Erica Spicer, NP

By Meredith Knight

Erica Spicer is used to being asked if she’s a member of the Lewis family. “All five of Dr. Lewis’ kids work with us, and I actually look similar to them,” she said. But she shares more than just a resemblance to the family. She shares their patient-first philosophy when it comes to caring for patients at Lewis Pain & Physical Medicine.

Growing up with an RN mom, Erica was naturally drawn toward a healthcare career. As a competitive gymnast and competitive cheerleader, she was also no stranger to pain. “Gymnastics is hard on your body,” she said. “I originally thought I wanted to be a physical therapist working with athletes like myself, but my dad passed away when I was 17, and the time I spent in the hospital with him got me more interested in medicine. Once I was in nursing school, though, I had no idea what specialty I liked. My final clinical was in the ICU, and I found the work very challenging and rewarding.”

So, Erica landed her first nursing job in the trauma ICU at Baylor in Downtown Dallas. “I fell in love with the work,” she said. “But working in an ICU setting long-term is tough. I knew it wasn’t something I could do for too long.” So, she continued to work full-time while earning her nurse practitioner’s license. It was time again to choose a specialty and she found herself drawn toward pain management. “It was a full-circle experience for me since many of my pain management patients experience pain due to a past trauma.”

Now that she’s working with Dr. Jerry Lewis, Erica finds the work invigorating. “The first thing our patients want is someone who will actually listen to their concerns,” she said. “Many have been in pain for a long time and have already seen multiple doctors. The environment here is very caring. It’s all about the patients, and the patients are so happy with the care they’re receiving. I hear compliments all day long about Dr. Lewis and the entire staff.”

“We take a multidisciplinary approach including chiropractic adjustment, physical therapy, regenerative medicine, acupuncture, injections, and other in-office procedures,” Erica said. “Some patients will need medication, but we have many other options to manage their pain. Each treatment plan is unique to a specific patient, their pain, and their lifestyle.”

Erica admits it can be frustrating when a patient presents with pain and she’s searching for the root cause. “But I love solving complex cases,” she said. “It’s beyond rewarding to discover why a person is in pain and present them with a viable treatment plan. They’re so grateful, and I can’t think of anything more gratifying.”

When not on the job, Erica is a mom to her spoiled labradoodle, Penny. She loves being active outdoors and spending time with her mom, siblings, and nieces. “I’m the cool aunt,” she said.