Pain Clinic

BEWARE of this pain clinic!!. I waited 4 years to get into this pain clinic, and the care is really sub-par, and the doctors don’t seem to care about their patients at all, and they just want to rush you out the door and be done with you so they can move on to different patients on the waitlist. And if you have a complex case, forget about it. They’d rather kick you out of their clinic rather than taking the time to truly help you.Like I said, I waited 4 years to get into this pain clinic at the hospital, and when I finally got to see a doctor, it was obvious that she didn’t care about me right off the bat. It was obvious how incredibly judgemental she was from the start. I came in with an already existing diagnosis of CRPS. At the first and second and third appt, she said I definitely looked like I had CRPS, and met the criteria, but wanted to rule out everything else. Another doctor even took a look at my foot/leg and said that I met criteria for a CRPS diagnosis. But she absolutely refused to make a diagnosis. She did a bone scan, and that was negative... and then she said I didn’t have CRPS (despite all the signs and meeting the Budapest criteria, and already having a diagnosis from a different doctor). There is no single study or lab test that can confirm or exclude CRPS - it’s all based on meeting the Budapest criteria, which I do. . She then labelled me with “opiate use disorder” (which I don’t have, according to many other doctors, I don’t have any of the signs). She immediately took me off of all opiates, right before Christmas break, which sent me into severe withdrawal and increased my pain dramatically (which was being controlled). I couldn’t reach a doctor for WEEKS, and I was too scared to go to the ER for help. I attempted suicide, and then when I saw her next, she was very dismissive of me and basically said that she “didn’t know how else to treat me” for the pain, despite having tried NOTHING to treat my CRPS pain.She clearly just labelled me so she could kick me out of the pain clinic. I had about 6 appointments in total, she wasn’t willing to treat me, and then when I called to book another appointment the next month, I was told that I was no longer a patient there. The last I had heard was that she was going on vacation for a couple of weeks, and that I would have a follow up appointment with her when she got back, at which point, I had arranged to hire a patient advocate to come with me. Well, I guess she didn’t want this, so she labelled me with an opiate use disorder so she could kick me out.I’ve seen 3 different doctors since then, and all 3 have CONFIRMED that I do in fact have CRPS. They have all stated that I definitely DO NOT have “opiate use disorder” and I am back on opiates, which are managing my pain well and have lowered it from 8/10 every day to 5/10 on a good day.The Ottawa Hospitals pain clinic is the ONLY pain clinic in my city that can do Ketamine infusions and Sympathetic blocks, etc, and she absolutely refused to try anything. Ketamine infusions are the standard, #1 treatment for CRPS, and if done early, they can even send CRPS into remission. But since she refused to treat me, labelled me and more or less called me a liar, all so she could get away with dropping me as a patient (and not get sued), my CRPS may never go into remission. I will probably have to live with this pain for the rest of my life, all because of this doctor who didn’t care about me, who doesn’t seem to care about anybody but herself. I can’t figure out for the life of me why she became a doctor... it definitely wasn’t to help people...

This is the best team of Doctors, nurses and the must kind ,beautiful and happiest front desk girls I have ever met in my life . I have always been treated like a celebrity there . They welcomed me with a big smile and great excitement, this is the best part of my month , I always looking forward to go there. Plus they do take a good care of me .Thank you all,Manuel

TOH Pain Clinic has given my wife and I some hope again.Doctor Yvette Goddard has really made a difference in our lives.

I am from out of town. I was treated well. The next time you transfer a patient out of town . Make sure you pack the file with the patient.

Why is my review always deleted????? This clinic is a joke! Dr S M Y T H is a horrible excuse for a doctor. She has no heart and labels everyone. We're in chronic pain doctor.. Seriously.

I have a mechanical problem with my shoulder because of injuries that I am now getting treated elsewhere. This clinic visit a couple years ago was a set back for me with getting help for this because they made me feel like I wasn’t being truthful about my problems with my shoulder. They told me treating it wouldn’t help. They said I needed to work on my posture. I just don’t think they knew what they were talking about. I left feeling very dismissed. I’ve had chronic pain for twelve years and I think my case was too complicated for this clinic.

I was very disappointed with my experience at the Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic. I waited a year and a half to see a doctor and they refused to meet with me.

Worst possible experience. Waited years for an appointment in excruciating pain. Called several times to explain my condition and situation - they simply didn’t care and even admitted that they will give earlier appointments to people just because they were referred ahead of me and not because of pain severity. When I finally got an appointment, they scheduled it at a time and date that I couldn’t make for valid reasons (due to mobility issues, I needed assistance) I called back to ask for their understanding and this resulted in a back-and-forth. They actually ended up forgetting about me and called me nearly a year later to rebook me. Thanks a lot? This was such an absolute waste of time and a garbage experience. This clinic is treating (or supposed to be) individuals living in chronic, unbearable pain. Why do they conduct themselves this way? Absolutely no regard for their “patients”. Go somewhere else if you can, otherwise you’ll be waiting indefinitely for an appointment that may never come and from a place that clearly doesn’t care. It’s an absolute travesty that this is the standard of care available.

You can never get a hold of someone for a urgent reason you only get a recording to leave a message but they never call you back.

I have crps1, I was treated with medications first, then nerve blocks, unfortunately the nerve blocks only worked for a short time. I was recommended for a spinal cord stimulator trail, this was very effective in reducing the severe pain of crps. With the help of Dr Smyth I got approved for a permanent stimulator implant in 2011, This along with pain medications I have a life worth living again. I am very grateful to Dr Smyth for her care and compassion. With the mindfulness courses she gave me all the tools I needed to have a better life, not pain free but I have the tools now know my triggers. So Thank you so much Dr Smyth and Staff, you have always been professional and I appreciate everything Dr Smyth did for me, she is the best Dr I have met.