Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Chronic pain affixed to hopelessness is how I lived when I met the providers at RIC chronic pain center. I brought openness and receptivity and the staff, comprised of OTs, PTs, Psychologists and docs assessed me daily, and individualized my pain management. My decision to participate was a commitment to complete the program. I had measurable success in pain reduction using their tools.
I’m better now. Significantly better. Living, laughing and physical.
I am grateful for this therapeutic experience and encourage anyone suffering chronic pain to OPEN themselves to self management by seeking out this program.

I have been dealing with chronic neck pain for several years and have gone to see several different physicians, specialists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists with only temporary relief. After my initial visit they suggested signing up for their 4 week program, it’s a big commitment to take 4 weeks off of work to partake in what sounded like just a bunch of remedial breathing exercises throughout the day. My first visit i saw a doctor and psychiatrist and got billed by the physician’s office and the clinic. I felt like i got billed twice but it’s in their fine print as to say. This place just nickel and dimes you. I am so glad I did not sign up for their program. Found a great chiropractor office, Chicago InHealth Center, near where I live and I’ve been making good progress there.

Don’t waste your time on this place. It took 3 weeks and 4 phone calls to actually get a chance to speak with the woman in charge of scheduling. I was promised call backs that I never got. When I finally did get a chance to speak to the woman in charge of scheduling, I was told she didn’t actually have a schedule for the therapists and couldnt schedule anything. Basically I wasted 3 weeks waiting for medical treatment that I need and didn’t receive. This place needs to get its act together. Not what I would expect from a supposedly well respected, «best of» hospital. Completely unprofessional.

Don’t be fooled by the «we’re the best… again» claims. It just goes to show that they employ a great publicist because I’d really hate to deal with #2 if they’re the best. It’s a shame, so many people could really use their help. It’s time that not only the Center for Pain Management but the rest of RIC start to walk the talk. If you’re the best, act like it. On the positive side, the guys that valet park your car at the main hospital are more than kind and accommodating.

I took the «Chronic Pain Care: Half-​Day Program» and I write this review to help others who are making the decision on whether to enroll in this program, or the full day program, or this center in general.
The center and program talked about how great and well-​ranked they were constantly, however, I did not find this to be the case. The time allotted with the medical physicians (once per week for !15! minutes) is so rushed, it makes the whole experience unprofessional, awkward, and impersonal. And yes, I was drug tested multiple times, without reason, when patients were only supposed to be tested once. It made me feel like a criminal. The psychologist was unprofessional and I ended up in tears after each session with her (instead of making me feel better). There are a lot of deep breathing classes which are tedious and repetitive (not to mention this program is very expensive, especially just to be learning time and time again, how to breathe deeply).
Most of all, my pain is still about the same. I deal with it slightly better, but not significantly.
Be careful before you decide to enroll in this program. Reviews like this weren’t available to me before I enrolled (I had searched), so I felt compelled to write.

Went here due to its supposed reputation as being «the best.» While they did partly help me, I was concerned about the fact that the doctor literally made things up and also didn’t listen to me or care what I had to say. There was a general lack of professionalism and respect for patients by doctors and staff. Also the wait time is ridiculous. Parking isn’t free also FYI.

I spent 4 weeks, 4 hours per day in the pain rehab program. It was miraculous! I was confined to a wheelchair for a year, and in four weeks they had me walking! A follow-​up month at the day rehab center in River North brought further progress. I have been to at RIC before, with great results over the years, and had a good opinion of the doctors and therapists. Now I have even higher regard for their work. I’ve reduced my pain medication from 4 pills per day to 1 pill.

Update: Have been billed $ 1200 from this place for zero lab work and zero xrays/​blood work/​labs of any kind.
Received an explanation of benefits from my insurance that RIC submitted in October, more than three months after my one and only appointment, for fictional xrays. $ 500 billed to my insurance for xrays that NEVER HAPPENED!

neg review and billing errors, do not use, will bill you twice for dr and ric
this is the old bait and switch for rehab. just want 6000.00 for rehab and then bill you more?

If I could give this butcher shop negative stars I would. Terrible, uncaring doctors with massive egos; timid, frightened PT/​OT staff all of whom treat every patient as if they suffer from the same disability… And a billing system that should be investigated by the state’s Attorney General. Try voodoo before you let anyone connected with this place come near you. They tortured me for a month, made my condition worse, continue to hassle me for bills I paid months ago… Awful.awful.awful.

DO NOT GO HERE. I saw Dr. Wysocki at the Superior office for chronic back pain. While she was nice, I have been dealing with their billing department for ONE YEAR. First they sent my claim to my insurance provider under the wrong number. Once this was figured out, I gave them the correct number (even though it was on the copy of my insurance card which I gave them). I still kept receiving bills that I was not covered under my policy (which I was.) Three times I called and gave them my correct information. I saw Dr. Wysocki for a second time in the fall of 2012−−−8 months after the initial appointment. When I checked in they took my new insurance information and told me I had a $ 00.00 balance on my account and everything must have been rectified. Yesterday I received a call from a collector. I have spent HOURS on the phone dealing with this mess. Guess what? I called my old insurance company and THEY PAID THE CLAIM LAST YEAR AND RIC CASHED THE CHECK. So not only am I being billed, but I am being billed for something that my insurance paid for a year ago. These people are complete morons, their customer service is terrible. I would NEVER recommend going to this office for anything, I don’t care how good their doctor’s are. If their doctor’s are so great they should look at fixing their internal system.

I agree w/​SO MANY of these bad reviews. I don’t understand how this place is recognized as THE best place.
The staff wasn’t friendly & NOT patient either.
I felt very rushed & NOT listened too.
Its hard to enough dealing w/​pain. But then to not have positive experiences here, makes it even worse.

Do not believe the hype about this place and there newspaper articles.
Scheduling is a nightmare and there staff is condescending and blame the patient
for there mistakes.
If you want to wait 5 months for an appointment thinking you will get the best you will only be let down. I wish I spent my time finding another reputable Dr.

@RIC_Ability
I was assigned to Dr. Hendrix who I found to be shockingly condescending when he spoke to me. His poor listening skills made it very difficult to build a proper rapport or a good pain management care plan. Rather than helping me in my recovery, Dr. Hendrix complicated things for me which keeps me in a lot of pain to this very day.
The nursing staff has terrible communication skills (Especially Linda and the nurse who checks you in) which makes dealing with RIC Center for Pain Management that much more difficult to deal with.
Don’t expect RIC CFPM to keep good records on you. Every time I went in for a checkup, they always had an incorrect med list for me and never corrected it even after I told them time after time that it was wrong. This complicated the meds that I was given. The doctor had no clue what I was taking because the charts were filled with outdated information. It wasn’t unusual for this doctor to pull out my chart and frantically flip through the paperwork to try and figure out who I was and what I was in his office for. Preparation isn’t his strong suit.
Another thing that I found disturbing about the RIC Center For Pain Management is that the nursing staff keeps the patient room doors open when they discuss medical issues. I could hear every piece of private conversation that the nursing staff had with other patients. Scary.
I’m not telling anyone to not go to RIC CFPM. The occupational health piece of it was good. The rest of it? Not so much.