First the good:
Dr. Ralph is a welcoming, friendly man who makes you feel comfortable from the beginning.
Now the not-so-good:
I have been hesitating writing this because of how warm Dr. Ralph is as a person. He truly appears to care for the patients he works with, so I'm sorry, but I have to share my experience.
I went to Dr. Ralph initially because of a foot surgery (bunion and hammertoe) that did not heal well. I was left with toes that were (and continue to be) very stiff and pain on the ball of my foot when I walk (also unresolved). I do not take issue with Dr. Ralph not being able to solve my foot problem because we both knew it may be unsuccessful. What I take issue with is the use of the ArthroStim, a jackhammer-like instrument that delivers rapid tapping, which he used on my repaired hammertoe. I told him the toe had been fused and that was what was supposed to be done for the repair. Despite that information, he used the ArthroStim. I noticed that low and behold, he recreated the hammertoe! I asked him to not use that device on my toe anymore, told him why (with no response from him) and we moved on.
Why did I stay?
I have a curved spine with a lumbothoracic gibbus formation which he told me he could straighten so it would no longer be visible. Excited, I was totally on board. Initially, it was amazing! I could actually see less of my protruding spine. Over time, with 3 day a week appointments, I felt like we reached a plateau and expressed this to Dr. Ralph. He reassured me, and we continued. It always came with some discomfort, both during and after, but again, he reassured me. Then one day (my last time seeing Dr. Ralph) he applied pressure and it wasn't discomfort, it HURT! I found myself having spasms accompanied by a great deal of pain for weeks after that appointment. I stopped by to let him know, but he was with patients so I told his daughter. I thought he would call me to touch base and see how things were going, but no such call came.
End of story:
My repaired hammertoe is, well, no longer repaired. I may have to endure another toe surgery to repair the damage Dr. Ralph did on the original repair.
First the good:
Dr. Ralph is a welcoming, friendly man who makes you feel comfortable from the get go.
Now the not-so-good:
I have been hesitating writing this because of how warm Dr. Ralph is as a person. He truly appears to care for the patients he works with, so I'm sorry, but I have to share my experience.
I went to Dr. Ralph initially because of a foot surgery (bunion and hammertoe) that did not heal well. I was left with toes that were (and continue to be) very stiff and pain on the ball of my foot when I walk (also unresolved). I do not take issue with Dr. Ralph not being able to solve my foot problem because we both knew it may be unsuccessful. What I take issue with is the use of the ArthroStim, a jackhammer-like instrument that delivers rapid tapping, which he used on my repaired hammertoe (second toe next to big toe). I told him the toe had been fused and that was what was supposed to be done for the repair. Despite that information, he used the ArthroStim. I noticed that low and behold, he recreated the hammertoe! I asked him to not use that device on my toe anymore, told him why (with no response from him) and we moved on.
Why did I stay?
I have a curved spine with a lumbothoracic gibbus formation and he told me he could straighten my spine so it would no longer be visible. Excited, I was totally on board. Initially, it was amazing! I could actually see less of my protruding spine (remember, I said it was gross). Over time, with 3 day a week appointments, I felt like we reached a plateau and expressed this to Dr. Ralph. He reassured me, and we continued. It always came with some discomfort, both during and after, but again, he reassured me. Then one day (my last time seeing Dr. Ralph) he applied pressure and it wasn't discomfort, it HURT! I found myself having spasms accompanied by a great deal of pain for weeks after that appointment. I stopped by to let him know, but he was with patients so I told his daughter. I thought he would call me to touch base and see how things were going, but no such call came.
End of story:
My repaired hammertoe is, well, no longer repaired. I may have to endure another toe surgery to repair the damage Dr. Ralph did on the original repair.
Also, I now have to go see a spine specialist because the pain continues (which was not there before my adjustments with Dr. Ralph) and I often find myself in spasms and "stuck" in a position that I have to crack my back to get out of.
I am not saying one should not go see Dr. Ralph. That is a personal decision that should be made by the individual. I am simply sharing my experience based on the facts that were relevant to me. read more