2025- a year of change and "growth"

I put growth in quotes because what we perceive and what is actually happening are not always aligned. ;-P

For 2025, I have decided to change the format of my blog posts.

For a while now, I have played it safe.

I have posted content that could be validated and verified with the existing science.

And all the while I have promoted the idea that healthcare must change because we are not integrating peoples' lives and lifestyle into the picture. And if we don't understand what is happening in peoples' lives, then we cannot understand what is happening with their health.

So I have not been brave enough to put out content that actually talks about stuff that is NOT verifiable with science.

So, I will walk the talk.

I will tell you things that are NOT backed by the science because there is no science for some things.

I will present things that I see clinically that many will think is interesting at best and quackery at worst.

But you know what?

I just can't be bothered with caring about it.

I am too old to worry about people thinking I am a quack.

I have decided that my job is to put out what I am experiencing and what we can do to help people.

Many will shut it out.

And others will find hope.

My one request is that if you find it valuable, please share with others. Thanks!

What change are you talking about?

A change in health care means a change in our approach, the standards of care, time frames, frequencies...all of it. It means that your "annual check up" is not enough.

Let me use this simple example to illustrate what I mean by a more holistic approach:

I am going to demonstrate how complex things can be even when the case itself seems pretty straight forward.

First- disc protrusions are present in over 90% of all people who ever get an MRI of their lower back.

This is almost never the cause of the problem.

In fact, the most important clinical sign of a true problem with a disc is NOT pain traveling down your leg, it is ATROPHY of the muscle (meaning the muscle gets smaller because there is less nerve impulse to that muscle). The more likely cause of this pain is either a very tight hamstring or sciatica due to a tight gluteal muscle.

Why does this happen?

Because we sit a lot.

Pressure on your glutes and hamstrings when you sit, gradually makes your butt and leg muscles tighter.

Simple.

But there's more...

Second- the digestion issues means that there is inflammation of your intestines. We will not discuss all the reasons for this inflammation but it's important to understand that the nerves that control the intestines are the same nerves that control the lower back and leg muscles, including the gluteal muscles.

So just working on the muscles, joints, and nerves was not going to be enough.

Her digestion issues also had to be addressed if we were going to ensure that it wouldn't keep coming back.

We used a combination of changes in diet- more protein and vegetables, more good fats and less processed foods. We also added some supplements to help with digestion as well as support a healthy microbiome and reduce inflammation.

Still pretty typical of a chiropractic case you say?

True.

But here is where it gets interesting...

It turns out that she has had an issue with her parents for most of her life.

They were always telling her how to live her life. And trying to be the "good daughter," she did all she could to make them happy. But no matter how much she did, it was never enough.

Sound familiar?

I'm sure many of you out there can relate.

What we learned was that this parental relationship issue had led to her feeling inadequate; like she was not good enough. We call this - low self esteem.

Self esteem doesn't just ride on confidence.

The organ that is associated with the emotion of low self esteem is the pancreas.

Now what does the pancreas do?

It does 3 major things but we will list two of them:

1. It secretes digestive enzymes

2. It secretes insulin so that your body can utilize sugar for energy

   
   

I'm sure you all can do the math from here.

Basically, poor enzyme and insulin secretion will lead to poor digestion.

Poor protein digestion leads to foul gas and mood disorders. (yes, all your mood hormones are proteins!)

Poor fat digestion leads to rotting of fats in the intestines and decline of gut lining health.

Poor carbohydrate digestion means off-gassing and unhealthy microbiome environments. It's a hot mess.

It also means that she will be tired a lot.

Because even though she is eating proper meals, her inability to use the carbs for energy will mean she is low on energy. Get it?

Did she share all this with me on day one?

Of course not.

It took months of visits and talking and questions and getting to know who she was and what was happening in her life.

Where she came from.

What her life was like growing up.

Sort of the basic things you would ask a person you were getting to know.

How can we deliver proper healthcare without this sort of knowledge?

Many of you know that I have been working with a couple of associate doctors for the last year or so. Our plan is to eventually merge practices into one.

It is called Hierarchy Medicine.

Our vision is to change healthcare into this more "holistic" model.

Holistic for us means we are trying to look at the "whole" person and all the things that effect their lives.

I believe the limiting factor is YOU, the patient.

You are used to ONLY going to the doctor when you have a problem.

You are used to a quick fix.

It's not your fault.

That's how medicine has been for over 200 years.

But I believe we are in a new era; an era where people are actually trying to live healthier, longer.

And that requires a new model of care.

We want to be the team that supports you for the rest of your life.

We want to be the team that evolves with you as your needs and goals change.

Because, trust me, what you want when you are in your 30's is NOT the same as what you want in your 60's. ;-P

I hope you enjoy this new format.

I will try to present these ideas (hopefully with a case to demonstrate) every month.

Sorry I can't commit to more frequency quite yet.

Please share this with others if you find it valuable!

We really want to make this change but it can only happen with your help.

Help us change the way people think about health care.

For those of you interested in what the actual care looked like:

1. In-office treatment started with our program https://www.oinstitute.life/clinical

4 months to establish a baseline of health. Concurrently, we addressed the musculoskeletal issues associated with her back and legs. As it turned out, it was super tight hamstrings and gluteal mm and calves. She got improvement of her symptoms in about a week.

2. Supplement regime from the clinical part of our Road to Health Program with small modifications:

   Support for mood: symplex f, (3 twice a day) black currant seed oil, (1 twice a day) hypothalmex (1 twice a day)

   I have found this combination to be very effective in helping support mood issues.

   
   

3. Emotional connection to bodywork using a technique called NET (Neuro-Emotional Technique). It's not therapy. It's just a method of helping to identify emotional issues that come up and connect them with the body. There is no "sharing" of the events or people involved.

   
   

4. And finally, she was instructed on nutrition, exercise, stretches, stress mechanisms and how to make simple lifestyle changes to improve her overall response and recovery from stress.

She continues to be a regular patient with us today.

She is significantly more active than when she started care.

She now can enjoy time with her family and friends without the anxiety she felt in the past.

We are excited to see where her life will lead her this year.