Alberto Martinez-Arizala, M.D.

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Secondary Complications in Spinal Cord Injury

My research interests focus on common complications that are seen following spinal cord injury, which include pain. This can be quite prominent in a significant number of patients and can interfere with their daily activities and affect their quality of life. My interests include investigating the basis for the development of the different  pain profiles in the spinal cord injured population and to study potential novel treatments for this conditions.

We have established a very active and comprehensive Pain Team in The Miami Project in order to better characterize the types and causes of pain seen following spinal cord injury. The ultimate goal is to further our understanding of this disorders and to develop more effective treatments. To that end, the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center is a major spinal cord injury center which provides patients care for the acutely spinal cord-injured patient, for their comprehensive rehabilitation, and their chronic care.  This setting provides a significant number of patients in which to study these disorders.