she’s a patient of his, clearly a hipaa violation. The real scary part is that he goes hands-​on with her as part of his treatments and obviously finds her attractive enough to call his buddy for a hook-​up.
I contacted the California State Medical Board and they sounded like this kind of behavior is condoned.
Anyway, Dr. Patel is a very good pain management doctor but I wouldn’t recommend leaving your wife or girlfriend unattended. Pain management turned dating service is not what I believe to be professional practice.

I am reading all these reviews and can’t believe it. I have been going to Coastal Pain for about 6 months now. I broke my back #3and4 worst pain I’ve ever had. i had meeting with Dr. Michael Sabahar and he is my HERO. i had 3 cortisone injections, lost 30 pounds, and have a life back. He is a very seasoned Dr. He has a wonderful bedside manner and knows his stuff. I highly recommend Coastal Pain the Drs. And staff are wonderful.

Awful awful customer service and bedside manner for Dr Patel. It was nearly impossible to get in contact with someone in order to actually get an appt. Finally got an appt after playing phone tag for a month. Made an appt for 7am so I could be the first one in… waited 2 hours to be seen! Then waited another 30 mins in the room for Dr Patel to come in. He comes in finally-​and has not even read my chart and has no idea why I’m there (my Dr’s office had sent over my referral a month ago so you’d think some basic info would be in the system somewhere). I had made the appt for an injection and even after waiting 2.5 hour, he treated this appt as an «informational appt» so he didn’t even do the injection. I am a pretty patient and laid back person, but this was absolutely the worst service I have ever experienced. And Dr Patel has a horrible bedside manner. Save your time and go elsewhere!!!

I’ve been going here for just about a year now and seeing Dr. Patel due to a spinal cord injury from 2002. We’ve done some trial and error on the medications and have’t yet found the best combinations, but we usually adjust them every month to try an improve them. He seems to be up on the latest technology as well, which I like.

As others have stated, I have heard that Dr Patel is very good at pain management, and I was referred by my rheumatologist, so I was anticipating a good experience. Getting my first appointment wasn’t difficult. However, I waited 1 ¼ hrs in the waiting room, and no apologies from anyone for the wait. OK, maybe he had an emergency. Waited another 15 minutes in the exam room with a medical assistant who barely spoke to me. OK. All over the walls in the exam room are certificates of «Most Compassionate Doctor» awards and such. Great! Dr. Patel finally arrives. He looks very tired, has what seems to be a broken toe, maybe he was taking something for the pain, I don’t know. He yawned at least 6 times. I felt rushed, not listened to.
He prescribed 2 meds, one anti-​flammatory for my swollen hands — this one was not approved by my prescription plan, but the pharmacy sent a pre-​authorization request to the Dr twice — NO results. I’ve left 3 messages myself. No call back. Their voicemail says they «no longer deal with pre-​authorizations for meds» and to tell the pharmacy to fax to «Approve My Meds» and gave two numbers. BOTH are «no longer in service»! So… now what do I do? I cannot even talk to a human in the office! This should be so simple. Being in constant pain doesn’t help one to deal with all of this. Ugh!

Dr Yogesh Patel is a very concerned and caring doctor. He asks and answers all my concerns and questions and is very compassionate and understanding. I am glad I connected with him for my pain management. Most recent visit he administered several injections in my lower back and I hate needles but these injections were done before I had a chance to experience additional pain. If you are looking for a caring doctor give him a try, but make sure you have at least 2 visits to give him the proper evaluation.

Dr. Yogesh Patel is the most inderstanding and caring doctor I have ever met.

I haven’t progressed past the stage of connecting with the gatekeeper for acceptance. I wish I lived closer to Carlsbad, as I would hire a taxi from Mira Mesa order to get past the new patient coordinator, to the next step … scheduling.
It is my understanding that Dr. Patel is very skilled in the area of pain management. It would be great to experience that first hand, versus only take the word of my oncologist.
I’ll update both comment and score as I get past this hurdle.

I started here and left. I was in the worse pain of my life. I needed a cortisone shot for the bulging disc in my back. I called and called for three days. I never got a person on the phone. Finally after three days I got an appointment for the shot. The person I woke to was not very friendly at all. I went to my appointment and no shot was given. It was just a consultation. No one ever told me that, which was a major let down. I’m sorry, but when you beg them for an appointment due to the pain wouldn’t you think they would tell you it is just a consultation?
After my bad experience I changed doctors and got a shot within a short amount of time at a different pain center.

The doctor’s are great but the staff can be better managed and more empathetic. Speaking to a live person takes patience and persistence. However, both Dr. Miller & Patel are the best physicians in this group. The problem with being a good doctor, is it makes them less available. If you prefer to deal with just the MD and not their PA’s. I would recommend scheduling your appointments far in advance (eg: 3 months on average).
Calling to schedule an urgent appointment is mostly met with headaches than success. A urgent care plan is highly recommended if your symptoms can’t be well managed. The waiting room is usually crowded with patients & family. So this practice is very busy. Showing up without an appointment is not recommended since you’ll leave more frustrated than you came in.

Well 5 years later? Nothing
I just go and get my drugs every month!
The only answer for me.
I’ve been offered a pain pump, but after the last surgery I don’t think so.
Stephanie is very compassionate, I feel she feels my pain. What to do about it is another story? Anybody have a magic bullet?
Please let me know

I had to ask 3 times for accommodations for my migraines, while there were plenty of nurses who could have helped me (I actually saw at least 5 nurses chatting away as i walked to his office a few minutes later — two of them were available to carry the chair into the hallway for me). By ADA law they MUST make reasonable accommodations for people with medical conditions.
Migraine sufferers beware: the waiting room smelled like a perfume counter, the TV was on full volume, cell phones were going off, and the radio was on.
When I was finally accommodated, I asked the manager why they don’t have a ‘no perfume’ policy she was rude and basically told me I was the one with the problem and asked if we should step into another room to discuss it! Not only was I finally given a chair in the hallway (AFTER ASKING 3 TIMES — WHILE THERE WERE PLENTY OF NURSES CHATTING AWAY AND DOING NOTHING AND WHO WERE AVAILABLE TO HELP), the manager (who wore more perfume than anyone), came out into the hallway and said Dr Patel would like to speak to me.
Dr Patel did not apologize for breaking the ADA law. Instead, he lectured me on not being the type of patient he felt like he could work with. He said he would look over my records and THEN decide if I was fit for his practice because he said, «We are getting off to a bad start.»
I was provided with no care and no concern from him or anyone on his staff. When my husband went to the office to complain the manager was «unavailable» and he was asked to wait. Instead he told the staff I was treated poorly and that they were in violation of ADA requirements… and still — no concern, no apology.

I love both Dr. Miller and his PA, Tiffany. Both are compassionate and caring, understand that while you cannot physically see my pain it is real and ever present. They also try very hard to work around my insane work/​travel schedule given the limitations and rules of the practice. Dr. Miller is VERY busy and can be a little scattered, but I truly believe he is the best in the business and provided you remain your own advocate, he will help you to chart the right course.
With regards to the Administrative end of the practice, I hope that everyone can take into consideration what these folks deal with on a regular basis. I have seen some of the patients, and can only imagine the constant barrage of calls they deal with from people «needing» meds. The rules aren’t that tough to follow, but it seems to be tough for some, which makes working in the Administrative end of the practice a bit daunting, I’m certain.
I am polite and friendly with the staff, and they are with me as well. There is always someone, especially over the phone, who is skeptical of your intentions or seemingly frustrated with your needs, but overall I give these folks high marks in all that they do. Especially if you’re honest and patient with them, they will work with you. Pain management can be a precarious operation with an ever mounting set of opponents who believe that everyone is just a drug addict. Coastal Pain does so much to protect all of their patients from this stigma and treat each of us with dignity and understanding.
This is why I would recommend them to anyone who needs support or assistance in dealing with a life of pain.

Dr. Michael Sebahar is a fabulous physician who has dedicated his life to improving the lives of others. He has made it possible for me to live an active and fulfilling life again after years of debilitating pain and depression. I have had multiple fractures in my spine resulting in a fusion and many other injuries to my back. Every doctor I saw in the past told me I would just have to live with the pain. Dr. Sebahar has taken me from almost non-​functional to an active life full of exercise and joy. His PA, Stephanie, is the most competent health professional I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I highly recommend Dr. Sebahar and Stephanie Kowalski as a perfect team to controlling chronic pain.

Like some of the other reviews, some parts of this office are outstanding and others are just horrid. I go to the office because I think Dr Miller is the best. He’s my third pain management doctor and by far the best. His assistant Raegen is top notch — efficient and incredibly kind.
It does take a tremendous amount of energy to get either an appointment or procedure, and the patience of Ghandi. Bur today took the cake — a real first in my 50 plus years… the administrative staff overcharged me for a procedure by over $ 1100. Raegen was my guardian angel and did enough digging to find this out.
I go because I need to go. But be prepared to deal with the administrative staff.

Saw Dr. Michael Sebahar for my 3 herniated disks. Spent a lot of time with me on the first visit, rare for todays doctors. Very knowledgeable and very easy to talk to. Told me I didn’t need to spend money on another MRI since I had one from 2007 that showed my disks herniated. Got facet injection joints shots from him and my back has never felt better. He is really, really, good and will be my back guy from here on out. Highly recommended.

I have had bad experiences, eaten bad food, and received bad service in the past… But I have never been compelled to write a Unilocal review. The ineptness of Coastal Pain has, for the first time, driven me to create an account and write a review.
From reading previous reviews, I believe the doctors here are great. I bet they could really help me with my pain. Unfortunately their staff lacks the competence to work in such a prestigious field. Lucky for them, pain management doctors are far and few. This lack of competition allows them to keep their doctors in business while operating well below par.
My plight: I was referred here by my doctor. He told me they would call… no call. So, I called. Voicemail. No call back. This was the first of many unanswered voicemails.
After leaving a voicemail with an upset tone, Hillary finally calls. She tells me she took over this position one week ago and was tasked with fixing these problems. She tells she will call when she receives my referral… one week, no call. I verify my doctor sent; he says he did and sends it again… another week, no call. Two or three voicemails over the next week before finally getting a call. She repeats that she just started this position to fix these problems… An apology would be appropriate here, but none was offered… actually one was never uttered through my entire ordeal. The closest I ever received was «I understand your frustrated» (their phony empathy was actually insulting).
Weeks and weeks of this to finally get my appointment.
Day of: It’s a work day for me… rough day on the job… running late. I call 15 minutes before my appointment to advise them I’m running late. I even asked, «is that ok?“The nice lady says, «that’s okay, we will see you when you get here.» I walked through the door at 3:35 for my 3:20 appointment. The receptionist tells me I cannot be seen because I’m more than 10 minutes late. «But, but, I called… it took me weeks of unanswered voicemails and… I drive 35 minutes…»
She responds «But you’re more than ten minutes late.»
«I know… I called to make sure. I was assured it would be ok.»
«Well, you should have asked to speak to someone at the front desk… I understand you’re frustrated.»
I pace in the parking lot for awhile pondering my experience. Pull out my iPhone and sign up for a user account on Unilocal.I hope reading this review was worth your time.
If you’re still reading this, you probably work for this office. If you are high enough up the food chain, you need to know my experience with your office/​business was HORRIBLE. If at one point during this horrible journey someone would have been slightly apologetic… or if I felt real empathy, I probably would have given yet another chance at being seen here.
The culture of this office has clearly been polluted as no one will take responsibility and everyone points the finger at someone else. How do you stay in business… oh yeah, competition.
It seems the doctors are fantastic. Unfortunately for me, I won’t get that experience because I couldn’t wade through the mire.
Feel free to contact me. With a little detective work you can figure out who I am as you have my name and phone number.

I’m really lucky to have dr. Patel. I was referred to him by my spine specialist for pain management and epidural injections. He is a great doctor that actually cares about what you are feeling and he’s very honest. It’s refreshing. Although my epidurals didn’t help with my chronic problems, he’s been dedicated to finding what will not just work for me, but he understands what im comfortable with (like i dont want to be on a bunch of drugs) and gives his honest opinion on my conditions and what they mean for my future since im young. He didn’t push my third set of injections because he knew that by the second time around I still wasn’t feeling good.
He knows your in pain and doesn’t treat you like a drug seeker. Im only 27 and he knows that im optimistic of having children one day and that im too young to be dealing with losing my life to pain. And he manages a great pain tool website on how to live with chronic pain. And, he’s funny.. I am deathly afraid of needles and although personally (it’s different based on each person!!) I had discomfort on my left injection the first time, I pretty much felt nothing on my right injection and my second round of injections i literally didnt even know they were happening. He made me feel like I truly had nothing to be scared of and there is no doubt he knows what he’s doing.
The offices are well kept and really clean and modern. Although I am going through with surgery through my specialist, I told my surgeon that I’d only have dr. Patel do my discogram. He’s the only man with needles I trust. He will give you confidence, and always give you options and most importantly… hope that things can get better.
The staff is always nice to me and they’ll actually chat with you while your waiting, dr. Patel is relatively easier to get into thank good god cause I always have to wait at least 6 weeks to see my spine specialist for 20 mins. Hoping for the same timing luck this time around. Thanks dr. Patel
Add a note, the front desk is really unorganized and includes some sweethearts and some reeeally grouchy ladies, holy moly! most doctors offices, well any orthopedic place, the front desk is usually terrible. I’m not sure if they are just are just tired from dealing with old people in pain but their front desk isn’t organized and talks a lot about personal issues while you just trying to sit or stand for an extra 10 minutes then they still can’t figure it out and you end up working for them. There is someone who checks people in who seems rude and annoyed at every person that walks through the door. She looks like she wants to punch someone… all the time. i do too, but thats because half my body feels like its being set on fire and shocked electrically and stabbed and like bugs are crawling everywhere with some numb spots. I’m falling apart, have no money and am younger than her… And i don’t treat my clients like that and they cause me pain! my problems a aren’t there’s so I don’t take it out on them. I go scream into the massage room pillows. she needs to suck it up and get a new job. this is the medical industry not mcdonalds!!! They will have no clue whats going on with your file but they have an amazing state of the art office. My doctor however is the coolest, and just good at what he does! Once you get to the nurse area they seem to be enjoying their job! It’s refreshing.

I am so blessed to have Dr. Patel as my pain management doctor. Until recently I didn’t have a need for a pain doctor and was very concerned how my issues would come across to the doctor. Dr. Patel always has time for me and is willing to let me try different things to see which works the best for me. If I have an issue with a med he is willing to help me find something else to help. He is open and honest and doesn’t treat you like a drug addict. I would and do recommend Dr. Patel.

I have had chronic back, hip, ankle and knee pain for 7 years due to the need for a knee replacement I was too young to receive. Original diagnosis was at age 45. I have been to many pain doctors over the years to help control these issues. I began seeing Dr. Patel about a year ago. From the beginning his genuine concern for my needs and limitations was unbelievable! On one particular visit I was in so much pain, I was in tears and required an immediate cortisone shot in my foot to relieve a sudden onset of Plantar Fasciitis. Normally another doctor would schedule a later appointment in order to get insurance approval/​authorization and make me wait in pain. Not Dr. Patel, his words were, «Let’s do it now, this one is on me!», he and his staff stayed on after hours to give me the emergency treatment. I hope he went ahead and billed the insurance anyway, but the point is that payment for services was far down his priority list and my well-​being was at the top. More recently, he has handled Prescription problems/​insurance coverage on the weekend via email within moments of my contacting him with a problem, (I just received the knee replacement!!) He more than deserves every award he has received. His office staff is prompt, efficient and equally as caring. There are insufficient words to describe what an amazing human being, doctor, advocate, etc. he is. Don’t run, (you probably can’t anyway) FLY to his office if you are in need of his specialty.
God Bless you Dr. Yogesh Patel.