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Interview: Heal Your Pain Now + the fear-pain connection

February 14, 2017 By Trudy Scott 5 Comments

If you struggle with chronic pain from an injury, autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia, joint pain, arthritis, anxiety, depression or have tried everything without success, Heal Your Pain Now provides natural solutions to eliminate pain and return you to a life worth living.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Joe Tatta, physical therapist and nutritionist, author of this wonderful new book and a dear friend!

You can watch the interview here:

 

And here is a summary from our great interview:

What is chronic pain – it’s about protection. Acute pain like an ankle sprain tells you to rest and heal; chronic pain – persists beyond 3 months and is less about protection and more about the brain being in a hyper-sensitive state.

The human body has innate ability to heal i.e. the body has a natural anti-inflammatory process and tissue will heal in 3 months. After those 3 months it becomes less about the actual tissue and more about what is going on centrally in the brain and nervous system.

Central sensitization or the hyper-sensitive brain: we have a neural signature specific to you and your pain experience.

It’s based on what you believe about pain, are told about pain, your memories, your emotions, input from body (such as tightness), your thoughts, touch and sound.

With central sensitization pathways light up in the brain causing pain and in some instances those pathways never quiet down. The more we can be educated about pain the faster we can release this central sensitization and the pain.

An example: You and I had backpain – my life: mom is a nurse, my backpain comes and goes, I can move a little, I go to work, do some chores and basic exercise; in your life your grandmother had really bad back pain, was in a wheelchair and said back pain is the worst pain you could ever have. This may make your pain persist. Fear causes pain to persist over a long period of time.

Fear and pain: it can be actual fear or perceived; fight or flight – muscles tense around the spinal column; blood is shunted away from the spinal muscles because you’re getting ready to run or fight; when it’s persistent there is no blood flow and no healthy nutrients going to the spinal muscles; cortisol levels become elevated – they are inflammatory and very powerful at laying down memory patterns (which can make pain persist).

When you lessen fear you promote relaxation and in general pain disappears very fast.

When you hear all this the brain repatterns – you’re doing a mini cognitive behavior session just listening to and watching the video of us interacting! (I love this!)

Myth: chronic pain has to be chronic – no! Replace the word chronic with persistent because language is really important for creating these pain memories.

Myth: imaging studies like xrays and MRIs are correlated with pain. Often we see intense pain with normal xrays, sometimes no pain with awful rays.

There is also the emotional aspect – when someone in a white coat holds up that xray and says you have this issue it can start that fear response and the pain can be worse.

This fear pain connection is fascinating and I asked if it common knowledge

  • The average physician only receives 4 hours of pain science education in 12 -16 years of education – most of what they learn focused on medications, injections and surgery. We currently have a biomedical model (xray and injection or surgery, injections or medications) but we are moving to a biopsychosocial model (movement, nutrition, mindset, the brain)
  • The book has 40 pages of evidence based research (if you’re a practitioner and would like access to the papers let me know in the comments and Dr. Joe can get them to you)
  • I suggest using the book to educate yourself and your doctor

Medications prescribed for pain: Opioids (oxycontin, codeine, morphine) #1 drug prescribed for pain. CDC and NIH: You should not prescribe opioids as first line of treatment for chronic pain. They are highly addictive – 3 million addicted to them; 2 million die each year; opioid-induced hyperalgesia – the more you take the more pain sensitivity you have and the more medication is needed.

Side effects: constipation caused by opioids and you’re prescribed medications for the constipation; called OIC (opioid induced constipation) – changes the microbiome, fecal matter is bound up, you get leaky gut, inflammation starts in gut and there are impacts on neurotransmitter production like GABA and serotonin (and then increased anxiety and depression).

Other medications used are SSRIs – depression looks very similar to pain in the brain – when you heal the gut you can balance serotonin

Gabapentin and NSAIDs and benzodiazepines are also prescribed.

The book covers ALL pain – any chronic (or persistent) pain that has been around for 3 months or longer

Nutrition: diet is the #1 way to reduce inflammation – food is medicine approach; 100% whole food (if it comes in a box or a can or is made by man it has no place in your diet especially if you have chronic pain); farm-raised beef, wild fish, fruit and vegetables, healthy fats i.e. a modified Mediterranean diet.

Then use a gut-healing protocol for removing inflammation and addressing autoimmunity – remove gluten, dairy and sugar. In 3-7 days people see their pain decrease from 8/10 to 2/10.

“I don’t think I have arthritis and I don’t think I need this Aleve – I think it was the gluten I was eating”

If you slip a little and have some gluten then you realize you can’t even have any and you’re educating yourself that food is medicine. It’s very powerful

With gut healing, if you have autoimmunity take out eggs and GMOs (soy and corn) too; there is more clinical evidence around nightshades – if you can heal the gut you can often tolerate small amounts.

The ketogenic diet is last phase: 65% – 75% fat, 5% carbs (from fibrous vegetables) and the rest is protein. It’s awesome to regulate blood sugar, helps central sensitization (we know because those with seizures do really well on a ketogenic diet). With seizures glutamate is high and GABA low and the ketogenic diet helps balance out these in your brain and calms the nervous system and decreases pain; upregulates ATP (energy molecule) which helps with pain. Brain fogs goes away.

The ketogenic diet is not for someone with type 1 diabetes, who is pregnant or in acute adrenal fatigue

Do a trial of 3-4 weeks and cycle into ketosis every 4-6 months.

Intermittent fasting tricks body into thinking body is starving.

A big plane flies over at the 41 minute mark! Enjoy the laugh with us!

With intermittent fasting do a 14-16 hour fast overnight, say 6pm to 9am the next day

Mini-fasts: protein shake in the morning or evening – the meal is smaller; or use bone broth – healing for gut and collagen for your joints!

Supplements: omega-3s (2000 to 4000mg); curcumin (in oil – really important to help absorption); vitamin D 5000-10,000 IU; some kind of proteolytic enzymes; GABA for pain and anxiety and central sensitization.

If this feels overwhelming and you feel you need more support (in addition to reading the book) Dr. Joe does have a group program

It’s called Heal your Pain Heal your Life  – 6 week process, a Facebook group group, Q and A calls, and social support (which is huge if you have pain and can’t get out of house, or if others can’t relate to your pain, plus for the community support)

Movement, sedentary syndrome, sit rise test: movement is medicine and has to be in your life in some form. Even 5 minutes twice a day can help. It sends signal to your brain “I can move a bit and I’m safe”, you build confidence and fear decreases, releases endorphins, quiets down the nervous system

Sit rise test – cross your legs and lower yourself down to the floor without your hands and then stand back up. It indicates a long life-expectancy; they are not sure why – cardio effects? Balance? It tests strength and vitality; if you can’t do it – practice each day. Third world cultures sit on the floor to communicate – when you move joints in full range it lubricates them.

I’m a climber, skier, mountain biker, windsurfer and have had many injuries and worked with wonderful physical therapist and yet I have learned so much from Dr. Joe and this book! I will use it for prevention of injuries and pain and for the next time I am injured and in pain.

Dr. Joe ended by saying

Keep moving forward, we’re going to change the pain paradigm and give people their lives back!

This is the book summary:

In Heal Your Pain Now, Dr. Joe Tatta teaches you how to regain control of your life by breaking the cycle of persistent pain. Following Dr. Tatta’s program, you learn the role of the brain in pain–and how to use your brain to STOP your pain; how nutrition can eliminate the inflammation in your body, which is exacerbating your pain; and how to overcome Sedentary Syndrome and choose the best movement strategy. Dr. Tatta provides quizzes, self-assessments, meal plans, shopping lists, recipes, and exercises to support you throughout the program.

As I mentioned in the interview I really appreciate the very unique perspective Dr. Joe brings to healing from pain. His expertise from the physical therapy and movement world is so beautifully meshed with the power of nutrition! He covers the foundational information for eating an anti-inflammatory diet, an excellent gut healing protocol, healing supplements and with much fascinating reading on intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet.

Dr. Joe explains these concepts brilliantly: the brain in pain, central sensitization, myths around pain and the biospychosocial model of pain. With the work that I do with anxious women like you (and men too), the pain connection to fear is very relevant; and the fact that stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or depression are danger signals that can actually make the pain worse depending on how “sensitive” your nervous system has become.

Also, since many of the same pain medications are also often prescribed for anxiety, this book is a wonderful resource for someone with both pain and anxiety. But best of all, this book offers real solutions for everyone suffering from any kind of pain, and a solid understanding of the mechanisms.

I’m sure you’d like access to what we talked about during the interview:

  • Joe’s Pain Quiz
  • His 6 week group program Heal your Pain heal your Life
  • You can order the book Heal Your Pain Now from Amazon and get access to some bonus gifts here
  • I forgot to mention that Dr. Joe has live Q and A webinar coming up on February 22, 2017 at 7pm EST and you can register for that here so that you know exactly how to heal without medication, injections or surgery. There is new science to end – or dramatically reduce your pain.

 

Please let us know which parts of this really resonated with you and what you’re looking forward to implementing for your pain.

 

Filed Under: Books, Pain Tagged With: anxiety, Anxiety and Depression association, book, depression, fear, heal your pain now, Joe Tatta

The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution – a new book by Dr. Aviva Romm

February 3, 2017 By Trudy Scott 7 Comments

Congrats to my colleague Aviva Romm, MD on the launch of her new book The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution: A Proven 4-Week Program to Rescue Your Metabolism, Hormones, Mind & Mood. This book addresses stress so well and is so needed because ….

According to the Annual Stress Survey by the American Psychological Association, 75 percent of women experience moderate to severe stress, 49 percent report sleep problems, and more than 40 percent report physical symptoms as a direct result of stress. Recent studies show that most are also experiencing chronic overwhelm and exhaustion.

She shares how common anxiety and depression are:

One in four women experiences an extended time of major depression in her life, and as many women are on an antidepressant, an antianxiety medication, or often, both, not living their lives with the joy and satisfaction we are meant to experience.

She shares that the stress and insomnia, the anxiety and depression, as well as obesity and autoimmunity has this at their root:

the fact that women are living in chronic overload emotionally and physically. We are stuck in survival mode.

It’s a brilliant book and she eloquently explains how to get out of survival mode and how to actually thrive:

  • with a big focus on finding the root causes of your adrenal and thyroid issues
  • removing food triggers and eating a “real- food, energy- boosting, fat-burning version of the Mediterranean diet”
  • tools and exercises to calm your mind
  • healing your gut, boosting immunity, supporting detoxification, and balancing your hormones

With Dr. Aviva Romm’s herbal expertise I particularly appreciate the section on nourishing your adrenals with herbal adaptogens:

Adaptogens are a category of herbal medicines that are specifically restorative to the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. Used for centuries in China and India they are considered the “royalty” of herbs for helping you respond to stress, restore health, vitality, immunity, stamina and sense of well-being. Adaptogens help your body to cope more easily with the demands of everyday life, providing a sense of calm and energy at a deep level.  

She writes about these adaptogens for adrenal support for their calming effects, lowering high cortisol and to help with energy, insomnia and more: rhodiola (this is one of my favorites), schizandra, reishi mushrooms, maca, holy basil, eleuthero and shatavari.

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is new to me and Dr. Romm shares about this adaptogen:

Shatavari is considered the “queen of herbs” in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is beloved as a rejuvenating tonic for women. It is nourishing and calming as well as hormonally balancing, and is used for irritability and many hormonal imbalances affecting the mood.

I’m impressed by the research on shatavari and will be sharing more as I learn more and may consider this as an option for some of my anxious female clients.

Rhodiola is an adaptogen I use with the majority of clients who have adrenal issues. Dr. Romm shares her feedback on rhodiola, which she calls “the spirit calmer”:

Rhodiola is perhaps the most important adaptogen for anxiety…. While it shouldn’t be taken before bed because it’s stimulating, its mood-regulating and nervous-system-supporting effects lead to improved sleep and reduced stress, irritability, and “burn-out.”

I really like her emphasis that the use of adaptogens does not mean you can keep going “at a twenty-first century pace.” You do need to address all the aspects she covers in the book!

The thyroid chapter is also very thorough with a detailed section on testing. I just received this positive feedback from a reader on Facebook:

I’ve been slowly reading it today and I can tell you there’s a heavy emphasis on both gut issues and Hashis. Her chapter on thyroid (I skipped ahead because I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to discuss test results) helped me understand it all like no one else has.

I was able to take my latest results, read the section on thyroid, actually understand what it all meant and compare my numbers with her charts. Now I feel more equipped to discuss with my own doctor.

Dr. Aviva Romm is a Yale-trained, board-certified family physician with a specialty in women’s health and obstetrics; certified professional midwife; and herbalist. Referred to as “the face of natural medicine in the 21st century” by Prevention Magazine, she is a member of the Yale Integrative Medicine Program’s Advisory Board, and currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.

She has been one of my favorite authors for a long time – long before I had the pleasure of meeting her in person. I’m really excited to be celebrating her book launch and sharing it here with you!

We’re planning a video interview so please let me know if you have questions for her.

If you’ve used shatavari personally or with clients/patients please share what you think. If you have questions about this adaptogen now is the time to ask them!

Be sure to check out her Adrenal Thyroid Revolution community here.

Check out the book and get your copy here on Amazon.

If you’ve already picked up the book and read it please do share areas that were highlights for you.

Filed Under: Books, Thyroid Tagged With: Aviva Romm, book, thyroid

The Evolution of Medicine – Book Giveaway TODAY!

October 10, 2016 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

evoluton-of-medicine

Through the Functional Forum, founder James Maskell, has consistently built communities of functional practitioners, all over the world, and made it much easier for doctors and other health practitioners to move into Functional Medicine.  

I am sharing this with you because I truly feel that the world of nutrition and functional medicine is taking a huge step forward.

Community is so important and I’m sure you remember James from our wonderful interview about community on the last Anxiety Summit.

james-maskell

The two elephants in the room for Functional Medicine are that

  • there aren’t enough doctors and other health practitioners who practice it AND
  • it can be expensive for patients seeking integrative care

I see this all the time and I’ve heard your concerns about this during the Anxiety Summits. The great thing is that James is on a mission to solve both of these problems!

If you are a doctor or a health coach or any type of health professional – or just someone passionate about how functional medicine will reach the masses – James is making his digital book available at NO cost (just for the next few days).

Click here to download a digital version of the book: “The Evolution of Medicine: Join the Movement to Solve Chronic Disease and Fall Back in Love with Medicine.”  

And stay tuned for more information about the upcoming webinars and training he’ll be offering.

If you’re not a health professional, and you are just trying to keep you and your loved ones healthy, James has put together six of his favorite interviews from his recent two summits that talk about the key topics within the Evolution of Medicine:

Click here for this gift of 6 audio interviews with experts that include Dr. David Perlmutter, Dr. Tom O’Bryan, Dr. Kelly Brogan, Donna Gates and Dr. Izabella Wentz and others.

You’re welcome to grab a copy of the digital book for yourself and feel free to share with your health practitioner/s

Here is a wonderful endorsement of James’ book by Dr. Mark Hyman:

mark-hyman

A big congratulations to James on a wonderful book!

The face of nutrition and functional medicine is changing and it’s so exciting for us all to be part of it!

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: book, james maskell, mark hyman, The Evolution of Medicine

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