Tampa physician launches community pain map for Pain Awareness Month

Dr. Myrdalis Díaz-Ramírez has launched an interactive Tampa Bay pain map that lets residents anonymously mark where they experience chronic pain. The effort is designed to spark conversation, raise awareness and support a free virtual discussion on Sept. 25.

Why it matters: - Chronic pain can affect mobility, independence, work and daily activities. - The Tampa Bay project aims to make an invisible condition more visible during Pain Awareness Month. - The initiative is designed to encourage conversations about pain and treatment options, not diagnose individual conditions.

What happened: - Tampa pain-management physician Dr. Myrdalis Díaz-Ramírez launched "Where Does Tampa Bay Hurt?", an interactive community pain map for Pain Awareness Month. - The virtual tool invites Tampa Bay residents to anonymously identify where they experience chronic pain by marking the affected area on a human figure. - As residents participate, the responses will create a visual map of pain patterns reported across the Tampa Bay area. - Díaz-Ramírez is a double board-certified physician in anesthesiology and pain medicine and founder of DR2SPINE Regenerative Medicine in Tampa Bay. - Díaz-Ramírez has spent more than 25 years treating patients with chronic pain.

The details: - The project is not intended to diagnose medical conditions or determine the cause of an individual’s pain. - The initiative is meant to increase awareness and prompt people to talk about chronic pain and treatment options. - Díaz-Ramírez said pain can be isolating because people cannot always see it. - Díaz-Ramírez said the goal is to remind people that they are not alone. - DR2SPINE also requested that the City of Tampa recognize September 2026 as Pain Awareness Month. - The proposed proclamation highlights how chronic pain can affect mobility, independence, daily life and overall well-being. - The proclamation encourages residents to learn more about pain and available treatment options. - Díaz-Ramírez said there is not one answer that works for every patient. - Díaz-Ramírez said the first step is understanding what a person is experiencing and asking questions. - DR2SPINE links to social profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The map uses participation as both a data-gathering tool and a public-awareness campaign. - The approach reflects a broader shift toward patient education and community engagement around chronic pain. - The event framing suggests an effort to move pain from a private struggle to a shared public health topic.

What's next: - Díaz-Ramírez will host a free virtual community discussion on Sept. 25. - The discussion will review results from the pain map and developments in pain care. - The session will focus on chronic pain awareness, education and available approaches to treatment. - Díaz-Ramírez said getting Tampa Bay talking about pain would be an important first step.

The bottom line: - The Tampa Bay campaign tries to turn individual pain reports into a community conversation about chronic pain and treatment options.