Dr. Luiz E. De Souza, MD

Patients are living with pain every day so Dr. Luiz De Souza knows they are the guides when it comes to choosing their therapies. “My role is to use my medical knowledge to help patients decide what therapies best fit their lifestyle while being the most beneficial with the lowest risk,” he said. “The patient then tries it and tells me what works and what does not work.”After completing a pain management fellowship at the University of South Florida, Dr. De Souza joined the National Spine and Pain Centers in 2020. He finished a neurology residency, serving as chief resident, at the University of South Florida. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Miami.Chronic pain is a medical condition which ultimately affects everyone and being able to reach a large portion of the population with techniques that can improve someone’s life in a drastic way was what first drew Dr. De …Souza to the pain management field. “My background in neurology allows me to understand the mechanism involved in pain and to better come up with therapy plans for my patient.”Dr. De Souza takes a multi-disciplinary approach to treating pain including conservative measures such as suggesting exercise programs, physical therapy and transcutaneous electrical stimulation as well as low risk interventional producers like nerve blocks and joint injections. Medications are also a tool he uses to manage patient pain. “There are many excellent medications out there which can be beneficial, however, side effects have to be taken into account. My approach is to always use the least amount of medication necessary to bring pain relief without causing side effects.” One procedure that has Dr. De Souza excited for the future of pain management is nerve radiofrequency ablation. “(It) is a relatively low-risk procedure which can lead to significant pain relief without the need for surgery,” he said.Dr. De Souza enjoys witnessing the results of his work. “There is no better feeling than seeing a patient with a smile on his/her face after having received a therapy that I recommended.”When not seeing patients, Dr. De Souza loves spending time with his family, traveling and watching sports including soccer and mixed martial arts.