I rarely leave reviews, but I think it’s important if it might benefit another person by doing so. And I feel like I can give an honest and very thorough review after a decade. This review is lengthy, but I think it’s important to be detailed for a reader to know if a physician fits their needs. I initially went to Dr. Brian Rodgers over 10 yrs ago when someone recommended him to get off prescriptions for pain and anxiety that were causing physical dependence, horrible side effects, and more problems than they were solving. This isn’t as simple as it sounds, as I suffer from a genetic spine disease that causes constant pain, a nervous system disorder that produces unnaturally high pain signals and anxiety, and have ended up with several fractures and surgeries as the years have progressed that absolutely required treatment for pain. My only experience in the past was having narcotics and benzodiazepines prescriptions just thrown at me with no thought as to the long-term outcome of doing so. Working with Dr. Rodgers was the first time I’d felt “safe” in 20 years. At first, I was just hoping and trusting he’d do what was in my best interest for both the short and long-term in each individual situation. As the years progressed though, and in retrospect, I can tell you that he has done just that. Some of his suggestions and decisions were things I wasn’t necessarily happy with at the time either! LOL. Change is overwhelming and scary, especially when you are feeling ill, so I needed someone who could make those calls for me when I didn’t necessarily know what was best for myself...or simply didn’t want to go through changes that were difficult but would end up being in my best interest in the future. I feel grateful for the push he gave me toward achieving better health, and for both recommendations and decisions he made on my behalf to get there.
I think Dr. Rodgers is a “healer”, and sees himself as one as well. Yes, all doctors SHOULD be such, but the ugly truth is that the health care system in this country is NOT set up to either encourage or reward doctors for getting to the root causes of illness and actually heal people. It is set up to treat symptoms and keep patients in the revolving doors of office visits, pharmaceuticals, and the continuous office and hospital visits that result when no root changes are being made to address things. I think doctors that actually want to heal people these days have to change their mindset and the way they practice medicine to accomplish this, and even realize that they might make a little less money doing so in the long run. Yes, Dr. Rodgers can and will use necessary prescriptions, but what I like about him is that he is more interested in actually getting you better. Most illnesses and disease have their roots in poor diet, lack of exercise, and deficiencies in needed vitamins and minerals. I had the goal of getting off as many prescriptions as I could, and it’s amazing what can be treated by making changes in diet and by adding quality, natural supplements and changing a sedentary lifestyle. We should all want to decrease the need for pharmaceuticals that aren’t necessary, and I know that if you want to do that it can absolutely be done and he can help you do it. I was on over 10 prescriptions when I started seeing him, and I am now on only on 4 daily ones (1 of those I'm almost off of now) and my overall health and ability to deal with chronic pain and genetic issues with no cure yet have improved dramatically.
He has advanced training in getting patients off of addictive substances without losing their ability to function during the process. He is trained in hormone replacement therapy. As a D.O. he has more training than most medical doctors in the muscles, joints, and skeleton, and in looking at the body in a holistic approach to healing, which was imperative for me as my struggles either initiate in or affect these areas. He was great at adjusting my spine, and though I don’t do those much anymore, I was happier with the adjustments he gave me compared to any past chiropractor I’ve been to. I’d never go to a chiropractor again, because he can not only what they do as well or better, but has all the additional medical skills and knowledge to go with it that could be a benefit. There is always a female P.A. working with him, so if a patient feels more comfortable being seen by a female always, or just for yearly or other exams, it’s really the best of both worlds having them work together in the same office. Natalie is awesome, very intelligent and well trained, and I’ve seen her quite a bit too and totally recommend her either on her own or in tandem with Dr. Rodgers as I see her. The other staff in the office have been nothing but positive, helpful and kind over the years.
I've referred several people to him over the past few years, and I recently referred my adult daughter to him, knowing that she would have a positive experience there and that if anyone could help her with her specific health struggles, it would be him. A mother’s trust and faith in a physician is probably the best review or compliment of all. He's not afraid of a challenging patient, or of learning more about an issue if he needs to do so in order to help you properly. I hope this review helps someone who may be looking for the things I was in a healthcare provider but hasn't found one that fits their needs yet. I wish everyone a happy and healthy life journey. :)