Alexander P. Hersel, MD's Online Review Report Card

Dr Hersel became my doctor after I got fed up with Kaiser Permanente and he’s been a blessing ever since! Yes I have to see him monthly but he is so worth it !!

Dr. Hersel is the best. He is very thorough and has great bedside manners. He truly cares about his patients and listens to them carefully to find the best possible treatment to cure their pain. I had a great experience with him and his treatments have eased my shoulder pain considerably. Great staff and nurses too! I highly recommend Dr. Hersel and his team.

This was a pleasant experience in relieving pain in my back. Dr. Hersel always kept me informed on the procedure and has kept me pain free since the epidural.

Dr. Hersel listens to me and then has suggestions on a path forward. Always positive happy and very knowledgeable. His patient/client interaction is one of the best I’ve ever experienced. Always leave a office visit feeling better about my issues. Professional and very updated on pain management concerns.

Seriously, I would give Dr.Hersel 10 STARS if YELP WOUKD ALLOW IT. I have had a chronic lower back pain problem for over 10 years and Dr.Hersel methodically treated me and diagnosed me after ordering an MRI. I have not had this much relief -- EVER. He is a GEM of a physician and a personable , caring, and patient-centric person. In the Dictionary under " Bedside Manor" is an 8x10 photograph of Dr. Hersel. An exemplary physician and I'm so grateful that I found him. I have conveyed my experience to my myriad friends and colleagues and will continue to refer patients to him and his office. Speaking of his office-- Heather and Karine are sensational and very helpful in the process. You will NOT be disappointed!! He's a Champ!

I have a lot of experience with doctors due to many chronic conditions.  Following a TKR last year, I developed a painful condition called CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome).  I never thought I would be free from this agony, until I met Dr. Hersel.  He and his staff are so compassionate and helpful.  Their goal is not just to medicate and cover your pain, but to find a solution to live again!  I see a bright future on the horizon thanks to Dr. Hersel and his team.  While I am not totally pain free, it is much better than it was and I have hope that I soon will be able to put this behind me!Thank you, Dr. Hersel, for being the most compassionate medical professional that has ever treated me.  You surround yourself with staff that is as wonderful as you are - it makes all the difference!

I am a relatively new patient of Dr. Hersel's. He has already helped me with one of my problems and has assured me that I can count on him to improve an additional issue that I have. He is an excellent doctor as well as very kind and completely genuine in his compassion for his patients and desire to improve the quality of our lives. I'm so grateful that an orthopedic doctor referred him to me and looking forward to returning to a pain free life

Dr. Hersel is not only the best pain relief Dr. he is one of the finest persons I have ever met. I have been living with debilitating lumbar pain for thirty years. After two back surgeries in 1998 and 2001 I had some relief but not enough and any relief was short lived. I tried every kind of therapy from cupping and acupuncture and Guasha. A picture of the guasha and its impact on my body is attached to this post. I also have had over 100 injections from epidurals to radio frequency ablation with little to no relief. I've seen several hypnosis experts again to no avail. After all of these attempts for relief I went to Dr. Hersel who suggested I try a spinal stimulator implant. I knew about this procedure and had studied it many years ago, but I was concerned about its efficacy. Dr. Hersel gave me a packet describing the procedure using the newest implant from Abbott Labs and St. Judes. First, all the earlier implants required charging the battery every day or every other day. The Abbott implant has a ten year battery requiring no charging. After studying this implant I decided to try the Abbott model. This requires a test with the unit being attached to the outside of my body to be sure the implant will work for my pain. After a one week trial I was seen by Dr. Hersel and an Abbott technician and I reported to them I thought all my pain had disappeared. With all these different implants the goal is to bring at least 50% relief. So with the results clearly indicating I was a candidate for the permanent implant we scheduled surgery immediately. The surgery took approximately two hours. It required an incision in my mid spine and snaking of electronic leads from the surgical site through my spinal canal which is an extremely delicate procedure done with a fluoroscope to avoid puncture of the spinal canal. The leads are carefully placed and end at the battery which is placed in a pocket in the upper buttock through an incision made by the surgeon below the skin. BTW this is done under general anesthesia so you feel nothing and a strong numbing medication allowed me to feel no pain when I awoke. Dr. Hersel and the Abbott technician were there when I awoke. I was told the surgery was perfect and I should get at least 50% relief. Now here's the only bad news about these surgeries. When the numbness goes away there is what I can only describe as excruciating pain from the two surgical sites. There is significant swelling at these sites. For me the pain was horrible for three weeks. After a month the site pain began to subside. My pain wouldn't have been as bad if I took pain medication but because of a certain condition I have I am unable to take any pain medication other than Tylenol which didn't help. I believe the pain would have been significantly less had I been able to take anti inflammatory meds. The bottom line is after the incisional pain lessened I had no more lumbar spine pain. After those horrendous years of agony I finally had a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm thrilled to write I still have no pain five weeks post surgery. For anyone suffering from spinal pain, after trying other therapies, I cannot stress how important it is to set up an appointment to see Dr. Hersel. Not only is Dr. Hersel my surgeon but he is a cherished friend. He is the most caring and gentle physician I have ever known. His staff from receptionists, nurses, anesthesiologists and others is also as gentle and caring as their leader. They make what could be a very difficult day instead a pleasant experience. Dr. Hersel's contact information is contained in his bio on Yelp. If you have any questions or just want to talk I am happy to oblige. Just leave your contact information in an email to <a href="mailto:sje1949@earthlink.net">sje1949@earthlink.net</a> Here's to your future pain relief.

I have been seeing Dr Hersel for over 15 years. I have never encountered a Doctor who will go to the ends of the earth to try to figure out how he can help you. He is truly my angel on earth. He has changed my life forever for the better. I am doing things I haven’t been able to do in years. He listens and is so compassionate and super intelligent. I am honored to be a patient of his. I am so grateful for him!

I was diagnosed with facet syndrome (basically, osteoarthritis) in my lumbar area. At first I tried chiropractic and acupuncture; both seemed to work for awhile. Next I visited a a neurosurgeon who strongly advised me to try more conservative approaches before considering surgery. For several years I've been seeing Dr. Hersel to manage the pain. With the radio frequency ablation (“RFA”) procedures that he uses, I'm good for up to 6 months or more between treatments. He's been a great benefit in helping me lead a more normal life without constant back pain. For anyone contemplating invasive back surgery I highly recommend that you first speak with Dr.Hersel to see if he can help with your particular condition. Besides RFA he has several other procedures available, one of which might be better suited for you. You’ll also appreciate his realistic, practical attitude and congenial bedside manner. I consider myself very fortunate to have found Dr. Hersel and his clinic, PMIR.