About Florida Spine & Pain Specialists
About Practice
Nomen Azeem, MD, FAAPMR
About Dr. Nomen Azeem
Dr. Azeem completed his undergraduate education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and graduated from medical school, earning his Doctor of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine. After that, he completed an internship at Medstar Harbor Hospital Center in Baltimore and a residency at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Washington, DC, where he was the chief resident.
After filling a faculty position at Medstar Georgetown University as a musculoskeletal medicine specialist, he went on to complete an ACGME interventional pain fellowship at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, under the guidance of internationally renowned pain physician Dr. Frank J.E. Falco.
Dr. Azeem served as a board member for the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and held the position of director of neuromodulation in a multidisciplinary pain practice in New Orleans before moving to Florida. He recently developed the first successful non-opioid based interventional pain clinic in the Sarasota, Florida, area.
His background helped shape Dr. Azeem’s approach to treating pain, and he includes both patients and their families in developing treatment plans so that everyone involved understands the origin of the patient’s pain as well as their available treatment options.
Currently, Dr. Azeem is an associate assistant professor in the pain/neurology department of the University of South Florida, and actively continues to conduct research and author peer-reviewed publications in addition to treating patients, President, Florida Society of Pain & Neuroscience, Chair of Strategic Development for State Society Engagement and Advocacy, American Society of Pain & Neuroscience and Board of Directors, Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Foundation.
Philosophy
“Pain does not discriminate regardless of age, gender, race, or activity level. I understand that pain can affect a person physically, emotionally, and socially with at times debilitating effects that are often overlooked or misunderstood. My desire is to provide individualized care that incorporates patient education and provides cutting edge, long term pain solutions. I believe that by building a relationship with each patient and using a team oriented approach to provide relief for those that suffer, together, we can restore your quality of life.”
Joel Verzosa, PT, DPT
About Joel Verzosa
Joel Verzosa, PT, DPT received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences located in St. Augustine, Florida. After graduation, Joel began his career in outpatient orthopedics.
As a former Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, Joel has extensive experience in exercise dosing and prescription to fit all levels of training and has received training in manual therapy, joint mobilization, myofascial release, soft tissue manipulation as well as joint manipulation to restore normal joint ranges of motion and functional range of motion. These techniques include those specific to the spine in the improvement of function for the back.
An injury in Joel’s early career, where he was unable to walk for 6 weeks spending most of that time in a wheel chair, shaped his career significantly. It provided an ability to empathize with both the physical, emotional and social aspects of pain and loss of function and he incorporates this empathy into every facet of his care.
Joel has entrenched himself in training to become a Functional Movement Specialist as well as certified with the Titleist Performance Institute to evaluate movement with golfers. He has also received training in pain science and incorporating high-level exercise techniques into treatment to improve the function and well being of his patients.
Philosophy
An injury and/or pain does not change the beauty of our human body’s capacity to withstand load/stress. It is through stress that our bodies become resilient and able to manage the stresses of daily life. It is my belief that through a comprehensive and specific treatment regimen we can improve pain threshold and restore function and quality of life. Whether it begins with gentle range of motion, manual therapy, pain relieving modalities or complex movement patterns, it is my goal to restore the strong, resilient and confident person I believe to be in every person.
Ashley M. Wheeler, APRN, MSN, FNP-BC
About Ashley M. Wheeler
Ashley Wheeler, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC completed her first undergraduate degree in Pre-Med at Drexel University in 2012. She then continued her education, earning a second Bachelors Degree in Nursing at Pennsylvania State University in 2014.
As a registered nurse, Ashley had experience in the emergency room, medical-surgical floor, and ultimately spent the majority of her career as a registered nurse in home health care as a case manager. She then continued her education by earning her Masters of Science in Nursing with a specialty in family medicine in 2019. After graduating, Ashley began her nurse practitioner experience in primary care and eventually ventured into the world of bio-identical hormone replacement. Around the same time, Ashley joined Dr. Azeem’s team and now works primarily in interventional spine and pain management.
Words from our patients
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"I had 90% improvement immediately and within seven days I was pain free. I can't say enough good things about my experience."
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"Dr. Azeem has been professional, caring, and thorough. I can't say enough positive things about him. He and his staff have been great."
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"Very capable doctor. Spent time with me, examining my neck. Performed two cervical ablations which have relieved my pain."
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"Dr. Azeem's expertise resolved months of pain for me. His time spent in an attempt to explain my condition and answer all my questions was well appreciated."
