Complaint Review: Lisa Kirk Chronic Back Pain Clinic - Waco Texas

 I had been seen for approximately 2 years in Lisa Kirk's family practice clinic for chronic back pain. At the beginning she told me I had a degenerative disease and would be lucky if I could still walk within the next 10 years however I needed to learn to live with it as there was no treatment or cure; all said in front of my mother. She's very endearing... After several appointments with her nurse practicioner I was beginning to get help however when the nurse practitioner left Lisa advised me to "take hot baths".

I attempted to "live with it" for the next year however the pain became unbearable. I saw her physician assistant and he showed concern and when he went to have Lisa sign the prescription came back advising I participate in their chronic back pain clinic. This is two years after my MRI (I weighed approximately 25 pounds more at the time of the first MRI). I was examined by her chiropractor, Christopher Cochrane who also advised the chronic back ain clinic. I advised that I could not afford much so everything would need to be covered if I agreed to the program.

I made an appointment with Denise Barton, the case manager (with no medical credentials) and she explained the paperwork and payment plan. I was told by Denise and an office associate that the physical therapy was covered and they would make sure the chiropractic care was covered as well. If I paid up front Brazos Family Medicine agreed to pay 20% of my out of pocket insurance deductible altogether this totalled $888. If I chose to pay as I go the total was $1200. In good faith I agreed to the up front since I thought I attend the full three month program.

The program made my back condition worse. When I voiced this to the chiropractor he quickly went and got Denise who assurred me that I was lying about doing my home exercises and I must not be wearing my back brace and they were not at fault. After her excessive lectures on how "muscles have memory, this takes time, be patient" I continued, as I had spent money I wasnt prepared to spend on this "treatment" and felt as though I had no other options.  The chiropractor agressively told me several times I was faking because there was no explaination for why physical therapy didnt work on my back. I am young and he also noted that it's rare for back pain like this in someone my age. I was advised to lose weight as this must be the cause of my pain. If I lost ten pounds my BMI would be underweight.

Throughout this ordeal I was told they needed to do X-Ray imaging, allergy testing, and nerve testing.

Throughout this ordeal I NEVER saw Lisa until the physicians assistant left. She had to administer the injections and that is the only reason I saw her. Not even so much as an assessment until I began to voice leaving and being reimbursed for the services I had not yet received.

I would like to point out again that after the first MRI two years prior I lost approximately 25 pounds and my back only continued to worsen. I begged the physicians assistant, chiropractor, denise and the physical therapist to order a new MRI but for three months was denied. Lisa finally ordered one three months later and at that time she advised that there wasn't much that could be done since there wasn't a neuro specialist in Waco and she would have to send me to a Osteo doctor if anything although she felt they could do very little. I ended up calling my insurance compoany and teling them what was going on and they referred me to a neurosurgeon.

After repeatedly asking why Lisa did the MRI she did due to it being the wrong type for lumbar problems he noted a degenerative disk (only 1) but it was not neccessary to move forward with surgery at this point and a disk pinching a nerve. I was referred to have a ESI. The specialist who administered this injection said he has seen many people on his table from seeing a chiropractor and advised me to no longer allow him to manipulate my back as he felt he may cause additional and irreversible damage to my back. After Lisa found out that I was referred to a neurosurgeon she began making scrupulous notes in my chronic back pain chart.I was being seen as a patient in her clinic and she stated she kept two seperate files. 

When I was ablke to return to physical therapy I told the chiropractor what the specialist had said about chiropractic care for my back to which he responded that the specialist didn't know what he was talking about. I supposed medical school just doesn't cut to compared to a chiropractor. The chiropractor was treating me poorly at this point, Denise avoided me at all costs, and Lisa well she has never had good bed side manner to begin with. I was told at one point by the chiropractor that the pain was all in my head. He then told me that the pain may be caused by stress as well. The only person I felt was an advocate for me was Bryce, the physical therapist. Who was flabberghasted when I told him everything that was said to me.

I started getting my insurance papers in the mail where she has reported services and at this point I noticed that she wasn't billing for chiropractic care, she was billing for massage therapy and physical therapy. Wonderful, insurance fraud. I ended up leaving this con-woman's program with approximately 6 appointments left. Of course I had to hear Denise blame me for everything. If I was acutally doing my exercises and wearing my back brace at all times then I would have seen progress. Blah blah blah. I wanted to get out of this place quick as I wanted nothing to do with their criminal ways. I was told by Denise I would be reinburssed but she would have to talk to Lisa. This is May and I left in March. I haven't received money back or a phone call back.

After escaping this wretched excuse for a medical facility I began getting numerous copies of reported services including personal doctor appointments of which I was in class or at work during the times, bills for injections I did not receive, and extremely inflated prices for the "massage therapy", physical therapy and injections I supposedly received. Obviously through all of this I have pulled my policy to look at my out of pocket deductibles and chiropractic isnt even covered!!!

When I called for a refill on a prescription for a medication I have been taking for over 14 years and that is unrelated to my back problem she had her office workers call me to tell me I must sumbit a drug test. I came in to take my drug screen three days after my ESI. I hadn't needed my medication those days as I was not able to go to my classes. She had her office nurse call me and practically interrogate me as to why there wasn't medicine in my system.

After several specialist visits it was determined that I have endometriosis inside of my muscles and sitting on a nerve in my lower back. My previous MRI noted having an ultrasound on my lower back which she never did. The chiropractor said they meant a treatment ultrasound however, my specialist felt differently and ordered an ultrasound on my lower back. After I left BFM CBPC I began getting honest help and informative answers as to what to do about the pain and whats going on.  I'm unsure where to turn at this point. Move on or report this place so other people will not be swindled and have to suffer the emotional toll this has caused me.