Dr. Frederick Wallace Close, MD

I have come across a lot of doctors who really don't care about what a patient has to say about the pains and sufferings a patient has but my experience with Dr Close has been incredible for years he knows what he is doing he has years of experience he is not afraid to say what the problem is

I great respect for the doctor, but he has an old fashion way of thinking about current back issues. The front office is one of the the worst offices I've ever experienced in the 20 years I've been dealing with my injury. They lost my paperwork for me to receive California disability pay and the doctor only works one day a week, so progress is slow... especially if he gets sick and has to reschedule appointments. I lost health insurance and disability pay due to the front desk individuals. Glad to be done with his treatment.

Absolutely the worse experience ever with any-kind-of-doctor visited! Rendered an opion without reviewing my medical history.

I went to see Dr. Close for a wrist problem, and we also discussed pain and my avoidance of activity to prevent pain due to scoliosis. He recommended physical therapy. My family had been encouraging me to get a DMV handicapped placard for years, and I finally decided to do so, and left the form at the office while I was in the same building for PT. After about 2 weeks of waiting, I was informed by the staff the Dr. Close would not sign my form, as he didn't believe it was warranted. I spent a lot of time trying to explain to the office staff how I was forced to limit my activity due to my disability, and that the placard would allow me an accommodation. Yes, I am able to walk the distance from a typical parking lot to an office. But I am unable to go to a venue where the parking is far away, as I cannot walk distances without pain. The staff member was very nasty and said that her husband had surgery, and she would drop him off and then park the car, so I could do the… same. Due to Dr. Close and his wonderful staff, I was forced to miss an event for my son because it was held in a venue where there was no close parking and my husband was working and unable to take me. So, I called my primary to get the placard signed, and since I hadn't been there in a year, I needed an appointment first. They said that since it was not an emergency, I couldn't get an appointment for a month. I fought with them because that would mean more than a month of the restrictions I was facing. So they agreed to a sooner appointment. My primary, who is not an Orthopedist, recommended I get an MRI due to symptoms I described, something Dr. Close never suggested. The MRI showed more serious issues than I was aware of. So, I suppose I should be thankful to Dr. Close and his staff for treating me so terribly, as otherwise I wouldn't have had the MRI. In the office he seemed like a nice guy. And I can't understand why he would refuse me the placard, as it is not as if it costs him anything, or he has a limited number of spots he is allowed, or that I was faking, as he examined me, even though he never ordered an MRI which clearly showed the extent of my disability. Why wouldn't he do something that cost him nothing and could help someone else? Why was his office so defensive and cause a person with pain to have more aggravation? Why would Dr. Close and his staff want to prevent me from attending my son's educational events and limit what businesses I can frequent. Their answer, "In his professional opinion, you don't require the placard." Vitals likely will not post this review, as so far all I have seen are positive reviews. Too bad one can post both positive and negative reviews for restaurants, but not for medical professionals, as they would probably threaten to sue.