Practice & Staff

Like our patients, we prefer individualized treatment and seek to avoid the conveyor belt approach so common in healthcare today. While most patients usually do very well with the most typical treatments, some patients require specialized therapy that is different from what most others need. We work to find safe regimens that provide the best possible relief based on each patient’s needs and preferences. This includes the full spectrum of conventional therapies as well as prolotherapy, acupuncture, and manipulative therapies for patients who want to avoid or limit medication or other interventional options. Some of our therapies are unique to our practice, developed by Dr. Mesa himself using his combined background in neurology, pain management, and biomedical engineering.

We also believe in minimizing the chronic use of medications to control pain. The goal is to restore function while minimizing pain. For the most part, the care we provide is done in our office, where we have a full procedure suite that includes the latest imaging and therapeutic technology. This provides patients with comprehensive treatment from a fully integrated team—one that you’re an important part of—eliminating the need to visit multiple practices and worry about communication and coordination between providers.

Michelle Dahdah, PA-C

Michelle attended the University of Miami, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and a master’s degree in biochemistry. After completing the PA program at Miami-Dade College, she served on the radiation oncology service at the University of Miami. She was subsequently recruited to the endocrinology service at Mercy Hospital, where she developed expertise in the systematic manifestations of endocrinological disorders. At First Choice Neurology, her principal areas of interest are neuroendocrinology and bone health and she focuses on the treatment of pain in women.

Thania Duran

Thania has over 20 years of experience in patient care and nursing. She has been working with us since 2010. Her compassion and experience make her a patient favorite. She is the main point of contact with our patient care team, including scheduling for acute pain crises.

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(305) 670-7650

FAQ – Some questions our patients frequently have:

Do you still have pain after joint replacement surgery?

This is not uncommon. For example, up to 34% of all patients continue to have knee pain after a knee replacement surgery. This does not mean the joint replacement was done incorrectly. Often, joint pain is caused by more than one thing and joint replacement surgery only addresses certain sources of joint pain. We offer additional treatment options that can help resolving lingering joint pain even after joint replacement surgery. LEARN MORE

Are you still having problems after spine surgery?

Most patients do not realize that the main goal of spine surgery is to preserve neurological function so the patient can continue to walk and maintain bladder and sphincter control. Pain control is a secondary consideration, albeit an important one. Studies have shown that up to 70% of patients have the same or more pain 5 years after spine surgery as they do before surgery. The degenerative changes that caused the need for spine surgery continue to progress after surgery so the pain control aspect of spine surgery rarely lasts a lifetime. Eventually, the pain returns. We offer additional treatment options that can help resolving recurring pain after spine surgery while avoiding the use of chronic opioids and other pain medicines. LEARN MORE

Is there any alternative to avoid spine surgery?

For patients who are not at risk of permanent neurological injury, spine surgery might not be the best approach to provide pain control. There are a variety of treatment options that can be used to help control pain while avoiding opioids and maximizing the ability to remain physically active. LEARN MORE

Have you paid for expensive stem cell injections but are still left with pain?

There is a lot of hype associated with stem cells and platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. Unfortunately, for most patients, these injections do not live up to their original promise. In part, this is because of restrictions placed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the use of stem cells but often it is also because the stem cells are injected in tissue that will not benefit from the injection. There are many safer, less costly, but equally effective alternatives to repeated stem cell or PRP injections. LEARN MORE

Do you have pelvic pain but your urologist and/or gynecologist tell you there is nothing wrong?

The causes of pelvic pain can be quite hard to diagnose because this is a very complex part of the body. Sometimes, the source of pain is caused by problems in the nervous system rather than something wrong with the pelvic organs themselves. This is true for both men and women and can affect either the genitals, the rectal area, or both. Treatment is much more effective with an accurate diagnosis. We have many years of experience treating pelvic pain and can offer treatment alternatives that are usually not readily available elsewhere. LEARN MORE