Dr. Balog claimed he faxed my shoulder arthrogram on 10-2018 to coordinate a surgical plan with my Cedar Sinai - orthopedic surgeon of record. Balog 's office never did fax my left shoulder arthrogram to my surgeon. In May 2019, Balog's office finally got around to faxing to my orthopedic surgeon of record since 2016-- a mish-mash of incomplete medical reports that did not include my arthrogram MRI report. No where did Carl Balog indicate that I was a surgical referral. Therefore, Carl Balog claimed that he was coordinating a surgical plan with my orthopedic surgeon of record in a timely manner since 10-2018 and in 11-2020 he never did. In addition, Balog instead sent out two different medical charts-- one report went to the insurer and a totally different medical chart was sent to to me. Despite his knowing of this problem it continued for eight months Balog did not provide me a medical chart for 04-2020 or 05-2020 despite my request for these reports. Since COVID-19 Balog has not seen me in person since March of 2020 and we were having medical appointments every month by phone. read more

I have been a patient of Dr Balog and NP Joe Knaus for almost 25 years. Dr. Balog & Joe and also treated me with such respect and really listened to my ever word from the very 1st time. I was in 2 really back auto accident six month apart. Dr. Pog to the very very good care of me. He treated the problem we got better just as I was starting to go back to work , we were in another accident . we were at a stop light, the man who hit us was going 55 mph slammed into the back of my car. My car was totaled . The ambulance ride to the hospital was joyfull(not), they did call the office and Dr Balog came the ER to see me. we started with the MRI, had 3 ruptured disk , we had to get the swelling down first befor surgery . We did steroid injections, them to surgery. it's has been wonderful being Dr Balog Office Joe's. I'm still in pain still dealing with it but with other medical problems can't do much now. But I am sad to say Dr. Balog MD month and I miss him dearly. It has been a wonderful experience with Portland Pain Spine staff and the doctors. I want to thank Dr. Balog for all his support , kindness, professionalism, also for the staff kidness, helpfullnis. THANK YOU SO MUCH DR. Balog.. read more

I am going to miss Carl and the amazing staff. I now have no one who will prescibe my medication. The clinic that referal was sent to would not take it, so i am left hopeless now after 15 years. Dr Balog kept me working. The good ones always retire read more

I've been a patient for several years, excellent doctor and staff. I have a complicated medical history, so I really appreciate the thoroughness. read more

I'm really surprised to see any negative reviews on here because this clinic and the staff are super great people and are great at what they do. I've never had any rude staff members or issues. My grandma suddenly passed away today and they spoke to me with respect and kindness on the phone and helped me figure out what I needed. Dr.balog has fought for care for me when insurance denied medications and advocates for me still to get a procedure done to improve my quality of life. Nothing but amazing things to say about this office! read more

I am proud to be a patient of Dr. Balog and Balog Regenerative. Dr. Balog and his staff is kind, gentle, compassionate and they listen to me. When someone is experiencing constant pain, it is comforting to have a doctor that gives quality care. Thank you, Doctor Balog and your excellent staff! Catherine M. read more

I've been a patient for four years now. Due to relocating twice, this is now the third pain clinic I've been to in Oregon and I have to say the best. They communicate clearly and follow through on their end whether it's for refills, referrals or getting more information. Their staff are excellent. I've never felt looked down on or condescended towards. I've also never felt like I was being treated as if I were an addict, which sadly is not true of all pain clinics. They ask questions each and every time I see them to stay up to date on how I'm doing and how things are working for me. They are open and honest about the benefits and detriments of available treatment and while they only handle pain management, they do view patients holistically to help me get all the care I need both in and outside of their office. I wish all medical providers and especially pain clinics were like this. read more

When I first went to my new pain specialist, he told me Dr. Balog had called him a couple months earlier asking if he'd take some of his patients. Dr. Balog wanted to decrease his patient load by 50%. Knaus is NOT a doctor; he couldn't prescribe pain medication. He's essentially a lacky who entertains patients since he has limitations. He's a glorified nurse. Tricia is the rudest of all threatening to call the police for merely showing up for a scheduled appt. They committed a huge HIPPA violation which I may decide to finally remedy legally; I also noted Dr. Balog's office now on Greenburg. I wouldn't trust him; he takes a week off quite frequently despite having pain patients dependent upon him. BEWARE! read more

I have been with Dr. Balog for 19 years. I did have to move out of the area for 4 years but, when I moved back he took me back. I have seen the worst of pain management clinics while I was away. Some clinics treat you like your an addict while others had tried to get me hyped up on so many drugs. Dr. Balog has always been fair and honest with me. Pain management has come a long way in all this time. Dr. Balog and his office has always been on the cutting edge of this discipline. If your looking to just throw pills at your pain then you are of the wrong mind set. Let him show you there is multiple ways to help your pain. He is a very caring and understanding man. If you go in with an open mind he can help you. read more

Amazing! Dr Balog and the staff were incredibly kind and I have a great experience my first treatment. I have been suffering chronic migraines and no medication has worked. A friend recommended him for Botox injections to ease the migraine pain. LIFE CHANGING! I cannot even express how amazing it was to experience so little pain after only a week when a migraine came on. I had been suffering for months and months nearly daily from migraines that made me absolutely inconsolable from the pain. I would recommend anyone with severe migraines that has yet to find a treatment that helps try this option. Not only was the treatment effective, meeting with such a kind and caring Dr and staff made the entire experience 5 stars. read more

I've been dealing with pain for years and years, with no known cause, in recent years it's been getting much worse at a much faster rate. I've seen countless doctors who all want to either throw drugs at me and never look deeper than that, or give me a quick guess at what it might be and some simple stretch or exercise that doesn't help at all, or worse, make me feel like I'm making it all up because I have no concrete event I can point to as the cause of the pain, such as a car accident. For the first time I felt like I was heard. Dr. Balog took the time to listen to me, he asked questions that made sense to me, rather than ones that frustrated me. He made me feel like he understood, that he knew what I was going through, and that maybe it won't always be this way. For me, for someone who had finally lost hope of ever going a day without pain, I've finally got hope back. This is all due to Dr. Balog and his wonderful staff. From the minute I walked in everyone I encountered was friendly and helpful. The clinic is cozy and comfortable, it put me at ease right away. When I met Dr. Balog I felt comfortable with him pretty much immediately. To me he felt like that favorite uncle who is funny but also gives you great advice. I didn't feel rushed at al, he stayed and talked for so long I couldn't believe it when I finally left. His assistants were very sweet and helpful, also putting me very much at ease and making me feel like I can rely on them for help, that I'm not alone in this. When I left the clinic I cried, I actually cried. This has been going on for years, making everyday life harder and harder, less and less enjoyable, to the point that I'm worried about my ability to work and have no desire to socialize because I'm in constant pain. No one has ever done anything to make me feel like it would get better. No one seemed to really be that interested in trying to find out what was even wrong with me. I felt hopeless, I felt like I had no options. And now I feel like I have been understood. I've been acknowledged. That alone really helps, but the fact that he has given me hope that I can get my body better is absolutely priceless. Worth 10 stars at least. read more

After waiting 6 weeks for Portland Pain & Spine to review my charts an appointment was finally made/ confirmed. Once at the office for my appointment the treatment I received from office staff and business manager was beyond intolerable / rude. In fact when compared to ALL my appointments this BY FAR WAS THE WORST treatment I have ever experienced., leaving me feeling this was a total waist of time as I promptly grabbed my paperwork an left before being treated by the doctor. So disappointed, and I assume my doctor will NOT be referring anyone else to PP&S once I relay my experience. Even if Balog is a good doctor , dealing with the current personnel is not worth it. But the reality is a GOOD doctor would never allow employees to engage patients in the way I experienced. I would AVOID Portland Pain & Spine. read more

I have been going to this practice for over a year now,I have always been treated with the upmost respect. I currently see "joe" for my treatment. Joe has been a blessing in disguise. My treatment has made my quality of life 85 percent better. I highly recommend joe,and portland pain and spine.i will continue my treatments there as long as Joe's there.the staff is very kind and acomidating,and always a pleasure to work with. Thanks so much. read more

OK....I do believe Joe and Dr. Balog are doing their best. Joe and Toby are amazing...he and I have many long spine tingling conversations about life and death. I always walk out with a beaming smile on my face. So far as folks whom have had what they think to be unpleasant experiences, one must try and put themselves in Dr. Balog's place. I'm certain he and Joe are constantly being scammed and told tall tales for pain meds. This at a time when the whole opiate thing is under severe scrutiny. There is no black and white with this issue. I'm sure Joe and the Dr. have to balance their compassion with folk's pain and the fact that pain meds only help so far. No matter how careful and in need a patient is, he probably will become addicted to effective levels of pain med. Most docs may simply cut u loose at this point cause this is when the self medicating starts. I know because I have gotten the "look" and the "talk" when I reached this point. This last time when I felt myself slipping, I talked to Joe and he never treated me or talked to me like I was an addict....instead, he got me on a medication that not only helped the pain, but was not mentally addictive. This is something a friend would do. I will also mention that the the main focus of Dr. Balog's treatment is that he performs very effective day surgery operations which are relatively non intrusive. He is a master of these surgeries and probably the best in the area. (Plus, he and his Doc buds will leave u in stitches with their silliness and joking in the surgery center). If you are experiencing back and neck issues, talk to them about these surgeries - just do not expect them to throw a bunch of pain pills your way as that climate in this country is about over. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Balog's for many years. I have to tell you...he "IS" "THE" best!!! He is the only doctor who can give me an injection (whether trigger point or epidural) efficiently, quickly and ... doesn't hurt me. I haven't always been able to see him because he isn't in plan with my insurance. But when I've gone to other doctors they either hurt me (poking and damaging nerves) in the process or have a hard time getting the job done. Last summer Dr. Balog got a C5-7 epidural (that's 3 levels) done in a matter of minutes. A few years ago, when I went to someone else for a C6 epidural it took the other doctor over an hour to do just the one level and he poked many nerves along the way. My spine is riddled with arthritis, but Dr. Balog had no problem maneuvering all those obstacles. : ) He also did PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections on my wrists. I have so many torn ligaments, cartilage, and tendons, plus scar tissue from two surgeries on each wrist, so he had his work cut out for him. He used ultrasound to find each spot to make sure he found all my problem areas and then injected each one as he found them. I had a ligament that was barely hanging on and the PRP actually helped strengthen it and my wrist. I believe he saved me from a lot of pain. He did an awesome job and was so thorough and patient. He also has the best bedside manner. He is funny and down to earth, and always remembers you and what you have talked about in the past. The PA and Nurse, Abraham and Joe are wonderful and down to earth as well. All the staff are exceptional and so friendly. Dr. Balog knows his stuff and is the best. I've learned a tough lesson trying to save money going to doctors that are in plan with my insurance. In the long run they have cost me more money, hurt me by damaging nerves in my spine and aren't nearly as efficient. I believe I said that already; guess I'm trying to make a point. Ha! I also want to say, not all pain management doctors believe in regenerative treatment like stem cell and PRP, so it is refreshing to find one like Dr. Balog that does both. You won't find a better pain management doctor and practice. Sadly, I've learned the hard way. Thank you for being such a blessing, Dr. Balog. : ) read more

I recently shattered my leg in my kitchen as I was leaving for the airport to go on vacation. Spent 5 days in the hospital, the day after I was released dr. Balog's office called for a "random" count. Told them what had happened and said I know the doc knows. My leg was in 8 pieces i told them I could in NO way physically handle the 60 mile trip to his office. 2 weeks later and the day before my next refill appointment dr. Balog's office called and said because I missed my pill count appointment i had violated the pain contract, and I was being discharged. I trusted and did everything the doctor asked me to do. I was on high levels of narcotics because I had been for 10 yrs and I have a bone disease. Doc told me he was fine with that. I guess he changed his mind. Wish he would have been honest and fare with me. Using excuses isn't the kind of man i thought he was. I pretty much had to get to get anymore of my prescription, he gave me one months worth to get me into a new pain doc. I've been rejected by 3 pain clinics so far, because no pain doc wants to prescribe any narcotics anymore. I asked Balog to bridge my medication till I can get in somewhere. Nope, I guess for him, me going through withdrawal is "doing less harm" than him having to give me one more months of medication. I yes I'm still at him in wheelchair, can t drive, it makes getting out to new doctors apps rather difficult. Dr Balog just can't be bothered to be compassionate, or act like a human. Be careful of when he becomes tired of you, or a has bad day. Damon read more

Dr. Balog and Joe, NP are incredible. They always take the time to listen, work through my existing or new issues and educate me on what our current course of care is or work on adding/trying new methods to see if maybe something new will assist in a way the "old" method doesn't take care of. The one thing that not only Dr. Balog and Joe do, but Trisha and almost everyone else I have work with do, is make me feel like I am not just a drug addict coming in looking for a fix. These are medical professionals that make it clear that they work in this field of pain and spine because they care about their patients. Alas, it is unfortunate that a few bad apples ruin the basket, but it is a saying for a reason and this is not only true in this medical office but in every industry. There are those who are not in constant pain, have injuries that don't show up on an X-ray or an MRI and in an Orthopedic clinic or Family practice are treated in ways that make a grown woman cry. I can't tell you how many times I have left a new "specialist" with them having made me feel like I was a heroin addict and just going to them for a drug when all I want, or have ever wanted, was not to hurt anymore. I would even take 25% relief, of any form, just to be able to work a full shift without the constant thought of the pain I am in, enjoy a full movie in a movie theater without having to leave halfway through because I can't sit in that position for the entire length of the film, hold my newborn niece in my arms for more than 15 mins without having to give her back because I am in such pain but my body does not allow that to happen. So regardless if an MRI or X-ray doesn't show the injury, something is clearly wrong with me for the past 15+ years of my otherwise incredible life. I would give anything not be eaten up by this injury/pain. This team has not once, since the first day I started with them a few years back, made me feel "lesser than" or like I was lying. The tears I cry are now because they touch me with their empathy, kindness and pure caring. I am sorry for a few that have left because of some poor administrative personnel and never got through to the medical team, but if they would have stuck it out they could have made their voices heard much clearer, stating their grievances directly to that team and help them work on getting administrative personnel that fit both their practices needs and add to their moral objectives of being care providers of so many of us "pain sufferers" that for the most part have our voices squashed by the naysayers that have never experienced an injury that left them in pain for the remainder of their lives or at least until a new method has been found to help them out. (Update, they have hit the jackpot at the front desk and should they ever decide to promote her, may they give her a raise and promote her into customer manager, as she handles the front desk duties like a pro, juggling phone calls, patients checking in telling her their entire story paperwork etc. She makes that in person customer feel like she knows their story, empatgizes with the situation as she works the phone and computer. Magic, keep her! Her position is AS if not More important than most others in the practice and she is a gem. I am not a paid employee, relative of Dr. Balog or team, I am just a patient that has experienced both some administrative personal issues and some incredible care by the medical team. The administrative team is much better, I believe my voice was heard when I lodged a few concerns and it seems that some in-house training might be doing the trick. I almost don't want to say how great PP&S is because it is already hard enough to get in to see the doctor without some extra calendar time but after running across these horrible reviews I couldn't be a voice silenced by not wanted to spend a few minutes giving my opinion. Regards and good luck on your quest for pain free living, in whatever form you find it. read more

Super nice staff but wouldn't treat for unknown reason. Very unprofessional. I wouldn't recommend this doctor.

Made me find a new Dr without any help on their end after a procedure that left me in a lot of pain. Not happy with their treatment.

I was a patient here for over a year i have lots of chronic pain problems. I also had a son pass away from a drunk driver situation out of state and then my daughter got septic and almost died, when all that happened i was asked not to come back by the nurse, Dr. BALAF 'S nurse, which i thought was really shitty! So if anyone has problems u will be Droped in a Heartbeat . Also i observed at that clinic on multiple times people getting dropped because they would not do the injections he wanted to do, i heard a COUPLE people come out from there appt. Saying that as i waited for my last appt. read more

Joe is my Dr. here at this clinic. I've been a "PAIN PATIENT" for almost 15 yrs.I'm 48 no so it started early on. I have been called everything from a drug seeker to a plain out lying. Who in their right mind want's to be in pain 24hr's a day? Sorry, it's just been a loooong road before I found this wonderful clinic/ Dr. The Dr's and staff here are so wonderful I can't say thank you enough. Your actually treated like a person here not a number in a file. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more

I absolutely cannot believe my experience with this office. My last visit they eased my fears and went over what the plan was. Both myself and my pharmacy stopped getting responses to our messages left after that. I did what I was asked of. today I emailed saying I have not had a response and want to make sure things are on track. They said phones were down they couldn't call anybody. I had said I called yesterday and multiple times in the last month. And am going out of town tomorrow. She said either come in or don't get it. I said I didn't feel they were fulfilling their duties of communicating with the patients and requested I speak to my dr or nurse instead of office manager. She continued to be condescending when I tried to be calm and just saying I have rights to speak to my dr. She told me to come in but then sends another note she's decided my behavior deserves for me to be deleted as a patient. I asked what behavior she said your behavior. Unbelievable how they just aren't honest and do not know how to run an office. Last time they tried to overcharge me $100. read more

Great doctor, great staff, my husbands care has been a life changing experience for both him and our whole family. He~~~ Highly recommends!

Dr. Balog is great! He listens to what you say, looks over MRI's X-rays and medical reports and actually looks for solutions to what is causing pain and how to best deal with it. He actually makes notes and documents problems and findings. I can't begin to say how important detailed notes are; especially when dealing with multiple issues from an accident. I have been to a number of doctors who write down almost nothing which makes it hard to get treated for multiple problems. Without documentation nothing moves forward. Portland Pain and Spine staff have always been professional, warm and kind. If I ever have to wait for an appointment, I know it is because the doctor is helping someone, not just wasting time. I know that he has spent whatever time was needed to understand my complex pain issues. I recommend you start with Dr. Balog because he does a good job and he cares. I wish I had found him three years before I did, as it would have saved me years of suffering. Wishing you all a Healthy "Pain Free" life Jerry read more

Dr. Balog, MD & Joe Knaus,FNP are wonderful People and the Best physician . After my injury i went to so many Dr. In hopes of finding someone that had compasion, and knowledge to understand the pain i was in, and how to give me some kind of life back. I had gone from a active women to a women trapped in a body that's life now had become a prisoner's of nothing but agony . I cried after my first appointment with Dr. Balog because i knew he understood what i was living with. Thank God for Dr. Balog. He is so intellegent, and knowledable about spine' s and treatments that work. But what i love most about Dr. Balog and Joe is there real compassion to help people. They are the real deal. They have given me much relief so i know can continue to work, i can visit my family without laying down on the couch. New breakthrough's with medical treatments are coming. I hope to do a stem cell treatment with no one but Dr. Balog in the future. I highly recomend this Dr. And his practice. read more

This is the WORST doctor's office I have ever been to. After I repeatedly asked the scheduler not to schedule a procedure until after I talked to the doctor, she did it anyway without confirming with me if the day and time were ok with me or giving me any info on the procedure. I received a phone call the day before my appointment to discuss the procedure and to receive my prescriptions telling me the doctor would no longer see me. So the doctor left me without my needed medicines and without anywhere to go to get the help I need. The worst part is the assistant laughed at me because I was going to have to go through withdraw from my pain meds. I have been on pain meds for over 20 years and to suddenly go without them is life threatening. But do they care? absolutely NOT!!! Not only did this happen but in January I was in the hospital with respiratory failure. My Rx's were due to be filled while I was in the hospital. I called the office to make sure when I got out and was feeling well enough I would be able to get my Rx's. I was advised that I had to drive over 100 miles over the coast range to get my Rx's in person even though the pass was closed due to icy and snowy conditions and I was too ill to walk let alone drive this far in inclement weather. The office manager would not budge, even though they closed their office several days because of weather conditions. Nobody in this office is willing to compromise due to circumstances, nor do they care about their patients. They will not listen to your side of the story. They are robots with no feelings. Especially Dr. Balog. I would never recommend this office to anyone and hope they go out of business and also learn compassion for their patients. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Balog for the past 2 years for my chronic pain. I have been dealing with degenerative disk disease in both my low back and more recently my cervical spine which has been causing me the most pain the past two years but I still have the constant low back pain as well. I have had surgery in both areas and this pain has been progressing for 15 years since I was 28. Dr. Balog was the first doctor that didn't treat me like I was over exaggerating when I explained my chronic pain to him. He took a surprising amount of time to really listen. He was also compassionate and he and his assistant made me feel comfortable right away. I have had several other health issues to include thyroid and cancer so I have seen quite a few doctors the past few years. Usually I leave the appointment with several questions that I never asked because the doctor rushed through the appointment in 15 minutes or less and some just made me too uncomfortable to ask my questions. That happens more often than not unfortunately so It was so nice to meet a doctor that actually took the time to listen and be compassionate about what I was experiencing. I feel like many doctors treat chronic pain patients like they are all drug addicts, but I did not feel that way coming to PPS. Dr. Balog came up with a treatment plan of different things to try to help reduce my pain and he gave me some hope yet has also been realistic as well. The clinic is clearly very busy and sometimes I haven't received a return phone call after leaving a message. This has been my only issue in 2 years but it's not a big issue because eventually I am able to reach someone who is more than willing to help me. All of the office staff have been super friendly and helpful anytime I call or am present for an appointment, especially Dr. Balog's assistant, Trisha. I have also met with another doctor at PPS while Dr. Balog was out of the office for awhile and I had just as good of an experience with the other doctor. I would highly recommend PPS for anyone suffering with pain. read more

words cannot explain how wonderful these businesses are such wonderful service and the staff so on top of their game with paper work and codes all top notch . truly a wonderful experience , one of the most unique of any dealings I have had with a doctor. read more