Living Well with Chronic Pain

Guest Bio: Liza Leal, MD

Dr. Liza Leal knows something about pain, both professionally and personally as a patient. Dr. Liza lives with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic, aching inflammation of the joints. Her personal experiences provide a unique perspective that strengthens her professional commitment to treat patients with compassion, understanding and education.

Leal began experiencing searing, persistent leg pain during her junior year of medical school. She completed medical school and began her residency—in a wheelchair. Today, Leal is out of the wheelchair—thanks to her unique comprehensive approach to pain management, which lead her to the understanding how opioid dependence is misunderstood by many in healthcare. Her passion is to bridge the education gap, evoke conversation between healthcare providers and pharmaceutical industry to help build long-term relationships through caring conversation.

Leal is the Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Meridian Medical Dental Healthcare. As a family physician, Leal offers patients a comprehensive range of services of integrated medicine. She is well known for her development of training webinars and was featured in the Bronze Opus Award “On the Road to Joint Pain Relief” as the medical expert in the 30-minute infomercial. She has developed specialized training for sales representatives for pharmaceutical companies including Searle, Pfizer, Ligand, Organon and Cephalon. Currently she is the spokesperson for the international infomercials for Aloecure and Aloederma.

Leal earned a B.S. in Biology (Pre-Med) at the University of Dallas and a Medicare degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center Medical School at Houston. She completed her post-graduate training at St. Joseph Family Practice in Houston and is certified by the American Academy of Pain Management. She also is certified to treat patients who suffer from substance abuse and addiction. Leal has sat on the faculty of the American Academy of Pain Management and the American Academy of Family Practice.

Her feature articles have appeared in Woman's World magazine, Prevention magazine and on many other magazines and websites. She is a fierce promoter and living example of learning to live well with chronic pain.

She regularly gives presentations on arthritis and depression, understanding opioid dependence, nutrition in pain management, and arthritis in the bedroom. She has served as consulting correspondent for the UPN and Telemundo networks as well as national satellite tour with Eric Estrada for the “Attack Arthritis” campaign with Pfizer.

She lives in Sugarland, Texas.