An important component missing…
I feel that as healthcare professional that there is an important component missing from our education system. We never discuss nutrition or environmental toxins and their impact on the body (multi-system), but we have a full semester on pharmacology. Chew on that for a second…
One of my past colleagues, who is an incredible manual orthopedic specialist, decided to pursue his MBA. He said something to me when I asked about his decision that still sticks with me, “I don’t believe we ever permanently fix these patients”. All we are doing is slapping bandaids on until they retreat back to their old movement patterns and have pain again or somewhere else up or down the chain. I know my first question… well, why don’t you just fix the chain? With insurance and the state of Missouri, if you do not code your evaluation correctly, perform an appropriate outcome meausre and write appropriate goals to be all encompassing and address the fascial plane/ train or root of the problem then you are limited in what you can treat. And despite your best efforts, sometimes insurance dictates the care you can provide regardless.
So that’s the first issue. And I believe some of that is dependent on the physical therapist you select, their ability to differentially diagnose and communicate with your ordering provider. I truly believe this is why talented providers are turning to concierge and cash based (out-of-network) services so that they can provide the 1:1 attention to details that you deserve and your treatment not be dictated by insurance. The second issue is that I feel western medicine education does us a disservice by neglecting environmental toxins and their load on systemic (full body, multiple system) inflammation.
We encounter toxins every day, sometimes even in the womb before we are born. Our DNA can determine our genes and our body’s ability to eliminate toxins. Approximately 25% of the population has this gene [Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)].
A large percentage of our food system, personal care products and water contain chemicals that are hazardous to our bodies. It is estimated that there are 476,000 new cases of Lyme disease in the U.S. each year. Approximately 50% of buildings in North America show water damage. Water damage buildings can pose very real threats on the human body.
The body leaves clues, so what if we began looking at the clues to determine if there is potential systemic inflammation that could have:
root cause of musculoskeletal pain versus traveling pain,
triggered referred organ pain,
decreased lymphatic movement,
poor, stuck or clogged drainage pathway,
stimulated the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system,
other infections (refer out)
Are you done chewing? I could go on…
So what if we didn’t slap bandaids and started paying attention to clues the body was leaving to determine to root cause?
Sources:
1) Sung Yoon Choo. The HLA System: Genetics, Immunology, Clinical Testing, and Clinical Implications. Yonsei Med J. 2007 Feb 28; 48(1): 11–23.
2) https://www.globallymealliance.org/about-lyme/
3) https://www.survivingmold.com/docs/UNDERSTANDING_CIRS_EDITV2A.PDF
4) Joseph Pizzorno. Is Mold Toxicity Really a Problem for Our Patients? Part I—Respiratory Condition. Integr Med (Encinitias).2016 Apr; 15(2): 6–10.
5) Kugeler KJ, Schwartz AM, Delorey M, et al. Estimating the frequency of Lyme disease diagnoses —United States, 2010-2018. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27(2).
6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4982651/
This is not medical advice. You should always consult your healthcare practitioner(s) for medical advise and what is best for your care. The purpose of this blog is to centralize and share information while connecting with others.