Frequently asked questions

No. You can book directly, without a referral. If you already have an order or reports from other doctors, bring them — they help, but they aren't required.

Your prior tests and imaging (even if normal), the list of medications you take, and any summaries from other visits. If you have none of that, we can still begin.

Yes. In chronic pain, most patients have normal tests. That doesn't mean the pain is imaginary: it means the origin is in how the nervous system processes signals, and that can be assessed and treated.

For now I only see private patients. If you have supplementary insurance, I can give you the documents you need to request whatever reimbursement your policy covers. If you're an EPS patient, I can see you at Hospital San Vicente Fundación in Medellín or at Fundación Clínica Noel, as long as your insurer issues the referral for those facilities.

Not on your own. Come with your usual medication and a list of what you take; we'll decide any adjustment together in the consultation.

Through the site's contact form or via WhatsApp. We confirm availability and, if virtual, send you the video-call link.

Between 60 and 90 minutes. Time is the main clinical tool: we need to review your full history, characterize the pain, and build the plan with you.

Yes. The first consultation can be virtual or in person — the assessment scope is the same. It runs on Google Meet, connected to the clinical record system.

You leave with a clear plan: what we'll do, in what order, and what to expect. Depending on the case, it may include medication, procedures, or non-pharmacological strategies, plus follow-up visits to adjust.

A pain specialist treats chronic pain as a problem in itself, not just a symptom of something else. It combines medication, image-guided procedures when needed, and non-pharmacological strategies.

Yes. The consultation can be in Spanish or English, in person or virtual.

No. They have precise indications: when medication isn't enough, when there's a specific point that can be treated, or when we want to reduce reliance on medication. It's decided with you, case by case.

Most are done with local anesthesia and image guidance, so discomfort is controlled. Recovery depends on the procedure; we explain what to expect beforehand.

No. Interventional procedures require an in-person visit. The evaluation consultation and follow-up can be virtual.

Like any intervention, they carry risks, but these are low when done with the right indication and image guidance. Before any procedure I explain benefits, risks, and alternatives so you can decide with full information.

Yes. It's one of the conditions we see most, and where the difference between generic and informed management shows most. The plan combines education, targeted medication, and non-pharmacological strategies.

If pain has lasted more than 3 months, if tests are normal and you still feel unwell, if usual medications aren't enough, or if the pain has started to affect your sleep, work, or daily life.

They can. In several chronic pain conditions there's a hormonal and sensitization component worth considering when building the plan.

Yes, at any stage and in coordination with your oncology team. It doesn't replace your cancer treatment: it complements it to control pain.

It's the pain that burns, jolts, or fires up with a light touch. It includes trigeminal neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, and other nerve-origin presentations, and it has targeted treatment.

Pain that doesn't ease after the expected weeks of recovery shouldn't be normalized. Evaluated in time, it can usually be controlled better and kept from becoming chronic.

I see children and adolescents. The evaluation adapts to the child's age, and the consultation always includes whoever cares for them.

Not always: the initial evaluation can be virtual. We decide based on the case, prioritizing what's most useful for the child and family.

Through follow-up visits, in person or virtual, to see how you're doing and adjust the plan. Chronic pain is managed over time, not in a single visit.

Yes. You leave the consultation with the prescriptions and necessary documentation, and we coordinate whatever your case requires.

Yes, you can write via WhatsApp for specific questions. Anything that needs evaluation we handle in a follow-up visit.

It depends on your case and the type of pain. Chronic pain is worked in stages; in the consultation I give you a realistic expectation and we measure progress at follow-ups.