Craig Rumbaugh - Pain Management in Albuquerque, New Mexico

“It is impossible not to like Dr. Rumbaugh. But he's better than this clinic. The centers are all owned by a large Texas practice that requires doctors to sign contracts cutting patients down or all the way off of legal opioids, seemingly regardless of harms to patients. Since most ppl probably know that govt interference has hamstrung individualized medical care, I will skip that. Being a man of his word, the doctor feels bound by a contract he signed. I personally feel that he probably dislikes what he has to do to patients. Mind you, instead of running for my life at the first visit, I stayed about a year and a half. Dr. Rumbaugh quickly found I need surgery. Cervical stenosis and other uglies, with a disk pressing on my spinal cord in my neck. For a year I couldnt handle the idea of a baby, myself, born with a time bomb in my spine. Id had X-rays and mri's locally without ever being diagnosed. My mom died after neck surgery where I live in 2006. Now, I can no longer afford to ignore that I need surgery. I am in so much pain that I've lost the ability to drive to albuq to a new pain clinic. Buprenorphine at any dose no longer helps at all. My shifting arm and hand are a hell of pain every time I move. I drive a standard. I'm independent and live on my own with my two dogs. It is becoming very difficult to manage, but independence is everything to me. I wouldn't have left this clinic in July had the upper management not required a good doctor to do bad things to me. I had to stand my ground and tell the doc I couldn't handle anymore cuts to the one medication that now helps at all. He had to honor his contract, I had to save myself if possible. There are some things that procedures and injections will not help, and many patients for whom they are not the right choice. My point is that individualized care is necessary for pain treatment or any medical treatment. I won't complain about all the helpful staff at the practice and on the customer service line. They've all been great. My visits to Dr. Rumbaugh were always pleasant and I didn't mind waiting when he had to take the albuq patients as well as treat those at the Rio rancho location. This has to be very hard on him. I would implore the ppl with whom this good doctor has a contract to allow his hands to be untied. This sort of thing has taken the lives of many pain patients. When our doctors in this country have to harm patients due to fears of persecution by our own govt, something is wrong, and medical providers need to speak up. Dr. Richard Lawhern, PhD now teaches a CME course regarding the CDC guidelines and it can help these doctors to protect themselves. These doctors should look into. Become voices for change, management and contract doctors alike. If I could, I would go back to having Dr. Rumbaugh manage my pain while I look for a surgeon. The drive would be a challenge for me and my dogs, but I've had many challenges. Right now, I'm lying still so as not to scream. My dogs want me to walk them. I can't find care where I live. If only the doctor wasn't bound by a contract that disallows real pain management for individual patients. I'd not have been "discharged" had he been able to simply continue one medication at a dose much lower than I used to be allowed. This review is meant to inform those who do not benefit from injections or procedures. The doctor is a wonderful person, but he is not free to treat patients who have valid needs for opioid therapy. I wish to God he was.”

— Marisa

“Rita Lujan, I can't express so much relief iv had since I started with Doctor Rumbugh,his helped me so much I highly recommend him , his gentle and caring and understanding. Thanks for helping me God bless you for caring for your patience .”

— Private Private

“Worst time management medical facility ever call me for an empty appointment slot and then made me wait over an hour and a half in the waiting room and it was probably going to be another half hour to 45 minutes before I actually saw the doctor how to set an appointment with this institute they are so incompetent that I had to have Walgreens pharmacy tell me about my procedure instead of them telling me about it like they forgot to tell me that I needed a driver that I needed medication before the procedure that was Walgreens calling and that I was supposed to fast before the procedure more piss poor time management I would have gone in there without any of these things and they would have rescheduled me for another 2 months down the road so much for relieving my pain all they've done is give me another pain a headache”

— Jerry Candelaria

“I'm very grateful for Dr Rumbaugh. He's been instrumental in getting my migraines under control. He's very patient and listens intently. I highly recommend him.”

— Yvette Harrison