Pain Management Institute has been serving patients in the DC/Maryland/Virginia for over 20 years. We are one of the oldest pain management groups in the area and have been recognized as the best by Washingtonian Magazine, Checkbook Magzine, Bethesda Magazine, and others. But our biggest compliments come from our referring physicians who send their staff and family members to our clinic for care.
Many of our patients are physicians themselves. We aim to preserve the personal touch that is often lost in today's medical environment while keeping our treatments advanced yet simple for patients to understand. We emphasize patient education and believe in keeping the patient's safety and best interest in mind when recommending any treatment options.
Many of our patients are physicians themselves. We aim to preserve the personal touch that is often lost in today's medical environment while keeping our treatments advanced yet simple for patients to understand. We emphasize patient education and believe in keeping the patient's safety and best interest in mind when recommending any treatment options.
Services
1. Are you requesting an Office visit (New or established patient?) or Injection visit (New or established patient?) 3. Please provide other phone numbers (if available) where you can be reached to complete the appointment. We will return your email within the next business day with the name of the staff member who has been assigned to complete your appointment.
At Pain Management Institute, we define an excellent physician as someone who is well qualified by their training, certification, experience, and above all, someone who places the patient's interest first. Our physicians not only have the best training and experience, they are also regarded by other physicians in the Washington DC area as the best in pain management because we place the interest of the patient first.
At the Pain Management Institute, a thorough evaluation by our expert physicians sets us apart from other clinics. Please look over some of the pain conditions that we commonly treat. For many of our ptients, their pain is not always clearly defined. If your condition is not listed below, don't be disheartened but contact us for an evaluation.
Your individually tailored treatment may include the use of medications. Pain management with medications is often a course of educated trial and assessment. Relieving chronic pain requires time, patience, and an active participation in your own care. Several medications which treat other conditions may be effective for certain painful conditions, including antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and anti-inflammatory medications.
The Pain Management Institute offers infusion therapies as part of our comprehensive pain treatment plan. Infusion therapies for chronic pain have been in use since the 1960's, but have grown in popularity in recent years as new research has proven their safety and effectiveness for multiple disorders.
Reviews (27)
Bill P.
Oct 23, 2021
Report
Susan D.
Apr 25, 2021
Report
Karen W.
Feb 12, 2021
Report
Dr. Lee is wonderful but the admin staff in this office is among the worst I've ever encountered. Make sure and SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS when you've made a payment, and CONFIRM YOUR OWN APPTS. I paid my co-pay in the office and it was never credited to my account, so I had to go back and bring in a credit card statement to prove that I had actually paid it. When you call the appointment line you will rarely get someone picking up and if you leave a message to call you back on the voicemail no one will. The "email to make an appointment" option is a joke, no one responds to it. And
Bill Marcus
Sep 08, 2020
Report
Dee Sofi
Jul 20, 2020
Report
I was recommended to make an appointment with one of their Doctors, for my knee and foot pain.
MAKING AN APPOINTMENT: Took more than 2 weeks to finally get a live person to return my numerous Emails, calls, as well as texts.
I can understand in the Era of COVID some or most people are working remotely, but there is absolutely NO excuse not to contact patients within a business day ( as they promise in their voice message center).
MANAGEMENT: There is NO office manager. No one person to take control and literally manage assignments to staff.
I was instructed to send my new patient packet to
MAKING AN APPOINTMENT: Took more than 2 weeks to finally get a live person to return my numerous Emails, calls, as well as texts.
I can understand in the Era of COVID some or most people are working remotely, but there is absolutely NO excuse not to contact patients within a business day ( as they promise in their voice message center).
MANAGEMENT: There is NO office manager. No one person to take control and literally manage assignments to staff.
I was instructed to send my new patient packet to
B. R. F.
Oct 02, 2019
Report
Karen Haslinger
Sep 16, 2019
Report
Have been a patient of Dr.Avernaghi for almost 20yrs. I have always been treated with respect,kindness and compassion. He is very knowledgable and has helped me not just with physical pain but also all of the emotional issues that accompany chronic pain. My son has been seeing him as well. He and his staff are top notch. Don't know where we would be without them.
Jacqueline B.
Mar 15, 2019
Report
I was discharged as a patient by Dr. Larkin. I have had nothing but pleasant experiences with him over the years. They got a new receptionist who refused to answer the phone. Email only. Their Bethesda office stopped answering the phone. Email Only. I got very frustrated one day and told them I was going to show up at the office and see if I could speak to Dr. Larkin. When I arrived I was informed that I was being dismissed as a patient. Dr. Larkin would not speak to me. The young gentlemen who works with the receptionist helped me so much. Previously, he has even called me back after
Carol H.
Jan 11, 2019
Report
Kathy O.
Aug 03, 2018
Report
I have been seeing Dr. Lee for a year now and I highly recommend him. He has been helping me get more mobility and less pain without surgery or narcotics for my spine and knee problems. He does a great job of explaining everything as he does it and has a very calm and reassuring manner. The office does a great job of dealing with my insurance. I also recommend Dr Larkin who has helped me with my debilitating migraines! Don't give up- Pain Managent Institute's doctors really care and they will help you get your quality of life back.
Anna W.
Mar 07, 2018
Report
Dr. Frank Lee is a really wonderful human being. He is a kind, caring, empathetic chronic pain specialist, who has taught me so much. I understand now much better about the sources of my pain and my falls & how to cope better. He has been available to me whenever I need him & he is always professional and genial. I trust him implicitly and like him a lot & I hardly ever like anyone.
Jerry Perone
Oct 25, 2017
Report
I have to agree with the comments by the others who reviewed this practice. It is the worst practice management and operation that I've ever dealt with in my 60 years. I have lived in five states (NY NJ VA MD PA) and seen doctors in these states. In all those states i have never ever seen an operation like the Pain Management Institute (PMI). Absolutely terrible. Today I got a call from one of the PMI front desk women. She told me that I needed to get a referral from my primary care doctor and she wanted it BACKDATED TO APRIL 25th 2017. After my experience today I have decided that it is time to
Honest T.
Aug 31, 2017
Report
My doctor actually called to ask me to remove the review. if the office care, then stop allowing your staff to get away with it, otherwise you would have to make a lot more calls to other patients. i hope they have changed staff by now.
if you have billing issue with doctors office, contact your insurance and BBB to get help.
with all these issues with the billing and staff, i was never able to talk to their manager in person or on a phone call. the manager emailed finally but no apologies and no acknowledgement from billing staff. i did much of the audit myself which cost me much time and
if you have billing issue with doctors office, contact your insurance and BBB to get help.
with all these issues with the billing and staff, i was never able to talk to their manager in person or on a phone call. the manager emailed finally but no apologies and no acknowledgement from billing staff. i did much of the audit myself which cost me much time and
Michael Borey
Aug 25, 2017
Report
I absolutely love Dr.Lee and the staff there. Have had no complaints. Everyone has treated myself and my family amazing. Those complaining about not being shown what room to go to is just ridiculous. If you can't go down that short hallway and read the number yourself then you've got bigger problems than pain management. Again big Thank you to the staff for being so nice and treating my kids great in the waiting room each visit.
Richard S.
Aug 05, 2017
Report
Nicole S.
Jul 29, 2017
Report
Mel J.
Jan 17, 2017
Report
Well, first I must begin by saying this is a review for what PMI has become--not what it always had been. This place was the gold standard.
When Dr. Kalmat left, things began going down hill. No one is as good as he. I must say that I have seen every doctor there. I don't think that they are incompetent, they are all very educated. My issue is that they seem to be helpful for the very basic pain issues; the usual my back hurts, my knees ache, and so on. I have a much bigger problem then that. Dr. Kalmat understood that. He was there for me since the beginning of this new painful
When Dr. Kalmat left, things began going down hill. No one is as good as he. I must say that I have seen every doctor there. I don't think that they are incompetent, they are all very educated. My issue is that they seem to be helpful for the very basic pain issues; the usual my back hurts, my knees ache, and so on. I have a much bigger problem then that. Dr. Kalmat understood that. He was there for me since the beginning of this new painful
Jamie Carroll
Sep 16, 2016
Report
I had the same experience as Michael Gonzalez. In June 2016 I was referred to Dr. Frank Lee for intractable neck pain. The office staff is the worst I have ever seen and I have been to hundreds of doctors in my 7 decades on this earth. The two women who sit behind the desk on the 5th floor of the N. Bethesda office should be fired ASAP. The rest of the staff seem to be just as bad but aren't as visible. They behave like high schoolers on lunch break. Talking to each other but ignoring the patients. I was treated as though I was intruding on their fun. Dr. Larkin is good but Dr. Lee referred me
Victor Y.
Aug 08, 2016
Report
My experiences with the PMI physicians, especially Dr. Frank Lee, have always been awesome. They seem to genuinely care about providing the best care possible. I got great relief from my procedure and have seen the quality of my activities improved since. I will recommend Dr. Lee and PMI to anyone who needs help with their pain condition.
Scott A.
May 19, 2016
Report
Paul R.
Mar 30, 2016
Report
Avoid the Pain Management Institute. They are awful and incompetent. I had a morning appointment for an epidural shot for my low back pain and radiculopathy. When I arrived for the appointment at 8:30am, the office secretary said they had left a message on my phone to cancel the appointment the day before, because their "x-ray machine was broken." First of all, I never received any cancellation message. It was a lie. Second, they should have emailed me as well, or called back until they spoke to me personally before cancelling any surgical procedure. Total incompetents. Furthermore
Happy P.
Feb 04, 2016
Report
I have been a patient at PMI since January 2014. Please note this review is solely regarding the doctors I have seen, and not the office staff. I have learned to ignore office staff issues if the doctors are doing a great job taking care of my issues.
My primary doctor is Dr. Kalmat. If I could give 10 stars for him I would do so without blinking. He listens, never seems rushed for time, and is thorough in his review. He always reviews his notes. Besides multiple office visits, I have had four sets of injections (I have severe facet joint arthritis and DDD). He has done a great job of keeping
My primary doctor is Dr. Kalmat. If I could give 10 stars for him I would do so without blinking. He listens, never seems rushed for time, and is thorough in his review. He always reviews his notes. Besides multiple office visits, I have had four sets of injections (I have severe facet joint arthritis and DDD). He has done a great job of keeping
Melissa R.
Dec 02, 2015
Report
This review is for the billing office at PMI, which was absolutely horrendous. They are awful - without question the worst experience I have ever had with a billing department anywhere.
I went to PMI for an epidural in early June. They participate in my insurance (GEHA PPO), the epidural was a covered service, and I had a letter of medical necessity and a referral from my surgeon. I should have been required to pay a standard $30 co-pay, but instead PMI required that I pay for the entire procedure out-of-pocket on the day of the epidural. I never would have agreed to such a thing, but I was
I went to PMI for an epidural in early June. They participate in my insurance (GEHA PPO), the epidural was a covered service, and I had a letter of medical necessity and a referral from my surgeon. I should have been required to pay a standard $30 co-pay, but instead PMI required that I pay for the entire procedure out-of-pocket on the day of the epidural. I never would have agreed to such a thing, but I was
Bill W.
Mar 19, 2015
Report
I've been a patient of Dr Frank Lee for a while now. I'm overly pleased with his care. He's caring and explains everything in terms I understand. He doesn't rush through our appointment and takes his time to listen. He is also conservative in prescribing medication and tries to give me what helps. Where as other pain management places just get you in,, give you an rx, and send you on your way. Almost like a drug factory.
And the staff has been great and responsive to any of my requests. I would highly recommend PMI and Dr Lee !
This is and edit being added on 7-30
And the staff has been great and responsive to any of my requests. I would highly recommend PMI and Dr Lee !
This is and edit being added on 7-30
Floyd P.
Jan 19, 2015
Report
I was very glad that the doctor I see as a rule and I've been going to this office for over two years because he listens very well and spend the time to listen to me and the problems and its why I went to his office and left the last. when I've gone to last week when I went I was very surprised that the doctor I was supposed to see wasn't in and I had not been informed that he wasn't in and I could make another appointment with the doctor so I can see who I used to see them but is more convenient so I saw somebody I hadn't wanted to see. I wanted to see.
Dr. I saw told
Dr. I saw told
Marcus F.
Sep 10, 2014
Report
M. Gonzalez
Aug 23, 2014
Report
My experience with this office it so sad. I never met cold heartless people who treat there patients like worthless trash especially the front desk lady the way she talk about the patients behind their back and when they leave..... smh her attitude it's so ghastly. The waiting is so ridiculous insane and They dont even show you to your room you have to look for it and they purposely dont answer your call who ever is the office manager should be ashame😒.
I recommand people to find a different place and doctor.
I recommand people to find a different place and doctor.
