About Dr. Torres

Take Control Of Your Health

About Dr. Torres

Dr. Torres was born in Spain and grew up in Puerto Rico. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. Dr. Torres performed his physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the Veterans Administration Hospital in San Juan before completing a Musculoskeletal Fellowship at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. He served three years as a Clinical Instructor of Medicine and Assistant Professor at LSU before joining Florida Spine Institute in Clearwater, Florida, where he is the medical director of the Wellness Program.

Dr. Torres is an Interventional Physiatrist specializing in diagnosing and treating patients with spine-related pain syndromes. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine. He is a prolific writer.

Dr. Torres is primarily interested in preventative medicine, but it is never too late from his perspective to get well. He works with all of his patients to promote overall wellness.

You can expect Dr. Torres to practice what he preaches. You should not only see your doctor when you are in pain, but if you are, Dr. Torres is prepared to get you back on track. What gets him up in the morning is the thought that his work helps his patients live life to the fullest.

"As a doctor, I realize I cannot help my patients if I do not take care of myself first. Before taking care of my physical and emotional well-being, I could not be the doctor I am today. I now can better help my patients by being more alert, having more energy to attend to their needs, and showing them that change is possible.

A man holding a book

As a pain management physician, I noticed similar and more severe problems with my patients. Many of them had worked their entire lives for a retirement they could no longer enjoy under the weight of crushing disease brought on by unhealthy lifestyles. They were not only sick, but they were unhappy.

My purpose is to instill hope in people that they can age with dignity and continue to live their lives on their terms. I want to inspire men and women of all ages to respect their bodies and treat them with care. I want to promote a culture of health so that I can see fewer patients suffering unnecessary pain so that fewer people might have to endure the crippling anxiety of poor health and low self-esteem."

Mission Statement

In my medical practice—Florida Spine Institute and Wellness—I strive to impart my experience to my patients. But I can't see everyone in person.

I want to share these tools with more people and get my story out there to inspire others to achieve the same results. I want wellness to become second nature; that way, people who are struggling with their health feel empowered through knowledge.

THE STORY OF MY TRANSFORMATION

When I turned forty, I decided to transform my body and achieve fitness and health excellence. This was a decision that has defined the future course of my life. Three months later, what seemed so distant became a tangible reality. I can, in all honesty, say that I have taken control of my life and have come to realize that the possibilities are endless. The physical and emotional transformation that has occurred in the last twenty years is truly amazing.

I remember the feeling of frustration and inadequacy very vividly while growing up. My overweight problem affected my relationship with others and kept me from participating in my favorite sports. During my adolescence, I struggled with low self-esteem and lack of confidence that directly resulted from my physical appearance. I still remember the pain of not taking my shirt off in public without embarrassment. Later on, as an adult and despite my low self-image, I overcame some of my fears and achieved significant milestones in my professional and personal life. However, none of these accomplishments gave me the satisfaction I gained after successfully completing my transformation. I have developed a passion for fitness and nutritional excellence. People have noticed my physical and emotional transformation, and I have become a role model to many.

I can communicate effectively to others that what I have overcome and accomplished is available to anyone else.

I remember the feeling of frustration and inadequacy very vividly while growing up. My overweight problem affected my relationship with others and kept me from participating in my favorite sports. During my adolescence, I struggled with low self-esteem and lack of confidence that directly resulted from my physical appearance. I still remember the pain of not taking my shirt off in public without embarrassment. Later on, as an adult and despite my low self-image, I overcame some of my fears and achieved significant milestones in my professional and personal life. However, none of these accomplishments gave me the satisfaction I gained after successfully completing my transformation. I have developed a passion for fitness and nutritional excellence. People have noticed my physical and emotional transformation, and I have become a role model to many.

Anthony Robbins once said:

“For any change to be of true value, it has to be lasting and consistent .”

The key to ensuring this is to set goals, develop a practical plan, and then uncompromisingly use all resources available to work on this plan.

Setting goals, which are measurable and attainable, is the foundation for all success in life.

I realized that I needed to change when I saw that life was passing me by and that the quality of my life was much less than what I expected it to be. The desire to change was greatly fueled and made tangible after seeing myself in an emergency room facing a cardiac catheterization. I also noticed the tragedy and devastation in my patients’ lives because of their lack of physical fitness and poor nutrition. Their lives became constant reminders of what the future would hold for me if nothing changed.

I also believe that all personal breakthroughs occur when we clearly know why we want to accomplish a specific goal. I remember when one of my four sons approached me and asked an interesting question. He asked:

Dad, why do you want to become stronger?

I had to think for a moment before answering because despite the innocence of the question, defining the motivating forces that kept me focused to dramatically transform the status of my physical condition was a critical question. I concluded that I had plenty of good reasons for accepting the challenge of transforming my physique and seeing this goal to its completion. I wanted to take back control of the direction of my life, my physical well-being and find out where I could go when I pushed beyond my limits. This goal presented the singular possibility of turning my body into inspiration and creating a compelling motivational success story for others.

Today I have a better relationship with my wife and children, thanks to the support they have shown me during this period of time. Once again, we have worked together as a family, and we all have found a common cause to keep us closer together. I have also found a way to help make this world better by sharing this information with my patients and friends.

In addition, I have learned that is not only accomplishing a goal that matters but also the gratification and excitement that you experience along the way is a significant part of what counts. This transformation has sculpted both my physical body and my character. Persistence, commitment, and desire are the key elements in achieving excellence and success.

Finding ways to help others has always been my inspiration in life and why I became a physician. Nothing can compare to the exhilarating feeling of having made a significant contribution and having accomplished a significant objective in life. Without a focused source of positive change, life quickly loses its flavor.

However, when you test the limits of your endurance, the solidness of your convictions, and the strength of your character as you pursuit a worthwhile objective that can benefit you, your family, and your circle of influence, then life becomes an exciting adventure.

Every life properly lived is a beacon that others can follow.

I am convinced that I became a winner in life when I wholeheartedly embraced the belief that any goal in life is attainable when you believe it is yours.

I am blessed with four sons that fill my life. If my legacy was only a passion for a healthy life that allows them to reach their inborn potential, I consider my efforts worthwhile. I would like to look back at them and see a better world because I lived a life full of passion, energy, fitness, and enthusiasm. What was once a simple dream has become a tangible reality.

Francisco M. Torres M.D.

Florida Spine Institute and Wellness