Standard visit. Got a text about outstanding balance. Tried to call to verify my balance numerous…read moretimes. No answer did not return messages, and turned me into collections. I would not do business here again.

I can't believe I'm the first to review Westside Pain Clinic. What's WRONG with you other…read morepatients?!! :-) I've been going to chiropractors for 30 years off and on. Originally from Dixon, IL I'm newer to Springfield IL as of 2013. In Mach of 2015 I was in the 90th percentile across every fitness parameter you'd want to test for 50 year old men. By August of 2015 I was almost housebound barely able to walk. What started as what felt like a rib out of place, giving me a pinch pain (left) when I slept on my right side, progressed from March 2015 to August 2015 with me barely being able to leave the house. Beginning March 2015 I began seeing a couple other chiropractors in town and, while fine for the most part, they were quickly out of answers when my pain progressed. Frustrated and in serious, debilitating pain, I wanted to try another chiropractor and found Dr. Chris Clem D.C. at his Westside Pain Clinic (locations in Springfield and Auburn IL). After just a few visits with no significant improvement he was quick to suggest I see an ortho-based medical doctor for a possible injection, MRI, evaluation etc. I respect this and it shouldn't be glossed over. Not all chiros/docs will refer as quickly but instead will opt to drag out the treatments and $$ as long as possible. Dr. Clem has everything from a DRS spine decompression machine (few chiros have this) to muscle stim, cold laser, a REAL human being who does hand massage prior to adjustment, smart activator tools (for when you're in too much pain as I was and can't hack the harder manual adjustments) etc. I did see an orthopedic physician who ordered an MRI. It was negative for problems. In all? After the first visit with this ortho physician I saw 13 other specialists between June and September (e.g., medical doctors, physical therapists) were all "stymied" as more than one said. I continued to go to Dr. Clem 2-3 times a week NOT because he was cajoling me into doing so but because I would at least get a few hours of significant relief everytime I went. If you've ever been in chronic pain you will understand why a few hours of relief has significant value. And if you've never been in this situation you will never understand fully. It was Dr. Clem, as we continued to converse via email and in person (by the way Dr. Clem was also willing to e-mail with my physical therapists too - there wasn't some territorial pissing match going on), who said he felt I had "lax ligaments." He felt he was likely putting things in place but the ligaments were not holding the rib head etc in place. Although more rare than standard problems recognized by chiros and docs, it's not as rare as most think. He recommended I at least check out Dr. David Crane out of Chesterfield, Missouri who specializes in medically-based alternative treatments. I made that appointment but it was two months down the road. His suggestion had me researching lax ligaments and long story short I'm now in treatment by Dr. Ross Hauser M.D., a physiatrist specializing in prolotherapy (a treatment specific for ligament problems). Two physical therapists here in Springfield clued me that they felt it was "something mechanical." I believe they were right. Dr. Clem added the "lax ligaments" theory. I believe he is right. All the physicians otherwise were CLUELESS and out of tools. What this means, if you're the patient, is you are the can they kick down the road. Once they run out of tools they don't dig any more for you. They don't research further. They don't find you the answer. They're just DONE with you. They most times won't even refer out of their own physician network. I was essentially prescribed narcotics for pain and wished the best - they were all done with me with no other doc to refer me to. They were truly clueless. But thanks to Dr.Clem and two physical therapists I had enough to research and at least make the next move, albeit slightly outside the traditional medicine route. Again, if you're in chronic, nearly debilitating pain? You understand. As of this writing I'm not out of the woods but, for the first time in eight months, I'm actually improving. Did Dr. Clem "fix" me? No. But what he did do was provide incredibly skilled and effective chiropractic care with the latest equipment AND he quickly referred me toward medical doctor rather than bleed me dry just because AND he was the ONLY one to even mention the possibility that I may have lax ligaments - which as things are progressing - seems to be a major part of what ended up being wrong with me. Time will tell but it certainly seems I'm on the right track now. I still see Dr. Clem for treatments. Between the prolotherapy and chiropractic care I finally have hope and IMPROVEMENT which I haven't had in eight months.