Bay Area Pain & Wellness Center

AVOID THIS PLACE. This is the Los Gatos location. If you need anything, you will not be able to get though to them on the phone. They left a robo message saying that they can’t get calls or send them and apologize for the inconvienice. That was a week ago. The pharmacy can’t get ahold of them either.
It’s also irritating that they say they accept insurance, but are not part of any plan. The place is full of workers comp folks. Their pt is geared toward folks who need to do heavy lifting (home depot, construction), and hotel workers, pushing a cart… seriously there is a cart with laundry detergent on it that you practice pushing.
Dr. Massey was nice, but a little full of himself, and even admitted he did nothing.
So, basically, go find a physical therapist elsewhere: Valerie Jackson at
Find a doctor who prescribes medication that you can ACTUALLY get a hold of.
Once you finish pt, go to pilates and work with a physical therapist that also teaches pilates (on the reformer), you will get stronger and better: Therese at
Dr. Massey did give me a prescription to Myofascial Therapy. It’s a little esoteric, but actually helped:
If you do go here, be warned: if you need anything, you’re going to be up a creek if you need anything.

First off, I would like to say, I work at BAPWC. I am a small part of an amazing and uplifting group. The providers at this clinic are more empathetic and compassionate than any group of medical practitioners you will find. Our goal is to give patients control over their pain and lead more functional and happy lives. Unfortunately, not all see this. If you are one who is looking to achieve pain relief solely through medication without looking first at what you may be able to do to help yourself this is not the place for you. More research is detailing the effects of long term opioid use which includes a slow deterioration of your bodies ability to create its own pain relieving neurotransmitters. Over time, you body actually becomes more sensitive to pain! If you have chronic pain and are tired of not understanding what you can learn to do to make it better than this is the place for you. We can help you answer questions you didn’t even know you had i. e «How can I get my body to release more dopamine?» (This is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good and overrides pain receptors)
I agree, our phone system sucks. The people answering the phones however, are working hard to help you. Feel free to voice your concerns and give feedback but do consider, they deserve respect. Live well and I hope you too can take charge of your chronic pain.

Avoid! If at all possible do whatever is necessary to avoid this organization. Dr. Abaci has a serious medical condition called «narcissistic megalomania», firmly believing that his first impression (guess) is absolutely correct, no matter how thoroughly proven incorrect. He simply stops listening since, with infinie certainty (in his own opinion), having an MD degree means he instantly becomes infallible. Two other highly medically qualified ladies witnessed his utter indifference and were equally disgusted.
It appears that with no effective competition in the pain management field, and with the all too frequent virtual worship of the presumed infallibility of doctors (whose ‘mistakes’ kill well over 500,000 people in America per year) by profoundly ignorant patients, self-​worship by MD’s quickly becomes the norm. Dr. Abaci takes this attitude to extremes.
With active research and self-​help by any reasonably intelligent person, there is so much newly discovered knowledge that is available for free that one can cure oneself with even a small amount of research and disciplined effort. The charges by Bay Area Pain Clinic are outrageous and completely avoidable. Again: Avoid.

Awful organization, avoid at all cost. When their practice in San Rafael was sold, it took more than three months to get my medical records to the new doctor. Now I’m having a consultation and tried getting my medical records. Royal runaround. I had to threaten getting an attorney before I could finally get my records sent. Staff is rude, sending my calls around to voicemails. Just one example of an unhelpful attitude.

Let me start by saying Dr Massey is a great doctor who helped you treat the symptoms that are causing you pain and get to the cause of the pain and eliminate it. When I first met him, at the Los Gatos office, he told me he was an anesthesiologist and asked if I knew what that meant. When I replied someone who knocks you out for surgery he said know they are pain management specialists. I liked that and the fact he wasn’t just trying to stick pills down my throat. I have worked in the alternative medical field for 16+ years and know that pain pills do nothing to treat the cause of your pain only mask the symptoms. They offer a gym facility, exercise classes, visits with psychologists, outside referrals for acupuncturists. ThenLos Gatos clinic is great, however I was being seen for a work comp injury and lived in Santa Cruz. My next visit was scheduled at the clinic in Capitola with a different doctor. I arrived about ten minutes late. There was no one at the front desk. I sat in a chair and waited another ten minutes, finally the receptionist came out and I told her my name she looked at the clock and said you’re late the doctor can’t see you now I told her id been sitting there for over ten minutes but she didn’t care and rescheduled me for two weeks. I came back for the next appointment and when I arrived she was busy with another patient. I tried to get her attention but they were speaking in Spanish so I had no idea what she was saying. After about 15 minutes she finally looked at me and said you’re late, but ill put you in the room. I saw a college of Dr Massey’s she wrote me a prescription for some pain meds as the other nerve pain meds I had been five were causing side effects and a prescription for some kinesio tape. I tried asking receptionist how I’d get the tape but she couldn’t be bothered to answer and scheduled an appointment I told her I could come any time but the holiday weekend the next month. About two weeks later she called and said she had to reschedule me appointment as the dr couldn’t make the original one and the only time she had was of course the Friday of the holiday weekend that I was planning on being out of town. And due to work comp regulations I have to be seen every 45 days. Well of course trying to drive from out of town on a holiday in Santa Cruz is crazy so I was again about 15 min late I tried calling but no one answered. When I arrived of course I couldn’t be seen. I told her I had to be seen by a specific date or the adjustor would cut me benefits. She said she would call to schedule something. A few weeks went by with no call. I called again saying I just needed to be seen quickly for an update to my case. She said there was no appointments. I went the next day which was 3 days before the cut off date and she said there was nothing so I told her I would come back first thing the next day and just wait which I did until lunch time when she made me leave and said she would call when they returned and get me in. That has been four months now. After the date passed I called the Los Gatos office which was closed for the holidays but they at least called the next day they were in the office and set an appointment For 1 ½ weeks out but of course the adjustor had cut me off and I had to go 3 weeks with no benefits. So I’ve only been being seen in Los Gatos since and everything is great. De Massey is a great doctor the staff at capitola are not great staff.

DO NOT GO HERE. Or at least the Santa Cruz/​Capitola office. This place started out as AMAZING when I first went there a year ago and was under the care of Dr. Bernstein. They had an amazing pain psychologist, Ben Corsbie and PT. They had their stuff together. I was very impressed.
In the last 4 months or so this place has completely allen apart. This clinic is a MESS from top to bottom. It takes two weeks for someone to call me back to simply make an appointment. On average I leave 5 messages over 10 days to schedule. Every visit ive had, I see someone new (a nurse) and someone who has no clue what is going on with me and someone who doesn’t care at all to find out. They fired their pain psychologist and replaced Ben with someone AWFUL and all the patients were pretty outraged. The front desk woman Lucia now is overworked and never calls you back, because of budget cuts. And they decided to go opiate free within months and recently cut my prescription (I have a broken back and spondolyosys and spondylolesthesis) in HALF without givine me ANY advice on how to wean.
On top of that, I have been trying to fill that prescription (cut in half) for 5 days and due to an error on their part, I can’t fill it. The pharmacy, my insurance, myself, my mom and my primary care doctor has been calling them for days to fix the issue as you cannot stop this medicine cold turkey and no one has returned any calls.
Due to that, I am unable to function at the moment I am so sick. And guess what. No one cares! Since yesterday alone I have called twice, my mom called and everyone else. No response even though they know I am suffering and all they have to do is make a phone call to fix it.
This place started out great and quickly deteriorated into the worst pain clinic I have ever experienced. Ever. And I broke my back 9 years ago so I’ve been to a few.
Don’t go here.
*I have now gone 6 days without my medication which you cannot stop abruptly because they wont simply call me back. Or call my insurance to auhtorize it. My mom, the pharmacy, myself, Blue Shield, my primary care doctor-we’ve been calling since friday, 6 DAYS, and no one, Sheree, Dr Massey, Kelly — no one cares that their patient is very ill and they cant make a quick phone call. The head of their whole clinic called me today to discuss what is going on, probably because they read this review.
I’m so outraged & so is everyone else. You cannot force a patient to quit an opoid pain medication cold turkey because you made a mistake on their script and dont feel like calling them back. I’ve paid them thousands of dollars.

For aannnyone! looking for an awesome place with an excellent staff of team players (phycians, therapists receptionists, assistants, technicians…) This is your place!!! The atmosphere and reception there was supherb! I was there for six weeks!!! I honestly didn’t think I was going make it that long, but because I. I repeat I was determined I stayed. I kept the motto «It will work if I work!» I may not be where I want to be, but at least I’m not where I used to be. The BAPWC Team treat the whole person (mind, body…).
All your Worker’s Comp (WC) blues –they will be there!!! before you get there, while your there and after you leave!!! If you happen to stay annnd If you want to know the truth (all Worker’s Comp) and nothing but the TRUTH!!! Be sure to attend The Workers Comp class that Dr. J. Massey teaches. You’ll learn a lot.
Soooo! with that being said– back to this awesome Team at BAPWC. A portion of this Team whom another program attendee & I named «The Fantastic Four!” — (C-​M-​G-​L) really hung in there with us helping, encouraging, pumping, educating and not allowing to let the bad days get us down! Yes! Some times there are rough edges, but then no house is perfect!!! So I say THANK YOU !!! BAPWC Team!
Kudos! D

Call today to get some information about some paperwork that was supposed to be filled out and sent to me 3 weeks ago spoke to someone named Cynthia who was dumber than a box of nails who knew nothing about nothing tell me the one of her managers wasn’t there and when I ask to speak to whoever was the supervisor she sent me to the managers email box who wasn’t there and then wouldn’t answer the phone again

I was injured in 1994 at work and began my struggle with the Workers Comp (WC) system. After having a terrible experience with the WC Dr., who was rude, inconsiderate and incompetent, I repeatedly tried to contact the WC Ins. co. to find another Dr. I could see. All my calls, messages and letters were ignored and I finally gave up and began living my life in severe pain.
19 years later, I was reduced from an athletic, outgoing, sociable person to someone who spent hours in his recliner every day. I could no longer ride my bicycle, as had been my passion for many years and even doing yard work caused me a lot of pain. A friend became my advocate and managed to figure out which Ins. Co. had taken over my WC claim (I was guaranteed lifetime care in the settlement). After she reopened my claim, her attorney recommended that I see Dr. Massey at Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center (BAPWC) for an evaluation. I was skeptical, as every Dr. I had seen just wanted to push pain med’s at me… which I refused to take.
When I met Dr. Massey, I was pleasantly surprised. For once in my life, I had found a Dr. who looked me straight in the eye and listened to my issues. When he asked what med’s I was on and I replied ‘A little Ibuprofen when I need it’, he was shocked and said that I was one of the very few to be able to handle pain without something stronger. He did not try to force me to take anything, like every other Dr. I had seen, and commended me on my determination to try and address my pain issues without med’s. Finally, a Dr. who agreed with me! This came after years and years of Dr’s insisting that I needed strong pain med’s.
After writing up a very detailed report on my case, Dr. Massey and the staff at BAPWC went to work fighting for my rights. They convinced the WC Ins. Co. that the Functional Restoration Program (FRP) was a good fit for me, as I was determined to avoid surgery. When they opened their new facility in Capitola, I was one of the first 2 patient’s in the FRP at that location.
The FRP is a program that addresses many aspects of chronic pain. It includes physical therapy, gym time, lectures on dealing with pain, anatomy and the workers comp system,
wellness classes, art therapy, psychology, nutrition and more. I was skeptical that I could make it through the first week, let alone 6 weeks of day long sessions. The first week was a challenge as I had been inactive for so long that my body needed time to adjust to working out again. The staff were very supportive and encouraging and showed me the correct way to do the exercises based on my back issues. They took the time to explain things to each student and worked with us individually and as a group.
I also learned about aspects of my pain profile that I had not previously considered, such as how past trauma’s in my life that had been affecting me. In the group psych classes, we worked through the aspects of dealing with and letting go of the past and how to focus on the present. In wellness, I learned how yoga and meditation could help calm and ease my pain and quiet the negative thoughts in my mind. In nutrition, I was taught to avoid foods that contribute to inflammation and increased pain. All the different aspects of the FRP were helping each of us to regain the life that we had lost to chronic pain.
After the first week, I could feel changes beginning to happen… I was regaining strength and confidence. I was soon being told to slow down and take it easy, as I was feeling so much better that I just wanted to keep progressing and found myself pushing harder and harder to improve! Over the course of the next 5 weeks an amazing thing happened… I not only regained strength and confidence but my self esteem as well. My life was changing in an amazing way and I am still feeling the benefits of the FRP over 1 year after graduating. I still go to the gym 3 days a week to work out and maintain the fitness that I regained during the FRP.
Many of us in the class became friends and supported each other throughout the process. The staff were incredible and understanding to each individual students particular situation. Without the FRP at Bay Area Pain And Wellness, I would still be a couch potato but now I am able to manage my pain and live a full life again!
Dr. Massey, Michelle Zenda, Mark Johnson and the entire staff are caring, considerate, understanding people who have each individuals best interests at heart.
I have NEVER experienced any of the negativity expressed in so many of the other reviews posted here in the 2+ years I have been a patient at BAPWC. I will be forever indebted to these wonderful people for the help they have given me and highly recommend BAPWC for anyone who has chronic pain, no matter what the cause.

I really can’t comment on the service here because it took them 4 days to call me back to set up an appointment and I thought if it takes this long to call back to schedule, then i don’t want to have an injection done here. I have moved on to another clinic that was extremely attentive and actually gave me a different diagnosis. The office staff is extremely short and curt on the phone, bordering on just plain rude. I understand calling back within 24 hours but not calling back to schedule an appointment for 3 days is just not acceptable. I was told they were very busy and that what was why they couldn’t return my call. Just another weak excuse for failing to return a call.

Office staff are terrible. They can’t get anything done. The programs are little helpful but for the most part you are taught stuff most people already know,
Example pace your activities
Really !!! I should do things slow and take breaks if my pain is increasing.
The FRP (functional rehabilitation program) WILL NOT HELP YOU PAIN !!! They teach you how to deal with your pain!!! Like I didn’t know how to deal with my pain in the first place!!! Then they take away the pain medication!!! Now you are left with pain and no way to help it, except stretch and deep breath! Yea, that helps !!!
After you are done frp they act like your all better now, you can return to all your preprogrammed activities
Like return back to work, like going to draw pictures, deep breathing psychology classes and physical therapy is anything like work!!! !

Never experienced such poor care and discrimination as by the clinic in Los Gatos, my husband in the middle of treatment he was accused of being an addict and yanked of his pain killers cold turkey. The staff is so rude, I caught them lying to me to my face and called then on it, I had to threaten action for my husband to continue the care, the insinuation was to push him out the door half way through treatment and cut him loose cold with no options, physically broken. They don’t care about their patients, if you are not white from the suburbs and good looking and fit you are screwed. The administrative operations inside this clinic is so dysfunctional and disorganized. Getting through as in something as simple as a phone call its almost impossible, one has to threaten with showing up in person to get a call back.
We ended up at the emergency to seek care for my husband, due to their refusal to fill his prescription accusing him of faking his condition after 3 back surgeries without a final MRI and receiving a diagnosis from a back Neurologist specialist which we are pushing for it. It just fills me with anxiety and cry for my loved one feeling helpless, this is the hell I have been going though with this clinic.

The support staff for the clinicians working there are the worst I have ever experienced. When I finally got through their phone tree I was told that the first visit would have to be an all day event. I explained to the rude young lady that I couldn’t do an all day as my portable oxygen bottle would only last three hours at best. She hung up on me. A while later, I got a call from another young lady who stated a simple visit with the doctor could be arranged and made an appointment for me to see him a month later. I saw Dr. Abace on the appointment day. I found him pleasant and caring. He listened to my eight year history of battling my pain and stated that for those eight years the doctors I had been seeing had been treating me for the wrong thing. He left the room and returned with several pages of data from the internet supporting his diagnosis. He suggested I try physical therapy first as it was the least invasive way to deal with my pain. I explained that physical therapy had not worked in the past and he told me that they were trying to help the wrong problem. I was handed over to Teresa, a physical therapist. I had three sessions with this pleasant and seemingly competent young lady. After three sessions we agreed that while the physical therapy helped it would take an outpatient surgery to correct the problem. She turned me over to the desk clerk to secure authorization to see the Dr. again. While waiting for the authorization, I received a statement from them stating that my insurance company had refused payment for the first visit. I attached a copy of the authorization to the statement and sent it back to them. A month later, while still awaiting the authorization I got another statement still showing the bill unpaid. I telephoned the number on the statement and the answering machine stated they would call me back in three days if I left my number. Sure enough (?) they did call back in three days. The lady I talked to stated that the matter had been resolved and the bill paid. I asked her to transfer me to the front desk so I could find out how the authorization for another visit was coming along. She stated she couldn’t transfer my call but would have them call me. It never happened. A week or so later I had a followup visit with my primary doctor, and filled him in on my frustration. He stated that his office would try to obtain it for me. A week later I got a copy of the authorization that was sent to the pain center and my Dr. I waited for a call from the pain center to make an appointment. After four weeks I decided to call them. The first call I was on hold for fifteen minutes. I hung up. The second call I was on hold twelve minutes when I finally decided the hell with these fools, and hung up. What good is a talented Dr. like Dr Abace if the support staff is incompetent and rude? I’m now looking for a new Pain specialist to treat the problem Dr. Abace diagnosed.

This is not a review for the entire center, but specifically for Toni Morley, the Psychotherapist. Toni was incredibly supportive and kind to me. She was my champion when I was feeling discouraged, and never doubted that I would get better — which I am. I credit my healing in part to her kind and caring attention. I would recommend her to anyone who needs a good pain psychologist.

This is one of the worst medical offices you can possibly go to. They treat their patients very badly. The office staff is so incompetent and can not get any authorizations done properly. If you have a wokers’ comp case DO NOT GO TO THIS OFFICE. if you work for the City of San Jose they have been removed from their provider list, because of their EXTREME incompetence! Dr. Massey does not care about his patients at all! If anyone has called the office and spoke with Lindsay or Gilbert you should know what I am talking about, the office is located in Los Gatos but is run like they are in the ghetto! They treat all their patients like they are garbage!

I was treated so bad there. I went to see Dr. Massey for my first visit. Then I needed a follow up. They gave me a appointment with Dr. Matia. He was very rude and insulted me. He treated me like I was a drugged out claim case. I was shocked to be treated like I was trash. He was the worst doctor I’ve ever had. I’m still in shock to tell people and embarrassed that it happen to me. I called to let the office know, and they didn’t care.
I wrote a letter to Dr. Massey to let him know how the other doctor treated me. I got no response. I won’t be going there or referring any one either.

I went through the functional rehabilitation program following a slipped disc injury. For 6 weeks, the staff members poured their hearts and souls into my recovery. They very sincerely care about their patients. It was the first time that doctors treated me like I was one of them. They did not judge me, they did not treat me like I just wanted medicine, they listened to everything I said, and they showed genuine empathy. They changed my life. I will live with chronic pain for the rest of my life, but it is far easier to manage and the deal with now because of the things that they taught me. I am eternally grateful to the Bay Area pain and wellness center.

Well, I can see why WebMD, Dr Dean Edell and other cutting edge medical practitioners recommend Dr Massey of the Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center. Dr Massey is a bit of a ‘rock star’ in the realm of Pain Management. Yes, he is highly educated, but he is also very gifted. He is very present and professional in his work, yet empathic enough to achieve a ‘meeting of the minds’. This allows the possibility for movement away from a place of feeling hopelessly stuck in pain and fearful about it getting worse toward a path of less pain and more enjoyment of life. It takes some time to change one’s mind about pain, I certainly had my preconceived notions as we all do but now I feel like I am in control of the pain, the pain isn’t in control of me anymore.
I believe that the Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center has the most comprehensive treatment protocol for people suffering with chronic pain. While sometimes the answers were not what I was looking for, they do offer more cutting edge options. I took Dr Massey’s words to heart and made some changes in my lifestyle and work and I can actually say that my pain has lessened.
The truth is that many people are in pain, either physical, emotional or mental; we are all here to help one another. I am grateful to Dr Massey and The Bay Area Pain and Wellness Center. I highly recommend them. Never once did I feel like anyone downplayed my pain, they just encouraged me to really look at what is and what is not available to help me to best minimize the pain and to carry on in spite of it whenever possible.

NPR’s Dr. Dean Edell recommended Dr. John Massey when my sister and I called with questions about the disorder with which I had just been diagnosed. Luckily my WC nurse advocate shared his opinion– Dr. Massey was my diagnosing doctor. Less than 2months after learning I had CRPS type I, RSD I started the extensive eight week pain program. That was eight years ago, before the doctor’s offices and the program moved to a single building at the current location. Though the doctors, the hours and the building have changed the same, life-​changing lessons are being taught. Lessons that I STILL use every single day!

Instead of telling us up-​front that our insurance did not cover his comprehensive program, during a five-​minute appointment (that we waited several weeks for), the proprietor told us that we should read his new book as well and attend their weekly lectures. And left it at that. This is regarding a serious back condition that requires medical attention. I thought he was joking.
It would have sufficed to say «I“m sorry we can’t help you.» and perhaps recommend that we go elsewhere instead of insulting our intelligence. An unnamed «Visitor from Stanford» sat in on our brief meeting and we were not given a choice in the matter.
He then nonchalantly asked us what WE wanted to do. I thought we came in for a consultation? I was in disbelief. He obviously did not want us as patients and had no interest in helping us along our medical journey.
Our insurance will likely be billed for the full cost of a consultation.