I started seeing Dr. Candido after 9 operations on my right shoulder. I've been in constant pain since 2005 due to a on the job injury. After seeing more doctors than I can count, I finally found the one that helped me. I can not say enough about this doctor, and his patient care. The whole team works together, for the best outcome. Dr. Candido truly has his patients care as his number one priority. I would recommend Dr. Candido, if you're looking for a kind, compassionate doctor that knows his patients, and how to help them get at least some of their life back. My own niece is going to be a patient, that's how much confidence we have in Dr. Candido!! He is a God Send!! Thank you Dr. Candido for giving me my life back!! read more

Stop assuming and siding with insurance companies for the money and stop making false reports to side with insurance companies instead try seeing the patient more than 45 min . That person that he made a false reports on is about to be confined to a wheelchair now as his report stopped his treatment that the insurance company was paying for was actually working but in his report said that the patient said it wasn't working! How dishonest can a Dr be! He doesn't deserve a star at all ! read more

Had a great IME. Not only did he care but he explained everything to me and actually cares about what was going on with me. Great experience and he is very knowledgeable. Definitely top tier on expertise. I will be using him in the future and will refer him to anyone dealing with pain. 5 starz wasn't enough. read more

I went to three visits. At the first visit, he said get an MRI. He didn't know or have knowledge that the MRI in the hospital where he worked was too narrow of an opening to accommodate the width of my shoulders. I would have thought a simple visual assessment at the time of my visit would have been sufficient. Instead, I was delayed and strung along for two more visits. He didn't submit the correct paperwork for the MRI so it was denied by the insurance. Finally, after two more visits, going for the MRI was unsuccessful so he wrote a prescription for an "Open MRI" at a facility 17 miles away from my home in the far Western suburbs. He prescribed me with Lidocaine patches yet he refused to proovide the insurance the necessary documentation for the patches and it was denied. Even after I asked his staff and the hospital administrator to ask him to send the documentation to BCBS, he never did it. Eventually, I transferred to Dr. Shah who scheduled me for treatment the same day, prrovided all the necessary insurance paperwork immediately and I finally got treatment from dr. Shaha after months of Candido stalling and denying me treatment. Dr. Candido is a "Yes" man to the insurance company and a "No" man to helping patients. Also, I told him that MEloxicam didn't help. I told him it was causing me to fall asleep constantly. Instead of prescribing a different muscle relaxant (As Dr. Shah did on the first visit), Dr. Candido wrote a refill for Meloxicam and I never filled it. I continued to be in excruciating pain because Candido couldn't be bothered to listen to the needs of a patient and write a proper, useful prescription. read more

In January, I called with a referral from my podiatrist and Advocate said they hadn't received the referral. I knew for sure it had been faxed so I asked where else it could be and they weren't sure. As I was on my way to work, I couldn't access my insurance card, so they said to call back to book when I had both things, so I did, and that slight delay set my appointment time back a month -- from late April to late May. (My podiatry office assured me they sent the fax, then sent it again. I never got confirmation from Dr. Candido's office that they'd ever gotten it.) So in February, I booked for the end of May. My podiatrist had told me that seeing a pain mgmt doctor usually had a big delay, so I accepted that as normal in these (ugh) unprecedented times. Months passed, then the week before my appointment, I got a voicemail saying they needed to reschedule. When I called, they said that actually they had misspoken and they needed to cancel my appointment because the doctor was no longer seeing new patients. I asked if I could book an appointment with someone else at that clinic and was told (in May) that the earliest opening with another doctor was July. I was told I could also book an appointment with Dr. Candido for July in case he "changed his mind" and would be able to see new patients. What! I was referred to Dr. Candido because my podiatrist told me he was a great doctor. I see he has some positive reviews, but merely getting an appointment booked was a nightmare. I felt like my referral was never received, so I wasn't taken seriously as a new prospect. Why was it so hard for them to receive a fax and why wasn't I notified WAY earlier about the change in availability? If this is a great doctor that's part of a not-great medical system, he should be aware of how bad his scheduling process is. It shouldn't be this hard! read more

Today my visit to the office was great, I got a shot of Euflexxa, I felt so much better after the shot. It is a bit of a procedure . I recommend this place . read more

I am a medical professional, and I can tell you that Dr Candido is the best of the best. First off, he believes me. When you have chronic pain it is difficult to get someone to believe you. Secondly, he is thoughtful in his approach and is willing to try multiple modalities until you settle on one that is effective. He is not judgmental, he can be late to his appointments however, its because he has squeezed patients like me in to be seen plus takes his time and doesn't rush me out of there. to me, its far worth the wait. My only wish is that he had a nurse on staff-to email questions that do not require his attention and that had more comfortable seating. I recommend him to anyone who asks. read more

Wow, I had the complete opposite experience of other Yelpers here. I actually laughed at the review that said Dr. Candido was, "kind, compassionate, and empathetic." That's funny. I was referred to Dr. Candido because I was still experiencing quite a bit of pain from a surgery I had last July. First of all, I waited an hour and 46 minutes to be seen. You read that right - my appointment was at 10am, and he did not enter my room until 11:46am. I know this because I was about 2 minutes away from walking out. He then sat down, asked me two questions, then his cell phone rang and he answered it - it was his kid, because I could hear her say, "daddy?" He stepped out of the room and disappeared for another 10 minutes. Are you kidding me?? When he finally came back in, he spent all of two minutes with me and was rude and condescending the entire time. He concluded my pain was nerve related, threw a prescription at me, and then said if that didn't work he'd do a celiac plexus nerve block. Then he said, and I quote, "I'll repeat that slowly since I know you'll go home and google it. Celiac...plexus....nerve block." Completely talked down to me like I was a fucking idiot. In the end, I was there for 2 hours to spend a total of 5 minutes with him, be talked down to, and basically treated like shit. If he thinks for one second I will ever come back to see him, let alone allow him to put a needle in my back, he is wrong wrong wrong. Also, it is obvious that he is a total prick by the way his med student acted - she was clearly terrified of him. When he came back in from talking to his kid, he barked "who took my pen!" and she was frantically showing him it was in the file where he left it. It was actually really sad to see. So not only does he treat his patients like crap, he obviously treats his staff like crap as well. Well done, doctor! You're the man. The best part is the billing - you will get a bill from both the pain clinic AND Illinois Masonic, and that's just for an exam - I had no procedures done. That 5 minutes cost around $800+, of which I had to pay $200 of. I'm in the wrong job - I could get paid all that money to treat people like shit! read more

I visited dr. Candido for an I.M.E. and had several issues with how the case was handled. 1) Dr. Candido said there had been no significant weight loss in my case. I have lost 30 pounds since January 1, 2015. This was discussed, in detail, during my visit. 2) Dr. Candido reported my medications incorrectly, even though these were gone over repeatedly, as I tried to describe the different directions my pain specialist and I had taken toward dealing with my pain. 3) Dr. Candido failed to report my pain during my trip to the I.M.E. or the pain I was in while waiting for his examination, even though I reported it upon beginning my examination. 4) Dr. Candido and I shared personal anecdotes, where he referred to carrying a firearm, and knowing the sheriff of the county I live in. I shared some of my desperation and fear and stated that I hoped this was my last I.M.E. This last statement has no medical value in itself, and was included in my I.M.E. only as a means to show me in a negative light. 5) I do not see anywhere that Dr. Candido referenced my Functional Capacity Exam. this exam was long, painful, and supposedly all inclusive. In section 8 of his report, he invalidates all the effort I put into cooperating with physical therapy specialists to provide well documented limits to my capabilities. At no point during my F.C.E. did I "self-limit". All testing was limited by the tester only, under whatever guidelines they follow. 6) Dr. Candido is extremely critical of my increase in opioid use after receiving my spinal cord stimulator. I tried, and apparently failed, to explain that since receiving the stimulator, I have been compelled, by workers compensation, to volunteer for increasingly painful activities. 7) Dr. Candido fails to mention that our visit was interrupted 3 times, and those interruptions were not insignificant. Each consisting of several minutes with the doctor absent from the room entirely. I may not understand the mechanisms behind my injury. In fact, I know I don't understand them. But I have always expressed the utmost honesty in dealing with the insurance company, and every doctor that I have seen, in the somewhat vague hope that someone might be able to help me, beyond prescribing me more pain medication. If you're going for an I.M.E. be honest, but don't be fooled, Dr. Candido is an affable individual with kind mannerisms, and funny anecdotes, but not on "your" side. read more

Dr. Candido was fake and phony. He also allowed for his staff to commit a racist hate crime against me and systematically lie and villainize my character. Extremely disorganized, careless with your medical needs and lie about authorization of procedures when they do not get them processed for months at a time. read more

Dr Candido is a great doctor well versed in many types of conditions. He is witty and sarcastic but seems genuinely happy for you when a positive result is achieved. This is also a teaching facility so be prepared to give your history to a med student and resident first. Annoying, but not a big deal. If you have to leave a message his nurse always calls back within the same day. My only complaint is the wait time. They are always behind. And not a little. A lot. My longest wait was over 2 hours. I have started bringing a book. The office needs more nurses and not to double book as much. But I keep coming back because I know he won't stop until I am pain free. And for that, I really admire him. read more

As a physician and person I give Dr. Candido a big Woohoo! And this is coming from someone who's had so many bad experiences with medical practitioners that I thoroughly despise the entire so-call profession. That said, I've been seeing him now for 2 years for degenerative disk disease and spondylosis and he's helped enormously with managing my pain. Which means he's performed several spinal pain blocks for me. It is a busy practice. Dr. Candido is not merely a pain management expert, but the Head of Anesthesiology for Advocate Illinois Masonic as well as a surgeon who is much in demand. He performs a huge number of spinal pain blocks a day in his office and his practice is a much sought after training rotation for residents. Of course, I can see where some reviewers might be uncomfortable or even annoyed with him during the exam process. Yes, there is often a long wait. He takes time with those patients who really need it. I've had him talk to me for anywhere from 2 minutes to 20 before ushering me into the operating suite. His sense of humor is dry and quirky - which is not always to everyone's taste. His brilliance is expressed in the vast quantities of information he retains on a huge variety of subjects. Everything from the rock music bands playing on the radio in his OR to obscure anecdotes in medical history. His residents aren't so much afraid of him as they are in awe of him and afraid of messing up in front of him and becoming a disappointment. The most important thing is that he truly wants to help his patients feel better. The relationship a patient has with Dr. Candido is the relationship each patient builds. If you feel you've been short-changed in terms of time with him, schedule a consultation, sit down with him and look over your file together. If you don't understand something, make him explain it. He'll be happy to - and then google it, because he expects his patients to want to be as informed about their conditions as he is. That's just his way. So don't expect to meet Dr. Cuddly Curmudgeon when you get to his office. Or Dr. Hip-Young-Know-It-All, even though he does know it all. You won't find a god-complex here. Just a brilliant, caring physician who's short on time and can sometimes be abrupt because of it. You know, like any normal human being. read more

I am Navy veteran who served in the Gulf in the early 90's. I injured my back in the service and was dealing with chronic lower lumbar pain due to bulging, herniated and sliding discs in my L4/L5 SI. during the next 20 years, I moved around to different physicians and pain clinics until I found Dr. Candido from another veteran I knew in Chicago. I was no longer able to be active by this time due to the pain being so immense. I started seeing Candido around 2011. He immediately worked the problem. He was direct, confident and empathetic. He laid out a plan, we followed the plan and if we needed a course correction, we made critical decisions together as a team. His staff from the nurses to the front desk all were in my corner to help me feel better. He referred me to a surgeon at IL. Masonic after we got to the point that a discectomy was needed. He got me out of my pain, improved my lower back to the best possible condition based on the circumstances and I got my life back by 2012. I had to switch my healthcare to the VA shortly after that due to other medical issues. When I started experiencing thoracic and c-spine issues and the VA couldn't treat me, see me in a timely manner or even acknowledge that the MRI was glaring with multiple levels of herniated c-spine discs, he took me back in. He accepted the VA Community Care program and read the MRI and we got to work. In October of 2018, I was in horrific pain with no plan in place until Dr. Candido literally saved me again. He gave me a diagnosis, a treatment plan and level set my expectations for what was to come. Once again, I am on my way to feeling better. I have an expert team on my side helping me get out of pain, having a better quality of life and his staff is always there to support me. When it comes to my spine, pain management, long needles in my back/neck and compassionate medical expertise, I would not trust anyone other than Dr. Candido. I want a doctor who is confident, a teacher, and someone who actually listens to me. At the same time, I want my care team to be direct and tell it how it is; that is Dr. Candido and the team at Chicago Anesthesiology Pain Specialists. read more

Ken Candido is one of the lowest forms of life on this planet! He takes money from insurance companies to lie and make false reports on their behalf. He is a registered IME which means he takes money to lie and make false reports on patients real illnesses. We gave it to GOD, knowing that his work is just. I feel ashamed for him and also sorry for what his afterlife entails. Please do your research and pick a Dr. Who actually cares for his patients and not his pocketbook! read more

Dr. Candido is the man you want to see if you are in pain and have a distrust of medicine. There should be a TV show following this witty, on point Doc who makes epidurals as painless as they can be and quite honestly a pleasure to see him Voted Chicago's most compassionate doctor year after year for good cause. I don't want to relocate outside of Chicago to remain in his care and the staff is amazing including his nurse Veronica! They have gone above and beyond to make sure I am fully supported in healing from documentation to helping me petition insurance to afford my care! read more

Doctor Candido is kind, compassionate, and empathetic. He listens! He looks you in the eyes when you converse. He values the thoughts and opinions of his patients, and he believes in collaborative relationships with his patients. He inspires confidence. He doesn't throw a prescription at you and shove you out the door like so many other doctors. After seeing many, many doctors with no relief or success, I nearly cried on my way home--I have found a doctor I can trust who I know will do whatever it takes to make me better! read more

I have been to many Doctors over my time (seeing as I have played college sports, and had a bad car accident) I am not going to waste to much time other then to say he is really the best Doctor I have ever seen. He cares about you and how you feel he cares about doing the right thing. Im not one for writing these reviews but if this review can even help a few people out there then it was worth it. Just go see him and get your life back. read more

These reviews are spot on.He is the Chief of Pain doc's that's why you have to see these interns which is a pain in the butt.Very fast to inject and will not return you messages,not cool.....The wait is way to long for a 3-5 minute visit...Was referred by my M.D. and will not go back either.Where are all the good pain doc's really!!!! I cannot seem to find one that can give me any relief. read more

Went to see MD Candido yesterday 1/10/18 for epidural injection. He reviewed my MRI and explained very well. He is very smart, neat and intelligent. He squeezed me in despite his busy schedulle. I am happy that i met doctor Candido. Hopefully the injection will help with the pain. read more

Best Doctor For Pain Relief that I have seen with Great bedside Manners. He does a Complete History Check, Physicals, Orders for tests, Prescriptions as well as Administers Pain and Epidural shots. The Office Staff is Incredibly helpful and Friendly. read more

I meant to put this in yelp a while ago. I was working on unstable SI joint pain, between the help of my Chiroporactor and Dr. Candido was the best team ever. I have not seen him in over a year, so everything that he performed, worked. I feel better than ever. For people going through pain, its takes a good Doctor like Dr. candido, but it also takes your effort to make some changes. I thank them all for all for getting me through my life changing process. Sherry read more

I saw Dr. Candido after 10+ years of suffering with pain in the base of my skull. I was sent to him by my neurologist for a nerve block. He was extremely kind, thorough, and caring. He seemed to actually want to figure out what the cause was, instead of just "bandaid-ing it like so many had before him." After a lengthy conversation, I had 3 nerve blocks in my neck right in the next room. Although it was painful, he was so thoughtful and talked me through the entire procedure. I have had minimal pain since, and plan to follow up with him as needed. Wonderful experience!!! read more

Dr. Candido without a doubt is a great physician. He's honest, compassionate, and understanding. I would definitely recommend anyone in need of a pain specialist to see him. He truly cares for his patients. read more

Awful--made appt. went there and waited almost two hours. Finally left without seeing a doctor. What do these people imagine an appointment is for? read more

Imagine being in a near fatal accident, 19 broken bones, wanting to find medical pros that understand that you really want to walk again and lead a normal life but being frustrated because only a very few doctors really care about helping you map out a plan that works. Frustrating right? Well that was me and thru the process I met all kinds of doctors and nurses and therapists but only a few stand out as bright, caring, articulate "real" people that want to help you reach your goal and as long as you show that as a patient you are ready to put in the work - they will show you how to getter' done. Ken Candido is a shining example of the kind of pain doc you want. run a check and you will see he was the top of his class, hand picked by Loyola in Maywood to handle the roughest tasks, now he's at Advocate Masonic where they not only made him the chair the department but they custom built the clinic to his specs, investing millions to keep this guy there. Why? He's the pain doc that OTHER doctors go to for a second opinion. He's done well over 30 surgeries / procedures on me and got me back up and walking like normal and helped me to live with chronic pain. I know I will have pain the rest of my life, but having the confidence in knowing that this rockstar of a doctor is there to guide me is a HUGE help. He's great about giving patients choices on which general direction they want to go, honest about recovery times and how painful the procedures will be, but he's also spot on with the results. If he tells me that the procedure he wants to do will cover 60 to 90% of the pain - he's right. Always right. I cannot understand how he keeps SO busy, runs a tight ship with a first class staff, yet still wins awards for patient care. I've tried 5 other pain control spots and no doubt, Dr. Candido is the top of the top. Others here have complained about his clinic being a training facility, yep it is. Young resident doctors flock to Candido and know he's tough, picky, maybe difficult at times, but brilliant. I never have a problem meeting and talking to the residents and see it as a compliment that there are always so many around. If you are a chronic or severe pain person and want it straight and are prepared to follow the rules and do your Physical Therapy, KC is your man. If you just want to go on disability and take drugs and watch daytime TV to avoid going to work, he'll see right thru you and move you to one of his junior doctors or right on out the door. Without this guy, I would not be walking and would have a miserable life. Imagine what that means to me. Thank the stars above for Ken Candido. WC read more

Don't waste your time here unless you want to get billed for treatment you never received. The hospitals billing department are pretty evil too, I kept calling and writing them to ask for the doctor's notes to show that I never received the procedure on the day it was initially scheduled (the office called me half hour before the time I was supposed to get a steroid injection to let me know insurance had not gotten back to them about covering it), so when I got to the office (since I was already en route and didn't get the message), I spoke briefly with Dr. Candido's medical assistant, and we agreed to hold off since we didn't know the insurance status. Now I am getting billed for the steroid injection. Just received 'final notice' or I'll be sent to collections, despite multiple attempts to call both the office and billing department and get clarification on why they were still charging me for the injection on the 31st if I never received treatment. I'll also note that I never got ANY pain relief from my multiple trips there, despite spending thousands. Not worth your time, stay away from that hospital as well. You will most likely not get much pain relief and you will be spending thousands, and also charged for procedures you didn't even receive. I would really recommend finding another pain specialist if you see this message - I don't normally waste my time too often writing reviews, but I feel this is important to alert others! read more

Dr. Candido is truly one of a kind!!! I use such descriptors very sparingly and discriminately when it comes to health care providers having had many negative encounters with various physicians over the past few years. Since my work-related injury in 2011, (which left me in an incapacitating unreleting pain), I have seen and been taken care of by numerous doctors, including spine surgeons, pain specialists, chiropractors during my prolonged and exhausting recovery. I have dealt with an IME, who told me not to keep my hopes high as my chances for a favorable outcome in my workers comp case are nothing but dismal... And so I was very skeptical towards Dr. Candido expecting uncomfortable interaction and forced pleasantries with yet another snobby doc!!! But instead, I was quickly taken aback by his demeanor, ease of conversation, attentiveness, and great empathy. Dr. Candido exceeds all my prior providers in an exemplary bedside manner, exceptional compassion, and superb clinical skills and medical knowledge. He is the only objective doctor that I have interacted with since my workers compensation case started. He treated me in an unbiased way with humanity, and great care recognizing my difficult predicament and viewing me as a victim of an unfortunate accident who deserves help and attention, not a pain seeker or malingering lazy person trying to rip off my company and get out of work. He offered hope and encouragement when I was strugging not only to make ends meet, but to care for my kids, care for myself and live like a human being. He conducted his interview and exam in a very professional, thorough and meticulous way, and his evaluation of my condition, physical status and functioning was reported accurately and truthfully. Overall, visiting Dr. Candido was my best medical investment and best decision that I could have made. I would recommend him to anyone in pain without any hesitation. I could not be more pleased with the favorable decision that was made in my case, and outcome which was far from being dismal!!! read more

My wife and I have been to almost every hospital in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs as well as the Mayo Clinic and found very little relief for my wife's chronic pain do to a pool accident .. But after seeing Dr Candido we are finally on a up tick . We drive about 50 miles to see him but well worth it .If your dealing with chronic pain issues and finding no relief come and see Dr Ken !!! read more

Dr Candido is a wonderful and compassionate doctor. I appreciate he also has a healthy sense of humor. He is knowledgable with my condition and he has done all he can to try and make things more manageable. His nurses are also very easy to work with and they genuinely seem to care about the patients. My only complaint is the front desk staff. Each time I call they seem dismissive and always say "it will be another week." Either they are not calling my insurance company like they said they would or they are hopelessly behind in their work. Either way, if you say you will call and let the patient know what is happening, then that is what should happen. read more

I have been to see Dr. Candido many times. For my back, my knees and now my neck. He is always very attentive and kind. His staff - which includes students - are always professional and polite. The bottom line is the pain goes away. The fact that he is personable and very kind is a bonus. I go there to get relief from very bad pain. And I always get it. There is always a wait but sometimes that happens... that does not speak to the doctor but to the hospital management team who makes the decisions on how patients are booked. read more

Of course there is no evidence of any thing fraudulent that you have written "doc". An arbitrator simply decides whether or not to give your opinion any weight. Have you ever asked yourself why so many people who have seen you on an IME basis have seen numerous other IMEs previously? Insurance companies "doctor shop" for a less than ethical individual who will write an opinion in their favor. You fit that bill perfectly. It was actually funny watching the arbitrators face when AIG gave him one report in their favor and 9, yes 9 reports from other IMEs in my favor. Needless to say you helped my case, the arbitrator immediately realized what was going on and that you had been bought. Thanks. read more

Dr. Candido is good, but he's usually too busy to see his own patients. Therefore, you're usually stuck seeing nurses and interns before finally seeing a different doctor that doesn't know your situation, doesn't respect your time, and (in my experience) doesn't care about you. I used to like how the office handled their patients, but now it's just an incredibly painful experience. Look elsewhere if you want to see someone that gives a damn about you. read more

Jeff S. is obviously upset, because he has to go back to work. My experience is completely different. He is an excellent and honest physician, who did IME on me a year ago. That was my 3rd IME because the lawyer was not satisfied with two previous ones that were contradictory and superficial. Dr. Candido spent more than one hour talking with me, and discussing my problem. I am sure he spent hours reviewing my documentation. My lawyer said that since he saw Dr. Candido's report as the most comprehensive report ever, he is sending all his cases to him. I guess when you get hurt and think somebody's gotta pay for it forever, you look to the docs to support what you're saying, even if it doesn't match the facts. I'm glad Dr. Candido saw me, because he saved me an unnecessary spine surgery or two, helped get me off the strong narcotics the other pain guy was giving me, and things have gotten much better, using his approach. I think the guy is great and recommend him to all my friends. read more

The Doctor was very helpful and informative. He gave me useful information and we planned to do a procedure to reduce my pain I have been dealing with for 3 years after many failed attempts with other Physicians. Unfortunately my procedure has been rescheduled 4 times in the last month and a half. When I came in to see the Physician he informed me to contact the office when I needed a refill on my medication. I contacted the office and was told I need another appointment before filling any of my medications. I know am without medication and am waiting 3 weeks to see a nurse until anything can be filled. read more

My experience as a patient of Dr. Candido was stellar. He has a great demeanor and is very knowlegeable in his field of anesthesiology and pain relief. I came to him from another hospital that caused me so much pain that I fainted. I woke up with an oxygen mask on, listening to the doctors laughing- stating that this type of thing happens more than they care to mention. He listened very carefully to my complaints, and immediately after my injection, I felt 100% better. Prior to coming to his office, I carefully reviewed his credentials and found that he was highly regarded as a top doc across the United States. He has a great personality and took the extra time to listen to what I had to say about my back. He has never talked on his phone during any of my visits. The staff in the office shows compassion and concern, and the wait times for my appointments were never long. On a scale of 1-10, I give Dr. Candido an 11 . He kept me on my feet. I feel that without his help, I probably would have lost my job 3 years ago. Kudos to Dr. Kenneth Candido. read more