It's interesting to see some of the recent posts, Dec. 2018 & again the end of Jan. 2019 by Samantha M. in comments about Dr. Sacks, the Pain Institute of Santa Monica & the staff. It is concerning because I have met one of the women & her friend before, in Dr. Sacks office waiting area & talked on more than one occasion. Some patients, including the one woman & her friend talk about what medications, specifically narcotics they are expecting to be prescribed by Dr. Sacks. I find it interesting that Samantha M. claims that she "went in to him for extreme neck/head pain. She said EXTREME pain, but then gripes when he wants to give her shots every week, likely similar to what I have been getting every other week for several years. I get the impression she is seeking opioid narcotics. She rants & berates the staff. I usually see Dr. Sacks in the evenings, I have never seen anything "shady". I have been a patient of Dr. Sacks for about 25 years, first from several cancer surgeries that resulted in removal of most of my back, left shoulder muscle, then from over 15 years ago with a double compound cervical set of fractures at C2-C3 and C6-C7. I have NEVER asked for narcotics, nor arrived at his office expecting I knew what medications I needed or wanted. YET, I have ALWAYS been prescribed what Dr. Sacks, after examinations, and sometimes after sending me to neurologists for consultations, has prescribed for me, including narcotics WHEN NEEDED, along with nerve block injections. I do have significant pain and have had 4 surgeries for a Spinal Cord Simulator implant. I KNOW from decades of seeing Dr. Sacks that all TOO OFTEN people who I meet or see in the waiting area either don't look like they are in pain, or even talk about what appear to be non-existent or minimal issues, and want to see Dr. Sacks to get their hands on narcotics. About 2 years ago I met a man while sitting in the waiting area who told me he was seeing Dr. Sacks because his own, regular pain management doctor was out of town. I thought this was odd, as I know from Dr. Sacks and several of my other doctors, including neurologists & surgeons, that when they are out of town or otherwise not available, they ALL have an "on call" doctor who covers them and have access to the patients' medical records, along with the ability to reach the doctor directly if necessary. This man said his doctor was out of town for another 8 days. I see Dr. Sacks every other week, so I was surprised when this same man was back two weeks later, supposedly when his own doctor would have been back in town. This "patient" told me, and another patient sitting in the waiting room, that Dr. Sacks HAD prescribed him medications two weeks earlier and this patient was back seeking more. This patient was taken in and seen before me. When I was called into the exam room next to Dr. Sacks consultation office room, I could hear this "patient" yelling and apparently upset that Dr. Sacks told him he would not refill the narcotic again. It is unfortunate that some "patients" show up expecting or demanding to get narcotics, get angry and upset if they are refused and then take to sites like Yelp and others to bad mouth a medical provider. Again, I have NEVER shown up expecting or demanding to get a narcotic or other drug that I either wanted/thought I should get or one that was advertised on TV when the TV ad says "ask your doctor" if drug XYZ is right for you. As someone else here posted, if you want a "warm and fuzzy" doctor to hold your hand, baby you and placate your every whim with painkillers and opioids, you should look for another doctor. Dr. Sacks is a very busy doctor, but has always taken care of my medical needs. As to his staff, I have NEVER experienced a problem with ANY of them. When I have had to call for issues, between visits, I am ALWAYS called back promptly. I don't think I have ever had to wait more than a few hours to get a call back, EVER! I don't know what the situation(s) were with those that complain about "rude" staff or not getting a call back, but I have never experienced it & know from "regulars" that I see while in the waiting area, none have ever complained about issues like those. It is only "new" or "one-off" patients who I have ever heard complain. Again, they have complained because they did not get the medication(s)/narcotic(s) they had shown up expecting to be prescribed. read more

I've been a Patient of Dr. Gerald Sacks M.D for 8yrs. I met him during one of my many surgeries and numerous Hospitalization. In the beginning I needed assistance by my husband for a while to come see him. Dr. Sacks is a very caring; professional, extremely busy, organized, straight to the facts, no-nonsense Doctor. His staff is very capable of handling all your needs. If it's asking him questions and calling you back, having documents prepared or even rescheduling your appointment please take comfort in knowing he has the best staff that can get the job done. I say all this to say I was so sick; On my death bed. Every-bone in my body hurt. Patients want a quick fix to make the pain go away right now!! That's not always the case; it take time for your Primary Doctor's testing, lab work etc. to get a diagnoses of what's going on. Dr. Sacks is a Pain Management Doctor and he's going to work with his Patients to help them manage their severe pain. He will not give up on you. So don't give up on him or his staff. I can honestly say I'm so thankful he's my doctor. Today I feel like a normal person; we found a medication that make me feel like myself again. I say we; cause in order for Dr. Sacks to help you. His patient needs to give him feedback, so he'll know if your dosage needs to be changed or a different medication needs to be prescribed. It took me a while, cause I didn't like the facts I had to take medication the rest of my life. However my last hospitalization in 2018 was due to severe pain I couldn't manage it. That made me realize I needed to listen to my Pain management doctor; and stop trying to do my own thing. I feel like 2019 I'll be hospital free, cause I'm following instructions. I thank God I'm not addicted to drugs by self medicating due to my severe pain and I have a very Professional Pain Management Doctor in my life to make sure that will never happen. Again he's No nonsense so please don't think he's not going to do his research, he read your medical files talks to your doctor, medical specialist etc. just so he can help you/us get better. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Dr. Gerald Sack and your wonderful staff for caring for me. Please accept my apology for being stubborn at times and not taking my medication as stated. Now I'm on track and have my life back and I thank You All. God bless you!! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Sacks for almost 25 years. He has supported me and done an excellent job of managing my pain through multiple surgeries for herniated disks (both neck and lower back) and surgeries to repair a broken hip which later failed and required a total hip replacement. I am very grateful for all that Dr. Sacks has done for me. He has always treated me compassionately and fairly, and I have total faith that he always acts in the best interests of his patients (ESPECIALLY when he refuses requests from patients for more or different medications, almost always opioids - more on that later). Dr. Sacks is especially at the top of his game when a patient is going to have surgery. Over the years, I have developed a very high tolerance for pain medications and he's extremely careful to make sure the hospital defers to him for prescribing all pain meds, from the time I'm admitted until the time I'm discharged. In addition to expertly managing the pain medications before and after surgery, he makes daily visits to check on my welfare while I'm in the hospital. I never write reviews on Yelp, but decided to add my comments when I saw the negative reviews for Dr. Sacks. Based on my long experience with him, I'm not surprised to see some bad reviews. However, I have no doubt that the majority were posted by people retaliating against him because they were refused medication or otherwise tried and failed to manipulate him. As everyone knows, opioids are very addictive and fraught with the risk that patients will become unable or unwilling to follow a prescribed treatment plan. I can't tell you how many times I've overheard patients in Dr. Sacks's office (behind closed doors) become angry and combative when he refused to write them a prescription. Like all of us, Dr. Sacks isn't perfect and he does have a tendency to overreact in such situations when his authority is challenged or he senses that a patient is being manipulative. (Because of this personality trait, I would have rated Dr. Sacks 4.5 stars instead of 5.) In the grand scheme of things though, I'll take this minor character flaw any day of the week to have the skill, compassion, and firmness of Dr. Sacks who I know cares about my health and is vigilant against over-prescribing opioids. read more

Dr. Gerald Sacks has been seeing my mother for over a year and half now. When she first came into his office she had tremendous lower back and leg pain. It took some time but those lower back and leg pains are virtually gone. He sees my mom every two weeks and gives her regular booster shots to numb the pain and prescribed her 3 medications that have done wonders for my mom and her nerve pain. On the very first day he was able to figure out that she had nerve damage and put her on the correct medication right away. Once the proper adjustments were made she was set with all of her medication. She has made great progress since they initial appointment and truly views Dr. Sacks as one of her most important and caring doctors. He also gave her an epidural shot that has really helped her back pains for better long term recovery. Dr. Sacks was referred to us by Dr. Amy C. Chen of the UCLA network who is a WONDERFUL MD so we take her opinion very seriously. Dr. Gerald Sacks is truly a "Pain Management Specialist" and he has done a fantastic job of helping take away my mothers pain. My mom has had some other health issues not related to Dr. Sacks but when she was in the hospital for about a week he came by and visited her every day to see how she was doing and progressing. Do not believe the negative reviews, Dr. Sacks does care about his patients. He is very efficient and professional when it comes to each of his patients and their prescriptions and needs. I highly recommend Dr. Gerald Sacks if you are looking for a doctor with tremendous experience of over 35+ years, who will target your central pain needs and help you better live your life as close to pain free as possible. His staff is very friendly and they are diligent in making sure appointments are made and kept so you can get the medical service you deserve. Dr. Sacks has truly been a revelation for my mother and I highly recommend his office for all of your pain management needs. Give his office a call today, he accepts Medicare and most insurances I believe and you won't be disappointed! Ask for Sandra she is lovely and will assist you with whatever you need, call today! read more

I met Dr. Sacks several years ago at St.'John's Medical Center when I was scheduled for total hip replacement by one of that hospitals leading orthopedic surgeons. At that time Dr. Sacks was the anesthesiologist for my surgery. Those of who who have had joint replacement surgery -- or invasive surgery of any sort ---already know that one of the most critical and challenging aspects of post-operative care is pain management. My orthopedic surgeon recommended that I continue to see Dr. Sacks at his private pain management practice as part of my follow-up care. Indeed, several of the hospital's nurses suggested the same thing. Over the course the next few weeks and months Dr. Sacks attended to my recovery, effectively titrating me off the heavy pain medications that are commonly prescribed immediately after major surgery to a level that allowed for an increasingly rigorous schedule of physical therapy, facilitating my return to work and an active life style. Since that time I have seen Dr. Sacks on a regular basis for chronic back pain due to spondylolisthesis, as well as my hips. I can honestly say that Dr. Sacks is an outstanding physician. He is extremely focused and through. His office runs as efficiently as I've ever seen thanks to a loyal and attentive staff who rarely keeps patients waiting for longer than 10 minutes -- and I've often walked in, been promptly and pleasently greeted by a one of his medical associates, and escourted directly into an clean and well appointed examination room. One of Dr. Sacks' most impressive qualities is his encyclopedic knowledge of various medications -- and it seems to me that he must read a lot of medical journals as he's always up-to-date on the latest advancements in phamacology and other treatment breakthroughs. Additionally, Dr. Sacks keeps detailed records of his patients, including all the medications and supplements they take -- both by prescription and over-the-counter. If you are a patient in need of short or long-term pain management you will look high and low to find a better doctor to attend to your medical needs that Dr. Gerald Sacks. Richard S. read more

I would ignore the negative reviews. Some people are saying that all he is interested is getting you to come frequently for the co-pay. My boyfriend is his patient and doesn't pay a co-pay, and he sees Dr. Sacks every week. He, also, had the injections that many are commenting about in the TO DO list during the office visit but all four times my boyfriend has rejected them for his leg nerve pain. Yet, Dr. Sacks' continues to see him on a frequent basis despite not paying a co-pay and rejecting the injections. If he was money hungry in that area, he would have at least pitched it each time; there has been no pitch so far from Dr. Sacks or his medical staff. Dr. Sacks has gone out of his way to help my boyfriend out in a comprehensive way and closely following up with his medical care after hospitalization. You want him on your team for pain management; he is very intelligent, efficient and actually CARES about his patients. I had a couple questions for him during the office visit, and I was very satisfied with the answers he gave us. He took the time to give a full explanation to each questions. He will help you as much as possible and his medical office is on top of it with taking care of insurance related matters, medication handling, etc. They are not afraid of the tall stacks of paperwork required to get you the necessary medication and/or procedure. We are very grateful to be under Dr. Sacks' care and have his medical support. Some of the stories I'm reading sound preposterous! I just don't see Dr. Sacks being insensitive like that. He may come off as conceited and a know-it-all, but he is from Boston so from my experience when visiting the East Coast, a lot of Bostonians and New Yorkers come off that way. I highly recommend meeting him for yourself and making your own judgement from your experience with him. You will see that he is thorough with his medical care for you and actually listens carefully to your needs. read more

I am a real patient of Dr. Sacks, and my experience with Dr. Sacks is valid. Here is my review: I started seeing Dr. Sacks after my accident when I unexpectedly fell, and my low back and neck problems would not go away. Dr. Sacks was there for me before and after the laminectomy surgery in my low back (L3/4, L4/5), and the vertebrectomy surgery in my neck (C5/6). I was already diagnosed with (AIDS) when I started seeing Dr. Sacks. At that time, before the HIV-meds were available, doctors usually prescribed for me only more "pain medications" (which included opiates) to address the symptoms of my terminal illness. Eventually, I became physically addicted to prescribed opiate-based pain medications. Dr. Sacks explained to me how I was being over-prescribed pain medications by my well-intentioned doctors. So I decided to stop taking all prescription pain medications, except those approved or prescribed by Dr. Sacks. Then Dr. Sacks and I very slowly weaned myself off of ALL opiate-based pain medications. We have tried other prescription medications that are not physically addictive (Neurontin, Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, Provigil, Skelaxin, ZTlido) to address my chronic pain. Over the years, I've found Dr. Sacks's monthly treatments of Lidocane-injections, coupled with Dr. Sack's Epidural Steroid Injections every 6-months, to work more effectively for me than any opiate-based pain medication. I was referred by my neurologist to Dr. Sacks in 1995, and I continue to see Dr. Sacks in 2019 -- because his gradual Process of addressing my chronic pain works! Dr. Sacks has helped me learn how to accept and effectively manage my long-term chronic pain. If you're an addict simply seeking a source for opiate prescriptions, then don't waste yours or his time. But if you truly want help to learn how to manage your chronic pain, then I recommend you go see Dr. Sacks. read more

I've been a pain management patient of Dr. Sacks for over 15 years. I have injections as well as take medication. At first, the injections were frightening to me as I'm no fan of needles. However Dr. Sacks is good with a needle and he hits where it needs to be. That's important if you have pain or a neurological problem caused by another disease that creates numbness and pain. I got over my fear of injections quickly as the injections eased my nerve problem. My pain is chronic and not going away, so I'll need medication and other intervention the rest of my life. People may complain about some of the staff but I've had no problem and if you treat people badly, don't be surprised if you have a bad experience. The staff knows me as does Dr. Sacks. I need no hand-holding now, it's in and out. Sometimes I'm done in a few minutes, sometimes it's over an hour. But when you see a doctor who has emergencies in the hospital as well as an office practice, these things happen. And some patients need more time, explanation and consultation that others. And then there are the ones who are very difficult - whether it's from a place of pain or anger or that's just who they are. It's hard to get along with everyone, even if you try. I've had no problem getting medication - including those that require more paperwork. Maybe I'm just a known commodity and can be trusted to not abuse meds; but I know people who go to doctors just for certain painkillers. We have an opioid crisis in the US and I'm glad some doctors, like Dr. Sacks, make sure you get what you need but not more. Pain is real. But so is abuse. I definitely recommend Dr. Sacks for chronic pain management. It's made a huge difference in my life. read more

I have been to numerous doctors to control pain, and Dr. Sacks is by far the best doctor I have ever seen. When I first saw Dr. Sacks for an evaluation, I was on strong painkillers due to an auto accident. Since then, Dr. Sacks has been able to successfully wean me off these painkillers, which had horrible side effects, and replace them with injections of a long acting anesthetic, without the side effects and addictive nature that the painkillers possessed. Now I don't even need the injections and am pain free! All of the other doctors simply wanted to prescribe pills, and spent very little time with me. Dr. Sacks, however, has more knowledge than any pain management doctor I have seen, and knows ways to minimize pain in ways that are far more effective than addictive pills. I found the office to be extremely professional, warm, and caring. I have been a patient of Dr. Sacks for over 15 years, never waiting more than 10 minutes for an appointment (usually I am able to see him right when I get there). And if I miss an appointment, they call to make sure that I am okay. In summary, I would highly recommend Dr. Sacks! I don't understand why Yelp "hides" the 34 POSITIVE reviews for Dr. Sacks, as "Not recommended", but does post the negative ones, including one from 11 months ago. Yet the Positive one I placed just about 2 weeks ago was gone in less than a week. Yelp has also been the focus of the Los Angeles local CBS News team report on this very practice, and hitting up doctors or other businesses to "Improve their reputation" on Yelp. Call me old fashioned, but that is a shake-down for money by yelp. read more

Dr. Sacks has been my pain management doctor for over 10 years for chronic arthritis and a degenerative disc in my neck. My treatment has included frequent pain injections and an occasional epidural that is usually done at my request. The office staff has always been very courteous and gone out of their way to be helpful. Years ago, I ended up in the emergency room with excruciating pain radiating from my neck and down my arm. I was completely incapacitated from the pain and was admitted to the hospital where it was explained to me that I was in line for a major neck surgery. Fortunately, a young Orthopedic doctor was "on call" felt that I should explore alternative treatments before agreeing to surgery and he highly recommended pain management specialist, Dr. Gerald Sacks. That was my lucky day. Dr. Sacks has carefully and successfully guided me through my treatment and I have to this day avoided surgery. Yes, he is very direct but can best treat pain when his patients are articulate in expressing their particular problems. I take a proactive part in my pain management including exercise, massage and occasional physical therapy which I run by the doctor first. For me, when it comes to pain management Dr. Sacks has been great. Over the years, I have witnessed argumentative, abusive and obnoxious patients in varying conditions, stoned, drunk, on painkillers disrupting the office and demanding more meds and threatening all kinds of serious retributions if they didn't get them. This has to be a very challenging part of his practice. I would definitely recommend Dr. Sacks, he is the best! read more

Gerald Sacks, MD is a brilliant, extraordinarily skilled pain management specialist. He is Board certified in both Pain Management and Anesthesiology. His practice is primarily at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. To become an excellent therapist in pain management, Dr. Sacks has had to acquire a very broad medical experience in a wide variety of topics, diseases and situations that are required in the application of his skilled recommendations and both medical and surgical treatments aimed to eliminate the pain that can be associated with so many conditions. As a physician myself, I accompanied my wife to meet and become part of the many thorough discussions of the diagnostic work up and treatments suggested by Dr. Gerald Sacks. He was always correct, and asked detailed and critical questions of my wife, while listening very carefully to her answers. My wife is a registered nurse and is very knowledgeable about those sophisticated issues and questions. Dr. Sacks immediately correctly repeated tests that were previously normal, but upon the third repeat, showed the location of my wife's pain. It was from her spinal cord and the pain was referred elsewhere. He performed a localized epidural injection of anesthetic, which immediately eliminated her pain. Other injections followed and were placed in her neck muscles to protect her from escalating post-operative symptoms. Diligent medical follow up has ensured her continued successful outcome and pain reduction. We are indebted to Dr. Sacks' brilliance and skilled treatments. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Sacks for 10 years. I am an anesthesiologist. I am qualified and licensed to practice Pain management. I could chose from a host of other doctors. I was initially referred to Dr. Sacks by a senior anesthesia staff member at Saint Johns. His recommendation stated that there were "no finer pain management doctors on their staff". I have referred many patients to him including my best friend of over 30 years. I have had 7 major spine operations with 5 in the last 2 1/2 years. My last two were salvage procedures. I have a 9 level fusion. I believe that without Dr. Sacks, I might not have been able to have survived the surgeries and the acute recovery periods. Without Dr. Sacks, I would be unable to have any quality of life. He is an "I" dotter and "T" crosser as anyone in this field has to be these days. I have always found his staff to be helpful and conscientious. I appreciate the calls to remind me of my next appointment. If you are looking for drugs, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a new best friend, look elsewhere. If you want a competent pain management professional, you are in the right place. I feel I am uniquely qualified to evaluate the care I get from Dr. Sacks. When I am in the waiting room, I can usually tell a legitimate pain sufferer from the ever present drug seekers. I suspect that most of the negative reviewers fit into the drug seeker category. Sincerely, Rick Z M.D. read more

I'm a Med/Surg RN and one of the most difficult parts of the job is handling the delicate balance of what gives people enough pain management but also not too much to allow or sustain a dependence. It's really tough given how subjective pain can be. Very few people I've met have the understanding from top to bottom of the medications to the degree of Dr. Sacks. He sees an insane number of patients, and I know many take it out on him when he refuses to prescribe what they ask for, but being a good doctor isn't giving people what they want, it's giving what they need. And again, this is a delicate balance, and I truly believe he understands it exceptionally. I've had to use him for myself after two recent surgeries, and I'm really impressed by not only his understanding of it all (including what's happening physiologically with each of my surgeries), but he sets up appointments easily on video calls, he makes them himself, never rushes me, and always sets up the next appointment himself before hanging up. It's a good system, and the times I've needed to reach him in-between I've found his office does a great job of checking messages and calling. I'm sure many are resentful at their experiences in this department, it's basically inevitable if you aren't handing over your prescription pad, but I think he does a great job with the almost impossible task he has with dozens of patients a day. And I trust him with my own meds and health. read more

June 12, 2024 How fortunate I have been to have Dr Sacks assigned to my case when I had anterior hip replacement on December 6, 2023 at Saint Johns Hospital in Santa Monica The surgery was not particularly painful but the pain I had been enduring from severe osteoarthritis for years became the focus of his extraordinary skills at dealing with constant pain. In combination with his suggestions and all around hopeful demeanor began to work their magic along with his very solid understanding of the origins of the pain I faced every day was truly astounding. He is not only a gifted Pain management Doctor he is extremely knowledgeable about the origins of Siatic and facet joint back pain which is excruciating and can make it impossible to live my life as I once had. Dr Sacks is very generous with his significant knowledge and time. He also has a great sense of humor and very quick mind. He makes working together a pleasure. I am so lucky to be under his care. As a lic. Clinical Psychologist with a practice of my own since 1989 it gives me great pleasure to give Dr Sacks an enthusiastic endorsement of his excellent work as an experienced Doctor and as an outstanding person. Dr. Hansen read more

I was connected to Dr. Sacks for pain management after a year and a half of intractable, chronic pain (post-MVA) that culminated in brain and spine surgery. The eighteen months prior to surgery were filled with medical appointments that provided little to no insight and left me feeling increasingly hopeless, disregarded, or worse. It is with this insight and experience that I can confidently say that being under Dr. Sacks' care has been a life-changing experience. In addition to being extraordinarily knowledgeable and well-read in pain management (and EDS, and chiari malformation!), he is empathetic, discerning, and kind. It's obvious that he is passionate about his work, and enjoys being an advocate and ally to his patients. If you are reading this, I highly encourage you to make an appointment with him. He is an exemplary physician and an invaluable resource for chronic pain management. It is also worth noting that his office staff is attentive and friendly, and actively maintain a safe environment for immunocompromised patients, which speaks to their collective commitment to providing the highest level of patient care. Thank you, Dr. Sacks (and team)! I'm forever grateful for your commitment to my health. read more