Who I am and my mission in pain medicine

Welcome to this space. Here I will be sharing who I am and, above all, my mission within medicine and with people.

I am Denise Vázquez, a physician specializing in Interventional Algology and Anesthesiology, board-certified by the Mexican Board of Anesthesiology and the Mexican Board of Algology. This last concept —algology— may not be widely known, so I would like to start there.

Interventional algology is the medical specialty that diagnoses and treats pain, especially chronic pain (lasting more than 3 months), using the least invasive techniques possible and often guided by imaging. What do I mean by imaging? No, I don't work with photos… although you could say I do, because in many procedures we use "flashes": tools such as X-rays (fluoroscopy) and ultrasound to see precisely where the pain originates and treat it in a targeted way.

The second important point is my approach: it is not holistic. Quite the opposite: it is functional, diagnostic and evidence-based. My experience has centered on the treatment of acute and chronic pain, including cancer pain, post-surgical pain and pain that is difficult to control. I also frequently see patients who are not candidates for surgery, or people who need non-surgical optimization to regain function and quality of life.

And this is where the "interventional" part comes in: in addition to medications, I perform techniques designed to control pain and, in many cases, to achieve longer-lasting relief. Depending on the diagnosis and the case, I may use procedures such as radiofrequency (conventional, pulsed or cooled) and cryoablation. In more specific situations, there are also slightly more invasive and highly selective options, such as implanting a neurostimulator or an intrathecal pump. And when the problem is a painful vertebral fracture, I can perform procedures such as vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty to stabilize and relieve it.

For example, I use radiofrequency for facet joint treatments (cervical, thoracic and lumbar), as well as for knee, shoulder and sacroiliac joint pain. In other words: those areas that, over time or due to specific conditions, become a constant source of pain and functional limitation.

My third point is where I come from and where I want to go. I completed my medical and anesthesiology studies at BUAP and UNAM, where I also completed my specialty in algology and interventional algology. Over these years I have confirmed something essential: validating the pain and the symptoms is the first step, and reaching an accurate diagnosis is what makes proper treatment possible. That is why I keep myself constantly up to date: my goal is to offer my patients modern techniques, with a human, clear and realistic approach.

I am currently about to finish my master's degree in Regional Anesthesia and Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Pain Management at the University of Salamanca, in Spain. It was during these studies that I refined my mission even further: to treat pain with high precision, relying on image-guided techniques, with a very concrete goal: to improve function, comfort and quality of life.

This is part of my story, and I want to keep writing it with you.