Excellent place to go to for brain and spine issues! Everyone is professional and nice! Highly recommend!!

Dr. Tolentino is very thorough. I've had surgery twice and has stopped the pain for me. I would recommend him.

I have suffered with back pain from a fall as a young adult. Through the years seeing Physicians, Chiropractors, ad Physical Therapist. A few years ago I started having severe leg problems with restless leg and terrible aching in my legs. I saw Pulmonologist and Neurologist with limited help except for the restless leg. The pain kept me from sleeping and was worse at night. I tried over the counter pain meds and they didn't touch the pain. I was looking at some Medical Sites on line and saw the diagram of the SI Nerve that ran down my leg. It was exactly where my pain was. I checked out the Regional Brain Site and saw that I could self refer so made an appt. After a Physicians Assistant (very good bedside manner and thorough), a Physician who performed the Nerve Conduction Study (She didn't come across very professional-the heater she had on my feet was burning my feet. I tried to not say anything but finally just had to. She could have had a better bed side manner. Finally was able to get my results with Dr Tollentino. I was so excited to get some answers and get some help. I'm not sure what happened but Dr Tollentino seemed to be upset with me. Almost like he was getting on to me for being there, stating I didn't need surgery and what did I want to do. I almost felt like he was mad because I was wasting his time. (I have good insurance). He asked me three times, so what do you want to do? Nothing, see the Physiatry Dr, ( I thought she have been the one that did my Nerve Conduction, Physical Therapy), or Pain Clinic. I really hadn't even been given my results, other than knowing I didn't need surgery. I was really disappointed, felt that I was seen as someone wasting the Drs time, but because my mother had been a patient of both Dr Tollentino and Dr Reiss and they had helped her to having a better quality of life over the years I decided to see Dr Reiss and not give up yet on getting help. Dr Reiss was wonderful. He explained my MRI and the problems. Reassuring me that he thought he could help. I had two injections, immediately getting better, later getting some physical therapy too. I want you to know it has changed my life! The constant pain in my legs was effecting me not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. I have talked to several that have a lot of the same issues I've had that went to the Neurosurgeon only to feel disappointed or give up in feeling better. If there is a better avenue at their office without going through a surgeon first I wasn't aware of it, but I'm really glad I pursued that day. I still have issues but I've learned how with the help of the Physical Therapist and Dr Reis' help I don't have to take ANY pain meds other that NSAIDS when I've overdone. Also knowing that Dr Reis is there to help if I find myself in that kind of pain again. The office personal and his staff are professional and helpful. Im so glad I pursued. Dr Reis is a 5 Star!! read more

I am not happy with SE Regional Brain and Spine or their pain clinic! They have done absolutely nothing for me! I literally can not believe it. I can't sleep, I can barely get through work, sit or stand for long periods of time without being in excruciating back pain. I live off an insane amount of Tylenol because I am unable to take any type of anti inflammatories because I have had gastric bypass. After weeks and weeks of waiting, x-rays, physical therapy that made the pain worse (which I had to do for insurance purposes), and finally an MRI, they tell me they don't see anything wrong so there's nothing they can do for me. Why call yourself a pain clinic if you're not gonna help someone with their pain? It clearly states on their website, "Expert solutions for BACK PAIN, brain and spinal conditions, CHRONIC PAIN, and work injuries in southeast Missouri". Dr. Reis did put me on a muscle relaxer, which helped a lot at night, and Gabapentin, which was helping me at least get through my workday, both for only two weeks....? After I finally get my MRI, they call me and tell me they can't do anything more for me, including give me refills on those meds. So, there goes a couple of things that were helping a little. Back to the excruciating back pain and nerve pain radiating down my leg. Wonderful. They did recommend me see one of their physical medicine & rehab physicians called a physiatrists, which is supposed to provide me with targeted physical therapy/rehab...? I'm going to try it, but at this point, I am not hopeful. read more

I went to see Dr Vaught. He was really nice, but he said that he didn't specialize in Spondylolisthesis (which I have), and the reason I chose to see him was that the website states that he does specialize in it. I drove 2.5 hours to be told that he doesn't know anything about my condition. They just need to update their website. read more

I have had surgery by Dr. Tolentino. He is the BEST neurosurgeon in our Tri-State area. He is caring, intelligent and highly trained. You cannot go wrong seeing Dr. Tolentino if you have back, neck or brain issues. He has gone to Harvard Medical School so it is a blessing to have this type of high level education in our area. He has a waiting list if that tells you how good he is! read more

Let me begin by saying this is as short as I can get this. I went in with spinal stenosis and other issues in my back. I saw Doctor Colle I had hope for the end of what was then nearly 20 years of pain . I managed not to take narcotics until I got a botched pain shot from DR. Reiss who went too deep into the nerve and said Oops. So when I got home in severe pain my husband left three messages and no one ever called back. Doctor Colle suggested 2 part fusion, part one through belly left me sick for 6 months, I was sent home with thrush from hospital coughing none stop with a new spinal incision but couldnt get in before my 10 day post op so I had to deal with it. So we do second surgery, the pain waking up was like nothing I'd ever felt. But at first after the initial shock it seemed to be better. That was until the wrong after care instructions were give and I followed them by the letter. So a third surgery had to be done this one was no charge.... Still horrible pain, I had to call in for refills was often told how to use my meds...treated like a junkie etc...because they failed to take notes when I would call about partial refills. I start seeing the pain specialist, we begin talking about options I ask about stimulator because I hate pills I am bipolar had to go off those meds for pain meds due to chronic constipation I already had one assistant removed from my case for treating me badly now even getting appointments is ridiculous . I would call, get talked down to, not get return calls and having to do it all over again. I even attempted suicide. I toLd my doctor this he rushed the trial and put me on morphine now. So we do the trial, the doctor said he would see me in two weeks again staff failed to follow up and now I have to wait 6 weeks for relief...I got angry I did tell the woman that office needed to get their shit together...I did yell admit that. Now they refuse to treat me after knowing I hurt worse, am suicidal and had begged, cried, explained repeatedly my mother was an addict and being treated like a junkie was a trigger. I asked to be treated with some Dignity for a year. Go. your own risk. I felt this was my only option now I regret walking into that place. read more

I went to them first in 2012 on a recommendation from my family doctor. They recommended steroid injections for my back. They seemed to help a little. You get three injections in 4 to 5 weeks they are supposed to last a year. In 2013 I went back for another round of injections and again they helped some, but they did not last a full year. In 2015 I had a knee replacement and my leg symptom of burning and soreness got worse. I went back to Regional Brain and Spine. They done a MRI, X-Ray, and a nerve conductivity test. I never once seen Doctor Colle. Dennis Paul a PA-C was the first one to talk to me about my problem. He told me I had at a some time had an injury or I could have been born this way but a nerve channel in my pelvic bone that had close off and the nerve had re-routed to another nerve channel and they think this was causing my problem. He said there was not an operation that would help. He told me they could do a nerve block which would kill the re-routed nerve for 12 to 18 months. I agreed to have it done so he told me he would get an appointment set up for the nerve block. My next appointment I went in and was laid on a table and doctor Ries came in and injected 6 lidocaine injections in my back which I thought to be steroid shots again at that time, He told me the injections had to be done because of insurance purposes. These injections did not help any. I was call on a Monday at 5:15 PM and was told by a recording I had an appointment on Wednesday. I called on Tuesday to find out what the appointment was for. I was hoping it was for the nerve block but instead it was for more lidocaine injections. I told them to cancel the appointment if it was not for the nerve block. the receptionist ask me to hold while she transferred me to a nurse. I was told the same thing by the nurse that it was for the same injections as before because of insurance purposes. I told her if it was not for the nerve block to cancel. She transferred me to Dennis Paul the PA-C. He told me he could set me up an appointment to talk to doctor Colle about a surgical procedure to trim part of the lumbar bone and trim some bone spurs. He previously told me there was not an operation that would help. I told him we needed to part ways because they were not helping me any. Doctor Colle is a DO and as for as I know does not have any specialty for surgery. read more