Pain and Spine Management: John Villanueva, MD, FAAPMR

My 87-year-old mother was experiencing severe sciatica pain for about a month. We saw that Dr. John Villanueva specialized in spine and pain management. After a quick exam on my mother, he determined she had piriformis syndrome and a stenosis condition, and he scheduled her for an injection that he was to perform. After the procedure, my mother’s pain got much worse. He had prescribed pain killers, but they weren’t helping. We called his office to see if she could take a higher dose, but after a couple of business days, Dr. Villanueva did not get back to us. We called a third time and were told she could take a higher dose. We asked for a follow-up appointment, since she was in even more pain than before the epidural shot he administered. Then the day before her scheduled follow-up, the office called to say they had to reschedule it to the following week. We got very angry that my mother clearly wasn’t doing well and that we couldn’t get his attention for a follow up. They then took us as a “walk in,” and after several hours of waiting, the doctor finally got to examine my mother. During this visit, Dr. Villanueva prescribed a lumbar MRI. The MRI revealed severe stenosis pressing directly on the sciatic nerve. At that point it was clear that only spinal surgery could solve this issue. We proceeded to find a qualified surgeon, and my mother’s condition improved dramatically about 3 weeks after the operation. I question Dr. Villanueva’s ethics. He was quick to determine that my mother had piriformis syndrome, which was not the case. He should have initially referred her for a lumbar MRI to even see what the problem was. A principled doctor would have determined from the MRI that her stenosis condition was severe and not something a simple epidural could fix. Instead, Dr. John Villanueva took the insurance money to do his thing. We wasted a lot of time and went through a lot of aggravation instead of getting a competent diagnosis from the start. He was slow to respond and did not show empathy for my mother's extreme pain level.

What an amazing practice! I was initially hesitant because i established such a good rapport with my old dr before I moved, but Jessica is even better! She really took her time and sat with me and listened to my whole history and what life has been like after the accident. She’s very proactive and comprehensive and made a few recommendations I immediately scheduled. She’s a very knowledgeable and empathetic provider and noticed something no other medical professional did before. I’m very impressed and feel I’m in very good hands.