Beating Neuropathy & Chronic Pain» Podcasts

Last time on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we talked about the role underlying disease can play in developing neuropathy. We will pick up on that again this week. Connie asks, "Can I get my feeling back after 10 years of neuropathy?" and Daisy asks, "My doctor told me I had neuropathy 16 years ago. My toes and fingers hurt and they get really cold. I take neurontin before bed; do you have any answers?" The bottom line is: yes! Will it be easy? Not necessarily. The peripheral nervous system is amazingly "plastic" and can indeed recover. For patients with very chronic conditions, we recommend getting yourself to a NeuropathyDR treatment center. Dr. Hayes and Dr. David Phillips, inventor of the ReBuilder device, recommend these clinics as they have been professionally trained. In these clinics, a detailed history and exam is taken. A number of other diagnostic tools may be used. One of the most important things we do is to go over all previous medical records to see what has been done and, then, what we are able to do. Most patients with peripheral neuropathy are able to be treated in these clinics with manual therapies, dual-frequency nerve stimulation, and dietary supplementation. Karen asks, "I basically eat clean. Whole foods, little dairy, a little free-range chicken and fish, no processed foods, low-glycemic. I want to be healed from psoriatic arthritis, get off the methyotrexate and Solara for psoriasis. Can I be healed via food?" Working with professionals very closely is important, and balancing the risks and benefits of drugs is important, especially in conditions which may be life-threatening. A good resource, in addition to Dr. Mark Mincolla's shows, is Dr. Russell Blaylock. Dr. Hayes recommends his book, Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life. Previously, we've talked about patients who have not given up on treating their body well through diet and self-care to heal themselves. Continuing down this path, as well as working with professionals, will yield the best results. Julia asks about treatment of brain dysfunction. Because the nervous system can heal itself, there is hope for people with brain dysfunction issues due to injury or chemotherapy. Maintaining a "clean" lifestyle through diet and stress reduction is helpful. Dr. Hayes recommends the work of Dr. Daniel Amen, including Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. Sandra asks, "Cymbalta seems to be working for me. Are there any long-term side effects from its use? Is there anything else that works just as well but is natural?" With rare exception, these drugs do nothing to encourage the body's natural healing process. Medications like Cymbalta do have a role in treating neuropathy, however they treat the symptoms and not the cause. Dr. Hayes recommends trying the NeuropathyDR Home Care Kit because it treats the condition holistically. Connie asks, "Are there any foods I can avoid with neuropathy? Does it get into your fingers?" Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by a number of factors, and can be treated non-invasively. Dr. Hayes suggests getting on a gluten-free diet. Many patients who avoid both animal proteins (especially dairy) and gluten experience huge benefits. Eating low-glycemic is important as well. This is called an "anti-inflammatory" diet. Dr. Hayes recommends starting the day with a vegan protein supplement, such as Sun Warrior. Eating balanced meals throughout the day is important as well. Once again, the best way to get questions to us is through our Facebook at facebook.com/BeatingNeuropathy. Welcome to the 500+ additional people who've joined us on the last few weeks!

Again this week on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we will be answering questions from our listeners, submitted throughFacebook and email. Chris asks, "What can quadriplegics suffering from chronic pain do about their pain?" There are noninvasive and non-drug measures that can be used; the ReBuilder medical device comes highly recommended by Dr. Hayes. "Co-treating" for nights, weekends, and breakthrough pain has proven to be effective. Dr. Hayes recommends consulting a licensed healthcare professional before using supplements or home treatments. Ann asks about how laser therapy can help. In neuropathy and chronic pain, we are talking about using a laser much differently than a surgeon would. The laser promotes a healing response by using focused light energy. It is important to seek out a doctor who is trained in using laser therapy properly. When administered correctly, laser therapy is comfortable, painless, and effective. Becky asks about the role of stem cell research in neuropathy. The benefits of stem cell research for peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain still seem to be a ways off. We are, however, already seeing benefits for treating genetic conditions. Julie asks, "I have neuropathy secondary to lupus. What can I do?" Lupus is an inflammatory disease that can cause peripheral neuropathy. In general, the more you are able to manage an underlying disorder, the easier the neuropathy can be treated. At the same time, treating for neuropathy in conditions where it is known to be a side effect is also wise. For people with inflammatory conditions, we recommend avoiding dairy, products containing hormones, and gluten. Dietary changes can help foster an anti-inflammatory environment in the body. Linda asks, "Can a person who has been mismanaged for years expect relief from peripheral neuropathy and the pain that comes with it?" The good news is, yes! We now know that patients can respond many years after their initial onset and/or ineffective treatment of the condition. Again, managing the underlying condition can help treatment along. Joyce asks, "I'm not sure I have neuropathy... my chiropractor says it's sciatica, I'm confused." Diagnosing neuropathy requires excluding other conditions. There are many different things that can contribute to neuropathy or neuropathy-like symptoms.

This week on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we will again be answering more questions from our listeners. First, we would like to thank our community on Facebook. Thank you to our podcast listeners as well. You may subscribe to our podcast through the iTunes store. We also have a free app for iOS devices called Beat Neuropathy and Chronic Pain. Last week, we talked about RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy). Millions of people in the U.S. suffer from RSD; predominantly women. Although it mostly effects people from age 40-60, it also occurs in younger people. RSD may be the result of an injury such as a fracture. Shoulder-Arm-Hand syndrome is a form of RSD that can come from having a heart attack. Many patients with RSD experience relief with treatment. One of our listeners asks, "Can you truly beat neuropathy?" The original school of thought held that nerve damage was permanent. Now we know that treatments such as nutritional supplements, dual-frequency nerve stimulation, interferential electro therapy, cold laser therapy, spinal manipulation, (and others) can successfully treat neuropathy. Unfortunately, this isn't true for everyone--genetic diseases can be more difficult to treat. CMT (Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease) is one of the genetic conditions that can cause neuropathy. CMT differs from other neuropathies in that it affects the muscular system. CMT patients (who have with motor neuropathies) may also benefit from the treatments we mentioned before, but with slower progress. MDA.org is a good resource for CMT sufferers or anyone curious about this disease. Another listener asked about the controversy involving the FDA's warning about hidden ingredients in dietary supplements. One of the dangers of self-prescribing supplements is drug interactions, which can be potentially deadly. Some supplements, especially from companies who do not use professional-grade ingredients, can be contaminated. We use ReBuilder Medical and Douglas Laboratories to source supplements for our NeuropathyDR clinics. For patients looking to lose weight, we discourage the use or OTC herbal supplements and instead using a physician-guided program such as Take Shape For Life. Feel free to submit questions and comments via our Facebook page or through email.

This week on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we would first like to thank WATD 95.9 FM for producing this show. We are changing the format of the show a bit this week to answer questions and comments from our listeners. We encourage our listeners, new and returning, to submit questions and comments via our Facebook page or through email. One of the issues we would like to address is the consumption of excess carbohydrates. Consuming too many carbohydrates can drive up insulin levels and cause metabolic syndrome ("pre-diabetes"), diabetes, and other illnesses which lead to peripheral neuropathy. Reducing the intake of carbohydrates can help control these symptoms once they have started. For anyone, controlling carbohydrate consumption can also alleviate fatigue and pain throughout the day. Dr. Hayes recommends the book A Week in the Zone for controlling carbohydrate intake, though he also encourages patients suffering from neuropathy to also avoid gluten and dairy for a number of reasons. One of our listeners asked about protein meal replacements. Unless you have kidney disease, protein meal replacements are not a bad idea at all for at least one meal per day. Dr. Hayes recommends plant-based proteins such as Sun Warrior. Consuming protein early in the day (within half an hour of getting up) will encourage weight loss and building muscle mass. Another listener asked: is there a correlation between RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) and neuropathy? Dr. Hayes recommends visiting AboutRSD for more information. RSD is caused by trauma or damage to a nerve. When the sympathetic nervous system becomes overstimulated, it compromises the blood supply to the area and it becomes oxygen-starved. This causes neuropathy. Patients with RSD can get significant relief with the treatment and home care programs used in NeuropathyDR treatment centers.

This week on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we have special guest Tim Kaufman back with us again. Tim is physical therapist at and director of Long Pond Physical Therapy in Pembroke, Massachusetts. Tim has experience working with professional athletes. Professional athletes recover relatively quickly from their injuries because they visit their physical therapists every day. For the average patient though, this is not possible. This is why home care is so important. By receiving in-office treatments as well as treating oneself at home ("co-treating") one may experience twice as much improvement as they would just receiving in-office treatments. There are many exercises one can do at home to improve their balance and proprioception and protect from falls. Holding on to a kitchen counter while performing exercises will add stability. Exercises should be performed under the advice of a physical therapist or other physician. Patients who are able to get their heart rate up and do more aerobic exercise should begin doing walking exercises. Rehabilitation from neuropathy is posible. The nervous system is much more "plastic" than doctors were originally led to believe; there is evidence that nerve damage can be reversed. Tim and the staff of Long Pond PT can be reached online or on the phone at (781) 924-5289. E-mail us with any questions!

This week on Beating Neuropathy and Chronic Pain, we have special guest Tom Lagrotteria. Tom has a business in Norwell, Massachusetts called New England Comfort Shoes. New England Comfort Shoes specializes in orthopedic footwear. Stores like NECS offer many different kinds of shoes for patients with neuropathy, hammertoes, et cetera. Patients with neuropathy who are wearing orthotics should ask for a shoe with a straight last and a stiff heel counter. Patients should get professional assistance to ensure they get properly fitting shoes. Tom and NECS have a good relationship with the local podiatry community. Often, patients will come in with a note from their doctor explaining their needs. A staff member will then sit down with the patient and work with them to find shoes that best fit their needs. It is important to not over-wear shoes. Once they have worn down, they can cause problems. Because your feet can change over time, it is important to not just buy the same size again, but to pay attention to these changes. New England Comfort Shoes can be reached on their web site or through email.

Tonight we have special guest Diana Singer. Diana is a NeuropathyDR member and physical therapist in New Jersey. She is dedicated to helping people get well using natural methods before turning to more drugs and surgery. She wanted to learn how to treat neuropathy because she encountered many people who suffered from it and wanted to help them. She became a fully trained, board certified Neuropathy Specialist by the American College of Physical Medicine. Diana recommends an integrative approach to treating neuropathy, including an exercise program and a diet rich in leafy greens, colorful vegetables, and omega-3 oils. When treating patients with neuropathy, she combines manual therapy, nerve stimulation, and supplementation. Eventually the patient will receive a co-treatment kit and be able to treat themselves at home. Many people who suffer from peripheral neuropathy suffer from poor proprioception, or loss of "position sense". Losing the ability to walk properly can increase the danger of falling and injuring oneself. Use of an assistive device (cane, walker, et cetera) can avoid dangerous falls. It is important to stay active while avoiding falls. Diana can be contacted through her website or at 201-712-9113. Her practice is located in Paramus, New Jersey, just outside of New York City. To find a NeuropathyDR treatment center near you, visit NeuropathyDr.com or call 781-561-9260.

This week's guest on Beating Neuropathy & Chronic Pain is Andrea Beaman. Andrea is a natural foods chef and holistic health coach. She hosts a show called FED UP! where she helps people with chronic conditions cook for themselves. She got involved in natural foods when she was diagnosed with a thyroid condition and did not want to take radioactive iodine. She started eating healthy, natural foods and noticed she had more energy, better sleep, clearer skin, and she lost weight. After two years, her thyroid disease cleared up. After 16 years, it has not returned. Andrea recommends a few simple steps to help people begin eating health: drink lots of water, stop drinking soda and coffee, and have lots of patience. She recommends drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning. Dr. Hayes recommends for his patients to keep a food diary. Andrea has some tips to get in the habit of healthy eating. Purchasing and cooking in bulk can be helpful. Cooking in bulk, like a large pot of soup, allows you to freeze half of it for later. For meat eaters, she recommends purchasing a whole animal instead of individual parts. She recommends eating seasonally available food from local farmers' markets or CSAs (community supported agriculture). Fresh, ripe vegetables will be more flavorful. Packaged food is nutritionally deficient and contains high amounts of sugar and salt; eating pure foods will allow us to enjoy food more because we will be able to taste it better. Learn more about Andrea at her website. She also has many free recipes on her site. If there is one thing she recommends for patients who must go on an anti-inflammatory diet, it is to eat more leafy greens. If you have any questions or comments for us, send us an email.

In this special episode of Beating Neuropathy & Chronic Pain, Dr. Hayes answers our listeners' questions submitted through email and our Facebook page. Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have. First, we will talk a bit about autonomic neuropathy. Neuropathy is when one nerve cell can't "talk" to another. It can be described as an energy blockage. Autonomic neuropathy is a component of neuropathy that effects autonomic body functions (heart rate, breathing, digestion, bowels, bladder). It accompanies neuropathy that develops from diabetes, alcoholism, chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, Lupus, and other factors. One of the ways you can check yourself for autonomic neuropathy is to take your blood pressure while sitting and again while standing. The reading should be higher when you are standing. If it stays the same or falls, you could be suffering from autonomic neuropathy and should contact a physician. Autonomic neuropathy can be life-threatening. Pain can be managed through the guidance of a physician and does not need to involve drugs or invasive treatments. Visit NeuropathyDR to find one of our clinicians near you. In addition to being treated in the clinic, you can be set up with a clinical co-treatment kit to treat yourself on nights, weekends, and for breakthrough pain. Managing pain will increase mobility and agility.

Our guest this week on Beating Neuropathy & Chronic Pain is Nancy Risley. Nancy is the founder of the Spa Tech institute, which trains people in massage, polarity therapy, and cosmetology. She comes from a family of medical professionals. She travelled to England to study alternative medicine because at the time there was not much information available in the US. Nancy, like some of our previous guests, works with energy medicine. She studied polarity therapy, which is a "map of the relationships of our entire being". In polarity therapy, all the body's systems (physical, emotional) are interconnected. It is important to address health issues as soon as they begin to present themselves. Acute pain (physical or emotional) should be addressed so that it does not become disease (or "dis-ease") in the form of chronic pain. Nancy recommends taking care of a potential problem ("nipping it in the bud") before it becomes an energy blockage. Polarity therapy clears energy blockages using positive and negative polarity. The device used in NeuropathyDR clinics uses a form of polarity therapy. In a typical polarity therapy sesion, the practitioner will ask a series of questions before beginning. Then they will then get the client fully relaxed before performing tests to find and repair energy blockages. Nancy especially recommends polarity therapy for anyone who is a "giver" and needs time to take care of themselves. Got any questions for Dr. Hayes or any of our guests? Send us a message or find us on Facebook! To find a Spa Tech polarity therapy practitioner, or for more information on Spa Tech's educational programs, visit SpaTech.edu.

Once again this week on Beating Neuropathy, we welcome special guest Maria Iacozza. Maria is an energy medicine practitioner. When she is presented with a client, she gets to know their habits and health history. She makes a wellness plan tailored for their needs and lifestyle. If the client doesn't feel comfortable with the plan, she will work with them to customize something that will work for them. Patients who take control of their own health will experience a big difference in their overall outcome. It is important for patients to be completely comfortable with all of your physicians, and to seek new ones if they are not. Many people have lost faith in mainstream medicine because of a bad experience or reaction to medications or surgery. This is the reason many people are driven to "alternative", or integrative medicine. Trying massage therapy, chiropractic, or nutritional counseling may feel a last resort for people who think they have tried everything, when it should actually be the first option. Others are proactive about their health to begin with. Working with a doctor or provider to create and stick to a customized health plan is a good idea. It is also important to do independent research; the internet is a great tool for this. There is a device called the "cold laser" or "scaler" that Maria uses in her practice. This device is non-invasive and does not get hot.The laser that Maria uses is programmable and used in four-minute sessions. Cold laser therapy is effective in combination with other treatments. When treating neuropathy and chronic pain, it is important to boost the production of ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) and allow the body the begin healing itself. There are many studies about the benefits of cold laser theraphy. Maria can be reached directly at 508-273-5970 or at the Copper Eagle Holistic Center at 508-743-5018. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please contact us at neuropathydr@gmail.com.

This week on Beating Neuropathy, we have special guest Maria Iacozza. Maria was living a very active, non-stop lifestyle. She did not realize the effect stress was having on her body. One morning, she woke up with a very stiff shoulder and neck. When she went to her doctor, she got an x-ray and found out that she had arthritis. The doctor wanted to put her in a neck brace and take prescription muscle relaxers, which she did not want to do. Eventually she tried Reiki and massage therapy and increased her supplements. She also increased the amount of exercise she was doing. Within six weeks she was back to feeling like herself. Maria now practices Reiki and holistic healing techniques. She realized she was very intuitive and began to seek training to do this kind of work. She considers herself a very spiritual person and incorporates spirituality into her practice. The first thing she does when meeting a patient is an "energy scan", where she looks at the patient's chakras (energy centers; a concept taken from Hinduism) and sees what needs to be opened up for energy to flow easily so healing can begin. For those who are skeptical about energy medicine, Dr. Hayes recommends the work of Dr. Robert O. Becker. Reiki is a Japanese traditional medicine used to balance the chakras. Maria uses her intuition to find out which areas need healing the most, then uses Reiki to begin the process. To learn more about Reiki, Dr. Hayes recommends Dr. Herbert Benson's work. Maria practices at Copper Eagle in Bourne. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please contact us at neuropathydr@gmail.com.

Once again this week on Beating Neuropathy, we have special guest Paul Gerst. Tonight we will be speaking again about acupuncture and healing medicines. We will also be speaking about detoxification. Many people think that they do not need to detoxify their bodies because their body will do it naturally. This is sometimes wrong. Most people can improve their health by a simple detoxification. We are the only country that does not have a habit of detoxing ourselves. When other cultures fast, it is a way to detoxify their body. Dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin C, berries, carrots, all organic, plenty of water, and relieving yourself of stress are the basics of detoxing. Another simple thing to use is lime juice. When you first begin to cleanse you may not feel too well. This might just be a response to your body cleaning itself up. The average person could detox themselves but they need to be extremely careful. The simplest thing to do is to just drink more water. You will also need to remove white flour, sugar, dairy, soy, red meat and just eat completely natural food. This will make you feel like a new person. Emotional eating is something that affects everyone. Over eating like this is one of the primary reasons that your liver is shot. Most people in this country tend to overeat which is why detoxification is a very important thing to understand. The best tool to have with detoxification is professional guidance. It is very important to make sure that if you detoxify yourself that you avoid dairy at all cost. It is very important to make sure that is you do cleanse that you are not having constipation. This means that the detoxification is not working properly if you body is not getting rid of your waste.

Tonight on Beating Neuropathy, we have special guest Paul Gerst. Paul is a licensed acupuncturist. Paul is from Minnesota and comes from a western medical family. He thought that he would be heading into a life of western medicine himself, but was more attracted to chronic health issues. He decided to study Chinese medicine and became a licensed acupuncturist. He quickly learned that chronic pain is not something that is just pain--it is a mind, body, and soul problem. The difference between doctors like Paul and western doctors is the way they look at their patients. Instead of just looking at the pain in the body, and where it is, they look at the whole person. Pain in Chinese medicine is defined as stuck energy. The basic explanation is that when things are stuck, pain arises. An acupuncturist is like your body's electrician. They look for the points of low energy in your body and help to heal them. An acupuncturist does not just use the trigger points in your body, they look for the muted parts of energy and try to reopen them. Our body is programmed to work together and to know when something is wrong. Because your body is mapped out this way, an acupuncturist is able to help you from every point of your body. An example is that if you are having pain in your right foot but a needle would cause more pain, the acupuncturist would be able to needle a place in your left hand that would relieve the pain in your right foot. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please contact us at neuropathydr@gmail.com.

Tonight on Beating Neuropathy, we have Hank Cardello as our special guest again this week. Once again, we are going to be discussing the topic of obesity. This has become one of the biggest topics in the world of politics. Just a few weeks ago, the mayor of New York tried to but a ban on certain soda sizes in order to control the intake of them. The next step that politicians are thinking of taking is taxing unhealthy products. Although this would help the economy by bringing in plenty of extra money, it would not be enough to stop most people from buying the product and it would not stop the company from producing it. There are many barriers that are preventing people that are obese from losing weight. The biggest barrier is the fact that the taste of a healthier product is not as pleasing to people as a product that is bad for them. The next issue is the media. The media can make a product seem much less appealing to many consumers and keeps them from trying that product. One of the solutions that is being tried is to make sure there are labels on all products. This is nice because it informs the consumer of what they are going to buy, but it has been shown that this does not change the amount of calories that they choose to buy. Supermarkets can help by making low calorie or healthier food more prominent on their display shelves. This would encourage people to purchase healthier products versus unhealthy products. Please send questions, comments, or concerns to neuropathydr@gmail.com.