National Spine and Pain Centers - Suneetha Budampati, MD

"I came to Dr. Budampati in November 2025. I had been bedridden for over a month with severe back pain. By Christmas, I was fully mobile and by January, I was back to full health. Highly recommended her and her team! Having already had two back surgeries, her use of minimally invasive injections (L4/L5 epidural and SI Joint) were very successful in pain relief!"

"I am reposting this review over two years after my experience. I noticed that it had been removed from the site, and I strongly feel people should know of my experience before choosing to see this doctor. The numbness I mention below has gotten no better. I have about 50% of the feeling I formerly had in my right foot. See below: I have never written a negative review of a doctor or a health facility. I generally believe that health care professionals do amazing work and, even in situations where things go wrong, they deserve lots of leeway due to their genuine good will and desire to help their patients. Recently, however, I had a bad experience that I feel compelled to note. I went to National Spine and Pain Centers Arlington location in hopes of receiving relief for sciatica. I have suffered from this condition, due to an L5-S1 herniation, on and off for years. After consultation with a very helpful and competent PA, we decided that the best path forward would be an epidural steroid injection. I was a bit nervious during the procedure, as Dr. Budampati spoke animatedly throughout the procedure, but I figured she was trying to take my mind off the pain. When the first injection had little effect, the PA and I decided to schedule a second shot, as she said it often takes a series of these before a patient feels much better. Fair enough, I said, and we scheduled the second one. When receiving the second epidural, Dr. Budampati once again talked throughout the procedure--but this time not to me. Again, while the approach made me uneasy, I didn't want to ask her to pay a bit more attention to the matter at hand, as I thought doing so would be rude. This shot hurt considerably more than the one before, but I figured she was trying to really get to the source of my pain. I made it home afterwards, lay down, and hoped for the best. The next morning, I wasn't moving well, but I felt that was par for the course after an epidural. When I bent down to pick up my dog's water bowl, I crumpled to the floor. Within minutes I was on the phone to the National Spine and Pain help line, speaking with a guy who prescribed a higher dose of pain medication for me. As I regained a bit of mobility, I noticed significant numbness in the bottom of my right foot. While I had felt some tingling and numbness down my right leg prior to the second procedure, this sensation was orders of magnitude greater. I limped slightly and needed the handrail to go up or down stairs. Eventually, I had a follow-up appointment with the PA at National Spine and Pain, and I told her about my numbness and limp. She tweaked my medication and we set up another appointment. I had begun researching whether an epidural injection could cause the sort of numbness I was experiencing--the answer is yes, though this is a rare side-effect if a nerve has been irritated during the procedure.. Articles say the numbness will often abate over time, but not always. I've still got my fingers crossed. I did go see the local neurosurgeon, who advised me to have a micro-discectomy. When I asked him whether an epidural injection might cause my symptoms, he said yes, possibly. He did not say, "Of course, that's what happened." He merely said it was a possibility. So then came my final visit to Spine and Pain. I met with the PA and told her my pain was significantly better, but that the numbness was worrisome. I told her that I felt the sudden onset of numbness was pretty clearly linked to the second epidural. She refilled my prescriptions and offered to call Dr. Budampati in to discuss things. Eventually, I agreed. Predictably, Dr. Budampati denied any responsibility for my new symptoms. She claimed it was not possible that she had made an error. She was dismissive and utterly unsympathetic. When confronted with the fact that I had walked into her office able to feel my right foot and had left it unable to do so, she merely repeated that she had done nothing wrong. Needless to say, I will not be recommending her."

"This is the worst place in the world. Dr. Budampati doesn't have a clue about what she is doing. I went there to be treated for lower back on my right side. I have experienced this condition years prior for which I received a set of three injections in Maryland had great great success. Dr. Budampati gave me the first injection without exactly knowing where and what was actually causing my pain and with out first having me undergone MRI exam. The first injection did nothing to relieve my pain it actually caused more pain. I was back in her office less than 2 weeks for my second injection without having undergone a MRI exam. The 2 injection did nothing to relieve to pain it actually caused more severe pain and stiffness. It confirmed for then that she had no clue about what she was doing. It was then she realized that she should see what was really happening so she ordered a MRI exam which is what she should have done before ever treating me. The MRI revealed what I basically already knew. I return to her office with the MRI results and to receive my 3rd and last injection about 10 days after the 2nd injection thinking since she has the MRI results maybe she'll get it right and I can finally get some relief. After receiving the 3rd injection I am much worst than I was before my first treatment. I have several sciatic pain in my lower left buttocks, hip and lower leg. I can not stand or walk because of the pressure from body weight. I am unable to comfortable lying down on my back or stomach. I can not sleep. Every attempted twist and turn causes severe pain. I have complete mobility without experiencing severe pain. I am 10 x worst than I was prior to being treated by Dr. Budampati."

"Very childish attitude towards your particular pain issues. Does not listen to your questions and provides answers without consideration and factual reality. I believe she responds in a way that keeps you paying for treatments that are no longer beneficial to patients. She told me that a specific treatment could possibly provide pain relief for up to six months and that I could receive additional treatments if the pain came back sooner. I went back after 4 months because of excruciating pain and was told I had to wait until the 6-month period had been reached. I was offered an assessment and could possibly be "squeezed in" that day even though I had made this appointment weeks in advance. I told her runner (she never came in to speak with me) that I know I'm in pain and I don't need an assessment to be told I have pain. This had already been done several times and I was only there to receive the shots she originally said I could receive. I left my "appointment " in pain with no relief in sight. I had also taken a filled out form for a DMV handicap placard which only required a check mark and signature. I was told by her runner that "she didn't have time to complete today " even though I had an appointment. Again, I never saw Dr Budampati. Three days later I received a letter from her stating she was releasing me as a patient and she could no longer treat me due mistrust. What! Quite the opposite from my perspective. I look back at this relationship with feeling tricked and deceived, many dollars and months later. She didn't even have the courage or decency to lie to my face. I am just another military veteran, taken advantage of by a doctor who doesn't have the time to help. I am truly saddened and disappointed in her."

"I have been coming to Spine & Pain Center for many years, and I am completely satisfied with the treatments I have received. Dr. Budampati is extremely knowledgeable about giving the epidurals she has given me, and is very sensitive when it comes to the amount of pain I am able to withstand during the procedure. All in all, I would recommend Spine & Pain Center for anyone that is dealing with extreme pain involving the spine."

"I've been working with Dr budinpadi for 9 years approximately. She is fantastic she helps to control my pain. She understands my pain and she is caring, and empathetic I'm very knowledgeable. With her help I have been able to avoid further spine surgery I can't say enough good about her."

"My spouse has been going here since we moved here a few months ago [job relocation has us moving every few years]. We provided the office will all medical records, including x-rays and reports from spinal surgery done last year. This office is the most frustrating and ridiculous office either of us have every dealt with. They changed his medication and require him to come in every week to get another prescription. They do not care about his health or conditions - they do, however, care very much about billing us and our insurance, every week. The newest medicine they put him on, besides being ineffective, is hundreds of dollars and that's w/ insurance. We called and asked them to put it through our prescription mail plan, which reduced the cost to less than $100 for a 90-day supply. Surprise surprise - they won't because they will not give him a 90-day supply because then he doesn't have to be seen every week. FYI his spinal surgery was done by one of the top spinal surgeons in the country. This place is a cruel joke - unless you have money to waste and no actual needs, avoid going here."

"The Physician's Assistant that met with my daughter was great, but the receptionist who incorrectly billed us and then couldn't explain why they sometimes bill the insurance first and other times they ask for a copay first, left me frustrated and perplex. We have Tricare (military) insurance which should have been billed first and then we usually receive a bill in the mail for any copay. That didn't happen with this place. They asked for a copay up front and then come to find out the copay amount was incorrect (higher than it should've been) and we were owed a credit, for which we are waiting to receive in the mail. We will not be going back because of this."