Anesis Spine and Pain Care - Tacoma

I was crippled with back pain for many years as construction took the best of me. A couple of strokes later my hip and shoulder got severely damaged from the fall and the pain was so intolerable to where my music playing/recording was put on hold indefinitely. Making visits to my pain doctor every month religiously to get medicated didn’t improve my life one bit. I was very skeptical to actually find a doctor that cared and not just kept handing me pills for the next 30 years. Over a year ago we found Dr Harstrom from Anises pain management in Tacoma, which I got to know and trust very much. After a radio frequency ablation that was determined to be the best for me, it helped me improve greatly.
For anyone out there that wants to actually improve your life and not just fill up on toxic medication, please consider her vast knowledge and professional expertise to help you get your life back. Dr Harstrom really cared to improve my life and not just to keep me as a patient. So please give yourself a chance to know her and how she could help you. I’m so convinced you would too thank yourself you did.

My experience with everyone I have encountered at Anesis Spine and Pain is 10 out of 10
Dr.Harstroem and the team of people working with Her are Very Caring.
I would Follow Anesis Spine and Pain anywhere in Western Washington just for the Excellent Job they All Do.
Shout Out To Paul

OmyGosh, I just spent the last hour reading the reviews. I can say it is my opinion that I saw a lot of people in pain but even more people that are unable to express themselves diplomatically. Chronic pain is a very very hard subject all the way around isn't it. It almost can qualify in the same class as religion and politics even. 'Depending on who you talk too'. I'm thinking some of the frustrations here are displaced.That is, blame is aimed at the caregivers when really an education on the opioid crisis and the harsh 'over correction' in 2016 of the CDC's 'guidelines' is most likely the REAL reason so many true chronic pain sufferers experienced such 'low-lowes'. Truly a disasterous injustice on so many levels, (not just patients, but imagine going to school for years because your passion is to help people yet have your hands tied by these 'guidelines'). However, I can also add as a 'retired' RN, it is absolutely imperative that measures are taken to help caregivers avoid becoming desensitized to the individual patient in front of you. I can say I know as well as you how many stories you hear everyday and the I've heard it all scenarios. Really, I am in a unique position in that I worked as nurse from age 19. I'm 56+ now. I have empathy for both sides as I too am a chronic pain sufferer with several comorbidities that makes being me miserably impossible a lot of the time. If it's not my spinal fusions or spondylolisthesis, or OA of both hips, swollen joints or the bone spur on TOP of my great toe...... then it will surely be the diagnosed "severe fibromyalgia" that will rule by ruin the day. When I was younger I suffered terribly from endometriosis. So I as much as anybody do know all about suffering chronic pain. But it takes work. It takes being willing to experiment. You have to understand that you will never be totally pain free or at least accept that possibility. I would be in terrible shape without my medication, but that doesn't mean that I don't try every non-narcotic method, device, procedure that is available or offered. Before I came to Anesis strangely I did have experiences at other so-called pain clinics as many of you have reviewed on this site. Bless my GP. He would ask me what happened? I would tell him "the pain doctor says I don't have a C-6,C-7 + wouldn't look at the MRI or bone scan or x-ray results that I had in my hand". Yes that really happened and things like that until my doctor finally found Anesis. The staff have always been kind to me. The staff do not sugar coat. I have had a radio frequency ablation of my C-6, C-7 pain, with results that lasted several months. I highly recommend giving this a try. My pain is being managed. No, I'm far away from being pain free. But my pain is being managed, they have several things to offer to enhance pain management. Medical TENS, supportive braces if indicated. Injections, Ablation & much more. They have recently began to offer tele-education about even more interventions for pain sufferers. As a patient I show up on time to the best of my ability, I never leave my prescription bottle in "my other purse", I follow my contract, my pee is clean. I think the biggest thing I did to participate was to give them a chance. I have been with them for about 4 years. Honestly, I'm getting older and my conditions are not reversing. They too are getting 'more chronic'. I absolutely cannot imagine what my quality of life would be without Anesis Pain and Spine. Hopefully more patients will be finding relief with the brand new update Nov 3rd 2022 revised CDC 'guidelines' on opioid treatment (this time more to the direction of actually helping chronic pain suffers then punishing them). Good luck to all of you. It does truly break my heart that so many people are in so much pain. It is an awful thing to live with.

When I started at Anesis I was in so much pain that I would cry from the burning pain on my back. I did physical therapy and that helped a bit. Then I came for an evaluation . I was given an injection on both sides of my spine. At the beginning my level was 10 then the level went down to a 4 and I was happy . That lasted for about 3 months so I went back for another injection on my right side. That one lasted 2 months. I had another 2 injections because I was going to see me family and friends for Christmas . Again I had relief for 2 months . I asked Dr H what else I could do because I didn’t want to get injections every 2 months.. She said that I could get an SJ Joint Infusion on my right side where I had the most pain. After extensive MRIs and x-rays blood tests I was approved to have this done on August 10,2022. I had my staples removed on August 19th . My pain level has been at 2 after this procedure. I was treated very well by staff in Tacoma and the staff in Olympia. Thank you Dr. H and the Anesis staff for helping me have a normal life. I would recommend this procedure for anyone that is suffering like I was. Helen

First you will never be treated better than the folks who work in their tacoma office. Ever. They are all kind, empathetic, truly great people. In particular from this visit i have to recognize Vanessa and dr Harstroem. They keep things light when you may be nervous. They acknowledge your concerns etc etc etc. These gals made my visit so comfortable it was a net positive experience having things shoved in my neck and nerves burned. That is saying something. Thanks so much for all the help tacoma anesis!! The staff is so amazing in general that one can even almost overlook the companies policy of shipping all phone calls to the Phillipines. Which of course is usually incredibly ineffective and makes communication happen in a days timeframe instead of a day like most dr offices. Plus lets be real it sends jobs to a country that is in constant violation of humanitarian laws. Food for thought.