The patients at Spine Associates share their stories about spine surgery, scoliosis correction and surgery, and conservative treatment for spine conditions such as degenerative disc disease, sciatica and herniated discs.

I’ve been under the care of Dr. Francis for 10 years now. He is the only spine surgeon that I would ever use. He is courteous. The staff is also courteous and professional. He doesn’t take surgery lightly. Most of his work time he spends in surgery. As far as I know he has a zero failure track record.

I wholeheartedly and without hesitation recommend Dr. Richard Francis to any person in search of a definitive, long-lasting solution for back or neck pain, radiculopathy pain, or parasthesia in a limb as a result of an abnormality in the spine, either congenital or caused by an injury.I withstood unreasonable pain after I slipped on water and fell. Every aspect of my life was affected. My role of wife and Mother of five drastically changed. My career as an Emergency Room/Trauma Registered Nurse suddenly changed direction from a physically challenging discipline to searching for a career in nursing that would not require engaging my back, neck or arms. Dr. Francis was the 3rd spine surgeon I consulted, but he was the first I felt understood my objective…to live without allowing pain or pain medication the power to limit me. Dr. Francis operated on my low back then three months later operated on my neck and I cannot thank him enough. The hospital, Houston Orthopedic and Spine Hospital, or HOSH, exceeded my expectations. Every person involved with my surgery introduced themselves to me and my husband in pre-op explaining their role, encouraging questions, then again in my room afterwards. A Physician genuinely devoted to comforting his patients managed my pain effectively. I was discharged with a clear understanding of what to expect and encouraged to contact Dr. Francis for any concerns. I am particularly grateful for Jody, Dr. Francis executive assistant, whose exceptional proficiency and degree of devotion I personally experienced and value.

I was referred to Dr. Francis by my orthopedic doctor. My doctor said that Dr. Francis was the best spine specialist and he is the only surgeon that he refers to for my condition. I had extreme pain in my arm along with constant tingling and numbness. I felt my arm getting weaker and it got to the point that I couldn’t do anything that involved using that arm. I saw Dr. Francis on a Saturday and after he did my exam and looked at my MRI, he explained that I had two very large bulging discs in my cervical spine and because of my symptoms, he explained that I should have surgery as soon as possible. He explained what he was going to do and assured me that this would help me. I had my surgery the following Friday. It’s now been one week since my surgery and the pain, numbness and weakness in my arm is completely gone. I am sore from surgery, but that is getter better each day. I am very happy with my results and I would recommend Dr. Francis and his team to anyone with cervical issues.

Outstanding Surgeon and Staff – I suffered with back pain that literally was “killing me” with every step I took. I was confident that Dr. Francis and his staff could make things better for me. I decided to do the surgery and my husband and I both believe that this was the best decision I’ve ever made. Dr. Francis and his staff attended to my every need with compassion and skill. The surgery was a success. Now, I can walk again, live my life and continue doing the things that I have not been able to do in a long time. Thank you Dr. Francis. Words fall short of my thanks.

Dr. Francis was wonderful. I felt comfortable with him right away and trusted him completely. He came recommended by several friends and he lived up to everything they said and more.

Dr. Francis is the most knowledgeable & professional doctor I’ve ever seen. I would never have let another surgeon do my back surgery. He knows what he’s doing & his staff is great too.

Dr. Francis and his staff at the Beaumont facility are absolutely amazing. Their customer service was completely satisfying! Before I made my first appointment I did some research; One of the ladies I work with is friends with the Risk Manager of a Major Hospital and she enlightened me on a few details. First, she said Dr. Francis helps people that had bad surgeries in the past. Second, she asked other doctors and Lawyers to learn about his reputation everyone had the same opinion I have come up with. He is extremely professional, well spoken in explaining your situation, comes up with a strategy that he executes perfectly, and his follow-up is unheard of with doctors. I know everything I have said seems to be great, but the only concern I had was his wait time. I know we are taught to have to wait at doctor’s offices, but that doesn’t mean the wait time is ok. In conclusion, my recommendation will always be Dr. Richard Francis!

I am an operating room nurse and I was so impressed with DR. Francis and his staff. They were professional, friendly and knew what they were doing big time. He helped me when I could find no one else. He even fit me into his busy practice to do my surgery the day before Thanksgiving because I was in so much pain. I am so happy god sent me to him, I fell better than I have in years and it due to his skill as a surgeon and I have worked with a lot of them. If my family of friends needed any kind of spine surgery I would highly recommend him and his staff.

I had back problems for over 10 years and was to the point of having to sleep in a recliner and live on pain pills. I had extensive surgery (front & back) 2 years ago & I’m doing really well. Dr. Francis is a wonderful doctor and I would highly recommend him and have. There is a long waiting time for appts but well worth the wait.

As a Registered Nurse, I assumed living with low back pain was a part of the job. Then, I suffered a traumatic MVA about 12 years ago, which only made my symptoms worse, but treatable with conservative measures. During the past 8-10 months, the pain and radiculopathy had progressed but I pushed on. Finally, my PCP referred me to Dr. Francis. Within 2 weeks….TWO WEEKS…I had my initial visit, my MRI/CT results, and my much-needed surgery. My recovery time has been a fraction of what I expected. And, to my surprise, the pain & other symptoms have resolved. I didn’t realize how much pain I was having until it was gone. Although I’m a RN, Dr. Francis explained in great detail his findings, the results of the imaging studies, and the procedure I was to undergo as well as the aspects of recovery. I can’t thank him (and his wonderful staff) enough for making this such an easy decision as well as a successful outcome. I cannot say ‘thank you’ enough.

Your wait in the waiting room will be well worth it! Once you see Dr. Francis and he determines what is wrong with you, his main goal is to make you feel good again. I went to Dr. Francis after seeing two other doctors who didn’t do much to make me feel better. They kept telling me that surgery ‘might’ be an option and they kept pushing me into a case study that would take 3+ years to benefit from. Dr. Francis immediately recognized what was wrong with me and gave me a decisive plan of action that turned out brilliantly!

Dr. Francis knows spinal pain from the neck down. The best thing he knows is how to correct it. He listens to his patients, he is accurate with diagnosis, quick with treatment so as you can get back to your quality of life. I would recommend Dr. Francis to anyone having spinal problems. Thanks Dr. Francis.

I received my appointment within a week after calling and was scheduled for surgery within 3 weeks of my first contact. I am 2 months post-op and have been progressing steadily to my former abilities and activities. I have had back pain for 30+ years and now have soreness from the Operation only which is subsiding a little bit each week. It is so wonderful to wake up every morning and know that my back is healing. I expect to be able to resume golfing and fishing within 6 months from my surgery date.

I struggled with low back & leg pain for 10 months while seeing 4 other doctors that could not find a solution. On my first visit with Dr. Francis he identified the problem and performed surgery only as the second option. I walked out of the hospital the day after surgery, pain free. Dr. Francis and his staff have been a blessing to me! I have never experienced such service in the healthcare system before. We have referred a family friend already.

Dr. Francis is a lifesaver to say the least. He performed robotic spine surgery on me and I have gotten stronger every day. I saw other orthopedic surgeons and they weren’t comfortable in performing surgery on my spine. They recommended Dr. Francis because of his specialized talents and experience. I thank God that I found him!! He always talked straight with me about what needed to be done and how it was going to be done. I highly recommend him and his surgical team to anyone who needs help with repairing their spine. He is one of God’s angels!!

Dr. Francis is the most professional doctor I had the pleasure of working on me. He completely cured my back and leg problem. I would highly recommend him if you are considering spine surgery.. His staff including. Maria, Rachael, Candy, Sonja and Hardin just to name a few I dealt with. The whole process was unbelievable. I am so pleased and I know I would refer any of my family and friends with no question. I am also and operating room nurse and his bedside manner and all around personality far out weighed my expectations. So kudos to all at Dr. Richard Francis’s office. thank you soooo much.

Excellent Surgeon, takes the time out to explain any questions one might have. I have recommended him to another back pain patient.

I had been suffering with back pain for quite some time. I saw Dr. Francis for the first time 3 months ago, he diagnosed my problem, performed surgery and within 3 weeks I was pain free.