EXTRAordinary Health Podcast Dr. Paul M. Bekkum, DC, CCEP

Summary
Dr. Paul M. Bekkum discusses the holistic health assessment for reversing neuropathy. He explains that neuropathy is a condition where there is a loss of blood flow to the peripheral nerves, leading to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and burning sensations. He emphasizes the importance of early detection and treatment to prevent further complications like ulcers and amputations. Dr. Bekkum outlines the assessment process, which includes quantitative sensory testing and motor testing to determine the severity of neuropathy. He also mentions the use of therapies such as laser therapy, shockwave therapy, and PEMF therapy, along with diet and nutrition interventions.

Takeaways
Neuropathy is a condition characterized by a loss of blood flow to the peripheral nerves, resulting in symptoms like numbness, tingling, and burning sensations.
Early detection and treatment of neuropathy are crucial to prevent complications such as ulcers and amputations.
The assessment process for neuropathy includes quantitative sensory testing and motor testing to determine the severity of the condition.
Therapies such as laser therapy, shockwave therapy, and PEMF therapy, along with diet and nutrition interventions, can help reverse neuropathy and improve symptoms.

Sound Bites
"Neuropathy is a multifaceted disease and different people have different things affecting and causing the neuropathy in them."
"There are dozens of different causes of neuropathy, including diabetes, chemotherapy, alcoholism, malnutrition, malabsorption, autoimmune diseases, and exposure to toxins."
"The Laser Therapy Institute has custom laser settings that have shown significant improvement in neuropathy patients."

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The top 10 benefits patients can experience from participating in a reverse neuropathy program:


1. Pain Reduction: Many patients experience significant reductions in neuropathic pain, leading to improved comfort and quality of life.


2. Enhanced Mobility: With decreased pain and improved nerve function, patients often find their mobility improves, allowing them to engage more in daily activities and exercise.


3. Improved Sleep Quality: Neuropathy can disrupt sleep due to pain and discomfort; reversing neuropathy symptoms can lead to better sleep patterns and restfulness.


4. Increased Sensation: Patients may notice a return of sensation in areas that were previously numb, enhancing their ability to feel and interact with their environment.


5. Reduced Medication Dependence: By addressing the root causes of neuropathy and improving symptoms naturally, patients may reduce their reliance on medications and their potential side effects.


6. Better Blood Sugar Control: For those with diabetic neuropathy, a comprehensive program can also help in managing blood sugar levels more effectively, further protecting nerve health.


7. Enhanced Overall Well-being: Improvements in neuropathy symptoms can lead to enhanced mental health, reduced stress, and a more positive outlook on life.


8. Prevention of Symptom Progression: Early intervention can slow or even halt the progression of neuropathy, preventing further nerve damage.


9. Personalized Care and Support: Patients receive a tailored approach that addresses their specific needs and symptoms, along with ongoing support from healthcare professionals.


10. Empowerment and Education: Participants learn about their condition and how lifestyle factors affect their symptoms, empowering them with knowledge to make healthier choices and manage their neuropathy effectively.


These benefits contribute to a significant improvement in patients' overall health and quality of life, making such programs a valuable approach to managing and potentially reversing neuropathy.

Holistic Health Evaluation for Reversing Neuropathy


1. Medical History and Symptoms Review: Documenting the onset, duration, and severity of neuropathy symptoms, along with any known causes (e.g., diabetes, chemotherapy, alcohol use) and previous treatments.


2. Lifestyle and Dietary Habits: Assessing diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and exposure to toxins, all of which can affect neuropathy.


3. Physical Examination: A thorough physical examination, possibly including neurological tests to assess nerve function, reflexes, and sensitivity.


4. Laboratory Tests: Recommending blood tests to check for vitamin deficiencies (especially B vitamins), diabetes, thyroid function, and other potential underlying causes of neuropathy.


Comprehensive Evaluation Areas


1. Nutritional Analysis: Identifying deficiencies or imbalances that may contribute to neuropathy. For example, deficiencies in vitamins B12, B6, and E are linked to nerve damage.


2. Blood Sugar Control: For neuropathy patients with diabetes or prediabetes, assessing blood sugar control is crucial, as high blood sugar levels can damage nerves.


3. Toxin Exposure: Evaluating exposure to heavy metals and other toxins that could contribute to neuropathy.


4. Stress and Emotional Health: Chronic stress and depression can exacerbate neuropathy symptoms. An assessment of mental health and coping mechanisms is important.


5. Physical Activity: Exercise can improve blood flow and nerve health, so assessing and recommending physical activity tailored to the individual's condition and capabilities is essential.


Holistic Management Plan


1. Dietary Modifications: Emphasizing a nutrient-rich diet, possibly supplemented with specific vitamins known to support nerve health, such as B vitamins, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids.


2. Blood Sugar Management: For diabetic neuropathy, providing guidance on diet, exercise, and potentially natural supplements to support blood sugar regulation.


3. Supplementation: Based on deficiencies identified, recommending supplements to support nerve health and reduce symptoms.


4. Lifestyle Adjustments: Recommendations on reducing alcohol intake, quitting smoking, and avoiding exposure to toxins.


5. Stress Management Techniques: Introducing stress-reduction practices such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, or counseling.


6. Exercise Program: Creating a tailored exercise plan to improve circulation, reduce pain, and enhance overall well-being.


7. Alternative Therapies: Considering acupuncture, massage therapy, or biofeedback as complementary treatments to help manage symptoms.


8. Monitoring and Follow-up: Establishing a schedule for regular check-ins to monitor progress, adjust the management plan as necessary, and provide ongoing support.


Collaboration with Specialists


In addition to the holistic approach, collaboration with healthcare professionals specializing in neuropathy, such as neurologists, endocrinologists, or physical therapists, can ensure a comprehensive management plan. Holistic health practitioners should work alongside these specialists to address all aspects of the individual's health and neuropathy condition. 


A holistic health evaluation for reversing neuropathy requires a personalized approach, recognizing that each individual’s experience of neuropathy is unique. Integrating conventional medical treatments with holistic health practices offers a comprehensive strategy for managing or reversing neuropathy, aiming to improve the quality of life for those affected.

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Dr. Paul M. Bekkum, host of the Extraordinary Health podcast, discusses diabetes in detail. He explains the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, emphasizing the importance of early intervention to prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Bekkum highlights the serious complications of diabetes, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, retinopathy, kidney disease, neuropathy, and the risk of amputations due to poor circulation, particularly in extremities. He also notes the potential for periodontal disease, pain, and depression as complications.

Dr. Bekkum advises proactive health management, including regular physicals and lab work to detect early signs of diabetes. He recommends dietary changes, such as reducing simple sugars and eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables (with a preference for vegetables due to their lower sugar content). He also suggests the use of continuous blood glucose monitors to track blood sugar responses to different foods.

For managing diabetes, Dr. Bekkum recommends a comprehensive approach including exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes. He emphasizes the importance of good quality fats, adequate protein intake, and avoiding processed meats and excessive alcohol. He also suggests supplements like alpha lipoic acid, high-potency multivitamins, methylated B complex, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. Regular exercise, stress management, and maintaining healthy relationships are also crucial.

Dr. Bekkum encourages listeners to be vigilant about their health and offers a complimentary consultation at his clinic. He concludes by inviting listeners to contact his office for further assistance and to keep following the podcast for more health-related information.

Occipital Neuralgia

Hello and welcome to the Extraordinary Health Podcast. My name is Dr. Paul Beckham and today we're going to be going over occipital neuralgia. What is occipital neuralgia? Occipital neuralgia is just a fancy term for the nerves that are on the backside of your head that go from the base of it up into your neck and travel up over your head and when they get irritated.
they're gonna cause basically a muscle tension headache. And the big thing that we always have to look at in our office is to make sure that we're finding out exactly what might be causing the occipital neuralgia. Is it the nerves themselves that are just causing the problem? There's something wrong there. Could even be nutrients that you need in your body. Or it could be that, hey, there's some scar tissue in the area from a previous injury or something like that.
People that have had whiplash injuries from car accidents can get those nerves irritated. The other thing that can happen is that the muscles up in that portion of your neck can get super tight and they can cause even myofascial trigger points that'll radiate up over your head. So we're trying to determine during your exam, is this something coming from the nerves or is it coming from the muscles? Or the other thing is, is it coming from the bones and joints up in that portion of your neck?
which would include your occiput, that's where you get occipital neuralgia from, the nerves are coming out from there, as well as the first and second cervical vertebra are usually what are involved. Occasionally we can even get the TMJ effect in the area as well. If that gets tight kinda on the front side, it'll cause those muscles in the backside to get tight. But hey, this is something that is very treatable and we get excellent results with it because we get down to what's causing
the root cause of the problem here, rather than, you know, in a traditional medical sense where they're just going to give you a medication to cover up the symptoms. And then you end up having the same thing happening again. So let's stop that cycle of using pain medications, just to cover up the symptoms. Let's find out what the root cause of the problem is and get it resolved for you so that you can live life headache free. I mean, if you're suffering from, you know,
occipital neuralgia or occipital neuralgia with headaches, you know, give us a call at 701-356-0016 or go out to our website at allseasonsintegrative.com and you can click on the schedule now button and schedule your appointment so we can get you evaluated and get you checked out to see what we can do for you to get down to that root cause so that you can live headache free and stop chasing those symptoms.
because even long term, you've seen all the medication advertisements on TV. What do these medications even cause? I mean, worst case scenario, death, right? But a lot of them, especially when you're getting into the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, things like ibuprofen, aspirin, Tylenol, maybe not so much, but you can actually cause problems with your gastrointestinal tract. So all of a sudden,
you can have a ton of other issues going on and you're basically, you can get rebound headaches even from these medications. So here the problem is the medication's not even taking so let's try and stop this and at the end I'm gonna give you some different things here that you can even do diet nutrition wise to possibly even help out in the meantime here. So if you have occipital neuralgia, hey, it is a treatable condition and we can get.
results because we get to the root cause of the problem so that you can live life headache free. And here's some tips. You know, dietary tips with occipital neuralgia. There's, you know, there might be a few different things going on here. I would say people could probably look at eating things a little bit more on the organic end of the spectrum. You know,...