Refer a client · Case review
Send the mechanism, the imaging and the gap. We will tell you what we would test first, and whether it is likely to answer the question.
There is no form to fill out and no commitment on either side. Referrals and reviews are taken from plaintiff firms, defense firms, workers’ compensation carriers and private insurers on identical terms. A first conversation establishes whether this patient has something that can be tested objectively, and what the honest answer is likely to be.
What to send
- The mechanism. Direction of impact, speed if known, restraint, position in the vehicle, whether the patient was aware of the impact coming.
- The imaging itself, on disc or through a portal — not only the radiology report. The report is a summary written without the patient present.
- Prior records, particularly any that are unfavorable. An opinion written without them does not survive their production.
- The treatment gap, if there is one, with whatever the patient says the reason was.
- What you actually need decided. Causation, treatment course, impairment, future care or capacity — each calls for different testing, and some cannot be answered from records alone.
What happens next
FIRST — A CONVERSATION
Usually the same week, by phone. We will tell you whether there is a testable question here, what we would order, and what it could and could not establish. If the answer is that nothing objective is available, you hear that first rather than after a bill.
THEN — AN EVALUATION
A full history and examination, imaging reviewed against the patient, and a metabolic panel where indicated. No procedure is performed on a first visit — see what a client can expect.
THEN — TESTING, IF THERE IS A QUESTION
A diagnostic block, electrodiagnostics or sensory testing, chosen because the examination raised a specific question. Results are recorded whichever way they come out.
What we will not do
This practice is not aligned to a side. Its obligation runs to the patient’s health and safety, which is the same reason it is not beholden to any position that would keep it from seeing what is actually there. We do not offer opinions on liability, we do not accept a referral or a review conditioned on reaching a particular conclusion, and we will say plainly when the evidence does not support the claim — whichever party was hoping otherwise.
We also do not review other clinicians’ standard of care, and do not price by outcome.
Common questions
How quickly can a client be seen?
Usually within a week for an evaluation. Call (314) 886-5461 or send the file and we will tell you the current interval.
Do you require a letter of protection?
Not as a routine arrangement. Payment structure is discussed case by case and is never tied to the content of a finding.
Will you take a client who is already treating elsewhere?
Often, for a specific diagnostic question. Continuity of the existing treatment relationship matters and we will say if a referral would fragment it.
Can you evaluate a client who lives in Illinois?
Yes. Dr. Padda is licensed in Missouri and Illinois. The office is on Natural Bridge Road in St. Louis.
Related reading
Start with a phone call, not a referral form
Ten minutes on the phone will usually establish whether there is anything here worth testing. That conversation costs nothing and commits neither side.
12166 Natural Bridge Rd
St. Louis, MO 63044
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and nothing on it is medical advice.
Sources
- Cohen SP et al. Multicenter, randomized, comparative cost-effectiveness study comparing 0, 1, and 2 diagnostic medial branch block treatment paradigms before lumbar facet radiofrequency denervation. Anesthesiology, 2010. PubMed 20613471
- Brinjikji W et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 2015. PubMed 25430861
- Bono CM et al. An evidence-based clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical radiculopathy from degenerative disorders. The Spine Journal, 2011. PubMed 21168100
- Raja SN et al. The revised International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain: concepts, challenges, and compromises. Pain, 2020. PubMed 32694387