One star for Dodie Chiropractic in Phoenix, AZ, because Yelp won't allow less--this is the WORST…read morechiropractic experience I've endured in decades! A chiropractic believer since a weightlifting injury at 17, I've seen stellar care and some flops, but Dr. Laurie Dodie's practice takes the cake for sheer awfulness. The only saving grace? Lupe, the staff superstar who deserves better.
First visit? Pure torture. An airport-style "massage" chair with rollers inflamed my lower back pain, leaving me groaning and near tears. Then, a 90-minute wait for Dr. Dodie, who churned through patients like an assembly line. My wife was barred from joining me--first red flag. Dr. Dodie's "exam" was a farce: endless questions, a curt "no" when I asked to contribute to the conversation regarding MY health, and an activator gun session that cannot anchor an entire visit. No adjustments, just condescending Google-level tips about phone use and a pushy upsell for long-term care. I left in pain, furious, with my wife stuck in the lobby, stunned by the ordeal. I returned two days later, hoping for relief, as some chiropractors skip adjustments on initial visits--a practice; however, that I'd never encountered beyond the first session. Big mistake.
Lupe was a delight, but when she asked me to use the "massage" chair again, I refused--it had left me in agony, waking at 4 a.m. with electric-shock pain in my back and glutes. In the treatment room, I overheard Dr. Dodie's obnoxious phone banter from her office. She showed up 15 minutes late to my scheduled appointment and offered a flimsy excuse, not an apology. Her bedside manner? Nonexistent. She talked at me, ignored my pain, and got my medical history wrong twice in the same sentence--mixing up one procedure and knee surgery details, even with her notes! More Simon Says nonsense, another activator session, no adjustments. When I asked if this was all--no massage, no spinal manipulation--she flippantly said, "We don't do that here." No X-rays, no real evaluation. Chiropractic care is defined as the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders, primarily through manual adjustments and manipulations of the spine. This was none of that. Rushed off the table (she sighed when I needed a moment to stand), she pushed me to schedule with Lupe. I told her I was done--this isn't chiropractic care, it's a mockery of actual chiropractic care! Two 40-minute drives from Mesa for this? Dr. Dodie's neglect, nonstop inane talking while not listening to a patient, a total lack of professionalism, and refusal to allow my wife in the room left me in pain and mortified. Prospective patients, steer clear! Save your time, money, and spine--this practice is a disgrace!
