Dr. Marina Protopapas, DO

Doctor Protopapas is great. This review is regarding the facility manager who lack empathy and condescending. She assumed patient knows protocol, required to have a consult if the location of pain changes in between appointments. Granted, that yes it’s rescheduled. Her comments such as “you can go to the emergency room” “do you want the appointment with CONDESCENDING tone” ….. she should NOT be in healthcare or specially pain management setting. The initial contact with whomever helped me was better than the facility manager. I had to leave review here as it is the only way for National Spine and Pain to know this employee (facility manager)does not belong there. They need to put someone else in charge.

The only person in the world who I’d allow to put a needle near my spinal cord is Dr. P. Also, great NP’s and staff. Dr. P is skilled, caring and highly professional.

I was referred to Dr Protopapas several years ago for CRPS pain. I saw her for several months. Yes, I had to wait inordinately long to get in and see her. But it was one million percent worth it. She was wonderful. And her excellent care put my CRPS into a quiet phase, for which I am so grateful. Put aside your expectations of breezing in and out. You are seeing her for her excellent care, and focus on that.

Wake up call!!!! To Dr. Marina Protopapas, I was hoping to became your patient but unfortunately you are not taking patients at the time or don’t want me, for whatever reason, as your patient. THAT IS FINE. Your staff should have informed me right away. I expressed from the first call that I needed to see you with kind of an urgency because of the pain I’m experiencing. So Thank you. I waisted a week and 4 phone calls to your office hoping they could expedite the process of you accepting my chart. Patients are not just numbers of people to fit on a busy schedule. Patients call a DR office when they need care and sometime is urgent. So please make some change in your protocol so we can move forward looking for care.

Dr. Protopapas is by far one of the most effective physicians I have ever seen. Her treatment prior to my first back surgery surgery some years ago was marked by kindness, consideration, and unsurpassed technical expertise. The 1 star review she received (above) is ridiculous; better that she should advise a patient she could not treat his condition than to engage in a procedure, knowing in advance that it would not help.

Dr. Protopapas has been the most effective in dealing with my severe spinal issues. She pinpoints the exact locations to inject to relieve my pain. She has managed to postpone a cervical surgery for over 3 years, almost completely eliminating my pain. I highly recommend her practice. The whole office staff is kind, caring, and very professional.

I’m not just a number.

What a disappointment! After waiting 2 months to get an appointment to see Dr. Protopapas, I was expecting more. She told me that because I had too many trigger points, she would not be able to do anything for me. I was expecting her to come up with a treatment plan but she just told me go to the rheumatologist or another type of physician and take fibromyalgia medications (effective in only 10% of the population) with terrible side effects. Since then, I have gone to another doctor who prescribed physical therapy, trigger point injections, and a psychology referral, and I am finally starting to feel better. Don't be fooled by a doctor's fancy schooling that they have the knowledge base to treat your disease better. It is better to find a doctor who is willing to work with you rather than brushing you off.

My husband went to Dr. Protopapas 4.5 years ago for a herniated disc in his lower back. At the time of first visit, my husband could barely walk. Dr. P. fit my husband in after seeing his condition and after the first visit he felt 75% better and after second visit, he was back to 99% I went to Dr. P when I was told I had a pinched nerve in my neck. Xray and MRI supported that I had degenerative bone disease. After several months of PT and nerve meds, the pain still existed. I told my primary care and nerve specialist that the shoulder was rubbing on another bone or muscle and that it continued to hurt. She was the first Dr. to listen and after my first my relief was amazing. I am hoping my second visit will be the magic touch for me as well.

I would never see anyone but Dr. Protopapas. Her hands are sent from angels! I am never in pain during my shots and always fearless in her hands.

Dr. Protopapas is unbelievably superb as a Dr. and as a person. In the first treatment, she took me from almost being unable to walk and in immense pain to being ably to sit perfectly comfortable in a restaurant tall chair two hours later. Followup treatments continued to improve my condition and now I am back to my original self. No surgery, no pain; paint a happy face here. Her love for her work and concern for her patients is outstanding shows constantly.

Avoid at all costs! This is the most chaotic medical practice I have ever seen. Convincing Dr. P. to talk to my insurance company for an MRI was an ordeal - I had to reschedule repeatedly. When I finally had results, I talked to Jessica, her physician's assistant. She told me I had three herniations in my lumbar, but a second opinion showed she was flat wrong. Jessica also said paralysis was a concern - wrong again. Yet I had to live with that absurd fear for several days. Crazily incompetent.

When you schedule an appointment you have to wait 1-3 hours to be seen. They try to charge ridiculous fees. Their front office staff is absolutely the worst! Vanessa(?) hung up on me. Their front office manager Eric called me to argue and was so rude and condescending. Then he told me I wouldn’t be charged a no show fee to turn around and bill me $75! Now they won’t call back and their billing is out of state. Do NOT go here! Rude staff and managers. I tell my chiropractor do not refer here!

Dr. Protopapas and her staff are excellent! Pain is not something most people can see just by looking at you, but she and her wonderful NP, Nargis, can tell! They acknowledge my pain and do their best to get me relief. Dr. P remembers things I tell her and helps me feel like I am important to her as a person, not just a patient. I highly recommend Dr. Protopapas and her practice to anyone who is looking for relief from pain.

The Office is often full of patients who are seldom seen by the Dr. It appears that the physician's assistants see the patients for most of the appointments. When you get an appointment to be seen by Dr. Protopapas, actually, you are seen by one of the assistants, not by Dr. Protopapas. And they don't tell you that. Maybe, provider's policy or she does not have good communication with her patients, assistants and other staff. Dr. Protopapas: Your reputation is in stake with these rude assistants

The office staff is great. Dr. Protopapas is amazing.

This clinic is the worst place for a patient to go make appointments. I had a terrible experience visiting this office. During a severe pain condition I went to see Dr. Protopapas but instead her PA (Jessica) saw me. PA prescribed 4 types of medicine for the pain but none of them helped relieve the pain that gave me side effects. After dealing with pain I called after the weekend to make urgent appt the staff (Eric) declined to make an appt instead argued with me and hung up the phone on me.

I really wanted to give Dr. P a higher rating. I have been seeing her for 8+ yrs and have had good results. However, I think her practice has gotten too "big for their britches" as they say. I went back to see her several weeks ago for neck and shoulder pain. I went and got my MRI an Xray. On my follow up I was only able to see the PA who offered zero insight into what is causing my pain. She did offer to give me an injection in my shoulder to "see what happens". Very Disappointing.