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Understanding Foundations & Functions

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Manage episode 477466455 series 3656809
Content provided by Integrative Medicine. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Integrative Medicine or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Show Description

Foundations and Functions is a weekly podcast hosted by Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amich that challenges the current medical model by returning to the core of what medicine was meant to do—make people better. Drawing from their extensive experience in emergency medicine, critical care, and integrative health, Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amich dig into the foundational principles of human physiology and the root causes of chronic illness. Whether it's unraveling the mystery behind hypertension, uncovering hidden mold toxicity, or connecting seemingly unrelated symptoms to gut health, each episode offers insightful, real-world discussions grounded in science and practical clinical experience.

Designed for patients who feel unheard or stuck in a system of short visits and fragmented care, the podcast is a deep dive into personalized medicine that values time, thoroughness, and education. Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amich believe true healing happens when we make sense of the body's signals, ask the right questions, and have the freedom to connect the dots. Through compelling cases and thoughtful analysis, Foundations and Functions offers hope, understanding, and a roadmap for anyone looking to reclaim their health by addressing what truly matters at the root.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/

Show transcription:

  • 3 0:00

    Welcome to Foundations and Functions weekly podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now, here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J.

  • 8 0:14

    Pabla.

  • 2 0:16

    Welcome to Foundations and Functions with Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amick. Dr. Pabla, why the name, foundations and functions?

  • 1 0:25

    Well, kind of like the foundation of a house, right? It starts from the ground up. The foundation is not strong, the house is not strong. So just like in science, foundational things like the structure of a protein, you change the structure, its function changes, right? So that's kind of what we wanted to get through in the podcast is, these are very important concepts, and we want to kind of weave this concept through all of our podcasts.

  • 2 0:57

    Darrell Bock And it speaks a little bit to how we think and talk every day in terms of, you know, patient conditions, patient issues, is, you know, we understand that the foundation of homeostasis and the normal physiology people are supposed to have. And so getting back to, you know, fundamental foundational clinical science, clinical medicine, and understanding how what we do every day affects the function of our body.

  • 2 1:25

    So when you have symptoms, it's letting you know that there's something off with maybe the function. And so we can tie that into the foundations. What are the root causes? What are the basic principles of physiology that we can apply to help people get better?

  • 2 1:43

    And so, one of the goals that we have, and we always say is do we want to

  • 1 1:50

    return to when medicine made you feel better.

  • 2 1:53

    So talk, tell me about that. Talk about that. What does that mean to you when you when you

  • 1 1:57

    say we want to return to when medicine made you better? You know, when somebody presents to our office, instead of just kind of looking at, you know, the basic symptoms and consider maybe, you know, medicine for short term, which initially may help stabilize symptoms, we want to kind of work upstream, right? We want to get to that root cause. For example, if you come in for hypertension, maybe you need an antihypertensive medicine to stabilize that.

  • 1 2:25

    But what are the reversible causes of hypertension? Sleep apnea, hypercortisol, multiple other things that we can look at. So obviously addressing weight, lifestyle, caffeine toxicity, right? So foundational stuff is really working upstream and really trying to address those root causes. And I think this is one thing that, you know, I think we do well in our practice. We spend enough time. And I think that's the key is really spending that time

  • 1 2:57

    with a patient unraveling the mystery.

  • 2 2:59

    Yeah. And I think we both have a lot of experience in medicine, in emergency medicine, critical care, hospital administration. And I think some of this, for me, helps remind us that the American health system that we currently have really doesn't do a great job of actually healing people. It used to be, used to be focused on that quite a bit and I think now when we look at all the statistics and data, despite the fact that we spend a tremendous amount

  • 2 3:33

    of money on healthcare compared to any other first world country, we have some of the worst outcomes, infant mortality, maternal mortality, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, all these things. And no doubt, we do a phenomenal job with acute care, trauma, strokes, heart attacks, best in the world hands down. But actually making people better or what do you always say about type 2 diabetes? The best way to treat type 2 diabetes is?

  • 1 4:04

    Dr. Darrell Bock's don't get it.

  • 2 4:05

    Don't get type 2 diabetes. So we can get to that level of returning to when medicine focused on, not necessarily just even preventative care, but avoidance care. How do we keep you from getting a disease anyway? So with that in mind, let's talk a little bit about who our target audience is.

  • 2 4:29

    When we do this podcast, because we talk a lot amongst ourselves, and we do a tremendous amount of education with our patients, what's something that you could point to to say, look, this is who we want to reach?

  • 1 4:41

    This is our target audience. Well, I mean, I think that's a broad range. I mean, men and women, you know, children. I think, you know, our target audience is people that might have had chronic issues that aren't being addressed necessarily. Not just, you know, talking about preventative care, but, you know, maybe they've gone to multiple providers and they have this mysterious illness, and, you know, the 15-minute to 20-minute medical model isn't working because they have multiple symptoms and no one's connecting the dots, you know.

  • 1 5:17

    They might see a different specialist for each one of these symptoms or each one of these disease processes, and no one, unfortunately, is connecting the dots. And that's kind of like what we see. So you know, obviously, we do do acute care medicine, we do some urgent care in the office, and we love doing that.

  • 1 5:34

    But really addressing those people that have gone to multiple different providers, and you know, haven't really, no one's really addressed their root cause. I guess that's kind of the general audience we really appeal to quite a bit.

  • 2 5:49

    Yeah, and I think two things that come to mind. One of those patients that come in, like I've had, for example, high blood pressure for the last 15 years. I'm about to start my fourth blood pressure medicine, but no one can help me figure out why I have this

  • 2 6:04

    or what I need this for. And then I think the other side of it that sets us apart is that audience, you know, that patient, that medical consumer. You know, like you said, you know, 9 to 11, 9 to 15 minutes, that's the average time that you spend face-to-face with a provider in the United States.

  • 2 6:20

    And you know, one of the things you always say is you can't solve complex problems, you know, in 10, 15 minutes. Dr. John Alder Reid Right. Dr. John Alder Reid You need more time to really dig into that. And so I think, you know, this will be a whole other podcast someday, but from a, you know, even an insurance model, you know, I think the fact that is looking at that, you know, they're paying out of pocket and going, what am I getting for this? What did I just pay for in that office visit?

  • 2 6:50

    So I think that's a big chunk of drive for patients who come see us because they want their questions heard, they want answers, and they want to feel like that there was a value in this visit that they just had with us.

  • 1 7:06

    So, right. Well, I think the other big thing is we limit the complexity by seeing, you know, much less patients and knowing them in depth, you know, getting all their data, reviewing their data well before seeing the patient and not, you know, having to see 30 to 40 patients a day, which is driven by unfortunately insurance issues. And so we have the freedom to really spend that time.

  • 1 7:31

    And I think that's where the, a lot of our patients get resolution of their symptoms because we finally connect the dots. And you know, that can take an hour. That can take two hours, you know what I mean?

  • 7 7:45

    Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah.

  • 1 7:45

    Dr. Robert Pulsner But I don't think, no matter how intelligent of a physician you are, I don't think 15 minutes is going to solve that problem.

  • 2 7:52

    Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah. And I think one of the things that sets us apart is this concept that we carry around with making it make sense. Even today, we had a patient that we were just spitballing about, like this is their lab value, doesn't seem to make sense with their symptoms, so where else should we be looking? What else can we be doing to help them? And just kind of throwing out a neurological basis,

  • 2 8:18

    an endocrine basis, what are all the possible reasons that this person could be having the symptoms, but at the end of the day, how do we help the patient understand the symptoms they're having, why they're having them, and what the next best steps are for them? So yeah, we definitely spend a lot of time with patients. Education is very key for us because again, we just love treating every patient like a

  • 2 8:39

    research case.

  • 6 8:40

    Yeah.

  • 1 8:41

    Yeah. You know, and then also having access to, you know, other biotech companies that can really help us dig into the mystery. Like sometimes the mystery is you have multiple symptoms and no one bothered asking the patient, oh, by the way, do you have water damage in your home? Oh, by the way, do you have mold in your home?

  • 1 9:00

    You know, mold toxicity is one of those mysterious illnesses that can cause multiple symptoms. And so really then helping not only educate the patient, but then demonstrating to the patient, yes, you have mycotoxins because we've done the appropriate test. So I think that's the other thing that we figured out over the years in our practices, who's our go-to to help us figure out some of these mysteries. And I think that takes time to find the companies that are going to give you valid information

  • 1 9:30

    so you can share that with the patients. And that's important, not only to help the patient, but then they can actually see, oh yes, my mycotoxins are very elevated. And yes, this correlates, maybe not not causation but correlates and is

  • 2 9:46

    resulting in some of your symptoms. And digging through those symptoms you know you know near and dear to my heart is gut health and and gut dysbiosis and so one of things I share with patients is sometimes you have these 12, 15, 17 random symptoms that don't I call them just white noise and you know if we can tie that back to your gut health we can get your gut healthy, sometimes we can reduce those symptoms or even eliminate those symptoms completely.

  • 2 10:11

    Now what's left are the two or three symptoms that are really at the heart of your discomfort and issue.

  • 5 10:18

    So...

  • 1 10:19

    Yeah. I use the term dust settles a lot with the patients. I said, you know, you're coming in pretty ill, multiple symptoms. Let's walk you, you know, to 30 to 40 percent better. See what symptoms peel away because, A, you know, we address your gut issues first, and then, you know, when these symptoms go away, then we can follow the other symptoms, you

  • 1 10:40

    know. So we're really big on looking at that. Patients can be overwhelmed. Well, how am I going to get better when I have 20 different symptoms? Well, that's for us to try to focus on those core symptoms first and address that core issue first. And then, you know, they come back a couple months and they feel really great and they say, but I still have insomnia and I still might have some fatigue, but hey, these are gone now. Okay, well, now we have another subset of core symptoms that we're going to look at

  • 1 11:06

    to address those issues.

  • 4 11:07

    Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah.

  • 2 11:08

    So I think it's a great introduction, and hopefully we've given you a little bit of insight of how we think we can get better medicine through foundations and functions. So ultimately, again, we just want to return to when medicine made you better. Thanks for spending time with us today. Thanks for listening to our podcast. There are going to be a lot more coming. And so please stay tuned. And we'll talk to you soon.

  • 3 11:36

    The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information,

  • 3 11:58

    please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at Integrative Medicine through their website at integrativemla.com.

  continue reading

7 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 477466455 series 3656809
Content provided by Integrative Medicine. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Integrative Medicine or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

Show Description

Foundations and Functions is a weekly podcast hosted by Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amich that challenges the current medical model by returning to the core of what medicine was meant to do—make people better. Drawing from their extensive experience in emergency medicine, critical care, and integrative health, Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amich dig into the foundational principles of human physiology and the root causes of chronic illness. Whether it's unraveling the mystery behind hypertension, uncovering hidden mold toxicity, or connecting seemingly unrelated symptoms to gut health, each episode offers insightful, real-world discussions grounded in science and practical clinical experience.

Designed for patients who feel unheard or stuck in a system of short visits and fragmented care, the podcast is a deep dive into personalized medicine that values time, thoroughness, and education. Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amich believe true healing happens when we make sense of the body's signals, ask the right questions, and have the freedom to connect the dots. Through compelling cases and thoughtful analysis, Foundations and Functions offers hope, understanding, and a roadmap for anyone looking to reclaim their health by addressing what truly matters at the root.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/

Show transcription:

  • 3 0:00

    Welcome to Foundations and Functions weekly podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now, here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J.

  • 8 0:14

    Pabla.

  • 2 0:16

    Welcome to Foundations and Functions with Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amick. Dr. Pabla, why the name, foundations and functions?

  • 1 0:25

    Well, kind of like the foundation of a house, right? It starts from the ground up. The foundation is not strong, the house is not strong. So just like in science, foundational things like the structure of a protein, you change the structure, its function changes, right? So that's kind of what we wanted to get through in the podcast is, these are very important concepts, and we want to kind of weave this concept through all of our podcasts.

  • 2 0:57

    Darrell Bock And it speaks a little bit to how we think and talk every day in terms of, you know, patient conditions, patient issues, is, you know, we understand that the foundation of homeostasis and the normal physiology people are supposed to have. And so getting back to, you know, fundamental foundational clinical science, clinical medicine, and understanding how what we do every day affects the function of our body.

  • 2 1:25

    So when you have symptoms, it's letting you know that there's something off with maybe the function. And so we can tie that into the foundations. What are the root causes? What are the basic principles of physiology that we can apply to help people get better?

  • 2 1:43

    And so, one of the goals that we have, and we always say is do we want to

  • 1 1:50

    return to when medicine made you feel better.

  • 2 1:53

    So talk, tell me about that. Talk about that. What does that mean to you when you when you

  • 1 1:57

    say we want to return to when medicine made you better? You know, when somebody presents to our office, instead of just kind of looking at, you know, the basic symptoms and consider maybe, you know, medicine for short term, which initially may help stabilize symptoms, we want to kind of work upstream, right? We want to get to that root cause. For example, if you come in for hypertension, maybe you need an antihypertensive medicine to stabilize that.

  • 1 2:25

    But what are the reversible causes of hypertension? Sleep apnea, hypercortisol, multiple other things that we can look at. So obviously addressing weight, lifestyle, caffeine toxicity, right? So foundational stuff is really working upstream and really trying to address those root causes. And I think this is one thing that, you know, I think we do well in our practice. We spend enough time. And I think that's the key is really spending that time

  • 1 2:57

    with a patient unraveling the mystery.

  • 2 2:59

    Yeah. And I think we both have a lot of experience in medicine, in emergency medicine, critical care, hospital administration. And I think some of this, for me, helps remind us that the American health system that we currently have really doesn't do a great job of actually healing people. It used to be, used to be focused on that quite a bit and I think now when we look at all the statistics and data, despite the fact that we spend a tremendous amount

  • 2 3:33

    of money on healthcare compared to any other first world country, we have some of the worst outcomes, infant mortality, maternal mortality, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, all these things. And no doubt, we do a phenomenal job with acute care, trauma, strokes, heart attacks, best in the world hands down. But actually making people better or what do you always say about type 2 diabetes? The best way to treat type 2 diabetes is?

  • 1 4:04

    Dr. Darrell Bock's don't get it.

  • 2 4:05

    Don't get type 2 diabetes. So we can get to that level of returning to when medicine focused on, not necessarily just even preventative care, but avoidance care. How do we keep you from getting a disease anyway? So with that in mind, let's talk a little bit about who our target audience is.

  • 2 4:29

    When we do this podcast, because we talk a lot amongst ourselves, and we do a tremendous amount of education with our patients, what's something that you could point to to say, look, this is who we want to reach?

  • 1 4:41

    This is our target audience. Well, I mean, I think that's a broad range. I mean, men and women, you know, children. I think, you know, our target audience is people that might have had chronic issues that aren't being addressed necessarily. Not just, you know, talking about preventative care, but, you know, maybe they've gone to multiple providers and they have this mysterious illness, and, you know, the 15-minute to 20-minute medical model isn't working because they have multiple symptoms and no one's connecting the dots, you know.

  • 1 5:17

    They might see a different specialist for each one of these symptoms or each one of these disease processes, and no one, unfortunately, is connecting the dots. And that's kind of like what we see. So you know, obviously, we do do acute care medicine, we do some urgent care in the office, and we love doing that.

  • 1 5:34

    But really addressing those people that have gone to multiple different providers, and you know, haven't really, no one's really addressed their root cause. I guess that's kind of the general audience we really appeal to quite a bit.

  • 2 5:49

    Yeah, and I think two things that come to mind. One of those patients that come in, like I've had, for example, high blood pressure for the last 15 years. I'm about to start my fourth blood pressure medicine, but no one can help me figure out why I have this

  • 2 6:04

    or what I need this for. And then I think the other side of it that sets us apart is that audience, you know, that patient, that medical consumer. You know, like you said, you know, 9 to 11, 9 to 15 minutes, that's the average time that you spend face-to-face with a provider in the United States.

  • 2 6:20

    And you know, one of the things you always say is you can't solve complex problems, you know, in 10, 15 minutes. Dr. John Alder Reid Right. Dr. John Alder Reid You need more time to really dig into that. And so I think, you know, this will be a whole other podcast someday, but from a, you know, even an insurance model, you know, I think the fact that is looking at that, you know, they're paying out of pocket and going, what am I getting for this? What did I just pay for in that office visit?

  • 2 6:50

    So I think that's a big chunk of drive for patients who come see us because they want their questions heard, they want answers, and they want to feel like that there was a value in this visit that they just had with us.

  • 1 7:06

    So, right. Well, I think the other big thing is we limit the complexity by seeing, you know, much less patients and knowing them in depth, you know, getting all their data, reviewing their data well before seeing the patient and not, you know, having to see 30 to 40 patients a day, which is driven by unfortunately insurance issues. And so we have the freedom to really spend that time.

  • 1 7:31

    And I think that's where the, a lot of our patients get resolution of their symptoms because we finally connect the dots. And you know, that can take an hour. That can take two hours, you know what I mean?

  • 7 7:45

    Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah.

  • 1 7:45

    Dr. Robert Pulsner But I don't think, no matter how intelligent of a physician you are, I don't think 15 minutes is going to solve that problem.

  • 2 7:52

    Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah. And I think one of the things that sets us apart is this concept that we carry around with making it make sense. Even today, we had a patient that we were just spitballing about, like this is their lab value, doesn't seem to make sense with their symptoms, so where else should we be looking? What else can we be doing to help them? And just kind of throwing out a neurological basis,

  • 2 8:18

    an endocrine basis, what are all the possible reasons that this person could be having the symptoms, but at the end of the day, how do we help the patient understand the symptoms they're having, why they're having them, and what the next best steps are for them? So yeah, we definitely spend a lot of time with patients. Education is very key for us because again, we just love treating every patient like a

  • 2 8:39

    research case.

  • 6 8:40

    Yeah.

  • 1 8:41

    Yeah. You know, and then also having access to, you know, other biotech companies that can really help us dig into the mystery. Like sometimes the mystery is you have multiple symptoms and no one bothered asking the patient, oh, by the way, do you have water damage in your home? Oh, by the way, do you have mold in your home?

  • 1 9:00

    You know, mold toxicity is one of those mysterious illnesses that can cause multiple symptoms. And so really then helping not only educate the patient, but then demonstrating to the patient, yes, you have mycotoxins because we've done the appropriate test. So I think that's the other thing that we figured out over the years in our practices, who's our go-to to help us figure out some of these mysteries. And I think that takes time to find the companies that are going to give you valid information

  • 1 9:30

    so you can share that with the patients. And that's important, not only to help the patient, but then they can actually see, oh yes, my mycotoxins are very elevated. And yes, this correlates, maybe not not causation but correlates and is

  • 2 9:46

    resulting in some of your symptoms. And digging through those symptoms you know you know near and dear to my heart is gut health and and gut dysbiosis and so one of things I share with patients is sometimes you have these 12, 15, 17 random symptoms that don't I call them just white noise and you know if we can tie that back to your gut health we can get your gut healthy, sometimes we can reduce those symptoms or even eliminate those symptoms completely.

  • 2 10:11

    Now what's left are the two or three symptoms that are really at the heart of your discomfort and issue.

  • 5 10:18

    So...

  • 1 10:19

    Yeah. I use the term dust settles a lot with the patients. I said, you know, you're coming in pretty ill, multiple symptoms. Let's walk you, you know, to 30 to 40 percent better. See what symptoms peel away because, A, you know, we address your gut issues first, and then, you know, when these symptoms go away, then we can follow the other symptoms, you

  • 1 10:40

    know. So we're really big on looking at that. Patients can be overwhelmed. Well, how am I going to get better when I have 20 different symptoms? Well, that's for us to try to focus on those core symptoms first and address that core issue first. And then, you know, they come back a couple months and they feel really great and they say, but I still have insomnia and I still might have some fatigue, but hey, these are gone now. Okay, well, now we have another subset of core symptoms that we're going to look at

  • 1 11:06

    to address those issues.

  • 4 11:07

    Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah.

  • 2 11:08

    So I think it's a great introduction, and hopefully we've given you a little bit of insight of how we think we can get better medicine through foundations and functions. So ultimately, again, we just want to return to when medicine made you better. Thanks for spending time with us today. Thanks for listening to our podcast. There are going to be a lot more coming. And so please stay tuned. And we'll talk to you soon.

  • 3 11:36

    The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information,

  • 3 11:58

    please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at Integrative Medicine through their website at integrativemla.com.

  continue reading

7 episodes

All episodes

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Show Description In this week's Foundations and Functions quick-tip episode, Dr. Amich dives into the essentials of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). They discuss the importance of proper lab timing—understanding peak versus trough levels—and how those numbers can impact symptoms and treatment outcomes. Whether you're currently on TRT or considering it, this brief overview offers practical insights to help you make more informed decisions about your hormone health. Then, Dr. Amich shifts focus to an often-overlooked but critical topic: sleep health. In a passionate segment, he breaks down why snoring is never normal and how it often signals underlying issues like obstructive sleep apnea. He highlights the connection between poor sleep and chronic health problems like hypertension, weight gain, and even dementia—urging listeners to seek testing and treatment. It’s a powerful reminder that better sleep could be the foundation to better health. Show Disclaimer The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show Transcript 4 0:00 Welcome to Foundations and Functions weekly podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now, here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J. Pabla. 1 0:16 Welcome back to Foundations and Functions. This is gonna be your quick tip of the week. We wanna do a quick overview of testosterone therapy and just things to think about if you are either on a testosterone replacement therapy or if you're considering testosterone replacement therapy. So, Dr. Pabla, what's something, let's talk about testing and knowing what to look for 1 0:39 or what to think about with testing with testosterone. 3 0:41 Dr. Pabla Pabla So, testosterone comes in many forms that guys can take. There's the shot, there is the cream, there is implants, and then there's also ways to internally boost it via using a mechanism called GnRH agonists. But anyway, during the shot, when you test testosterone, you want to check free and total testosterone, it's important to know when to draw your labs based on the shot, okay? 3 1:13 If you want to do what is called a peak level, when you do a testosterone shot, that usually peaks about 24 to 48 hours after. And so if you drew your labs then, you're going to get the highest value you probably will have, okay? And typically testosterone is injected every seven days. So your trough level is going to be essentially right before you inject again on day seven, right? 1 1:36 Darrell Bock And that's going to be your lowest level. 3 1:37 Dr. Peter Marks That's going to be your lowest level. So it's important to talk to your provider when they say, get your labs done, you need to, you know, kind of verify, because a lot of times that gets missed, is like, should I get a peak level or should I get a trough level? That's really important, because the peak level could get so high that maybe you could get some complications. If the trough level is too low, then you're going to become symptomatic again. So that's the kind of the quick and dirty. There's so much more to talk about testosterone and some of the internal ways we actually use in our office to help boost it. 3 2:11 We can get into that in another podcast. So yeah, that's the quick tip of the day for the testosterone. 1 2:18 Darrell Bock Sounds great. Thanks so much, everybody. We'll see you again on Foundations in Function. Hello and welcome back to Foundations in Functions. I wanted to jump on here and talk about sleep and sleep health. And frankly, really, I just wanted to fuss for a minute. 1 2:34 So give me a minute to hear me fuss. And here's the number one thing that I think you should know about sleep health. First and foremost, snoring is not normal. Snoring is not normal. I'm going to say that one more time in case you're driving and you got distracted by the yellow light that you just blew through. Snoring is not normal. It is absolutely an indication of some form of airway obstruction. So, again, we can do a whole other podcast about what is obstructive sleep apnea versus 1 3:07 central sleep apnea and what all those big terms mean and how that works. But if you suffer from fatigue, headaches, brain fog, hypertension, if you have cardiovascular disease history for yourself or your family, If you're unable to lose weight despite changing your diet, working out, any of those things, there's a good chance you may actually, and you snore, there's a really good chance that you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. And I challenge patients all the time and say, listen, don't take my word for it. 1 3:40 Go out and look. You can go Google this thing really quickly and easily and look at, you know, what are some conditions that are related to sleep apnea? And when you see that list show up, of all the research that's gone on for, gosh, 50 years maybe, right? A very long time. There's a lot of validated research that shows that patients with sleep apnea are at higher 1 4:00 risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. Alzheimer's, early dementia, again you can just go on with that. The key takeaway I want you to hear today in this really short quick tip is snoring is not normal. 1 4:20 If you have symptoms along with that, then you need to have a sleep study done. They have home sleep studies now. They're very easy to do. We do them in our office quite a bit. And we can get you the help that you need so that you're sleeping better. And if you're sleeping better, you're feeling well rested in the morning, you have more 1 4:37 energy, and we actually can get you healthy, safely, and feeling a lot better. So quick tip of the week, snoring is not normal. I hope you have a great day, and thanks for listening to Foundations and Functions. 2 4:53 I'm Rachel, the patient coordinator, and I just wanted to thank you for tuning in to today's episode. If any part of today's conversation resonated with you, we'd love to hear from you. You can easily reach out to our office through our website 2 5:06 or give us a call to schedule a consultation. And one more thing, this podcast is about staying informed together. If there's a study, article, or trending topic you'd like us to review on a future episode, let us know. We wanna make sure we're answering the questions 2 5:21 that matter most to you. Thanks again for listening, and we look forward to connecting with you soon. 4 5:26 The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider 4 5:42 with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information, please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at IntegrativeMLA.com…
 
Show Description In this episode of Foundations and Functions , Dr. Amick dives into a crucial and timely topic: how GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro—originally developed for diabetes and now widely used for weight loss—may affect fertility and pregnancy. As use among women has skyrocketed in recent years, the discussion highlights potential risks related to birth control absorption, pregnancy safety, and even IVF timing. If you're using or considering GLP-1s and fertility is part of your journey, this episode is essential listening. Plus, Rachel from the Integrative Medicine team shares how GLP-1 therapies may go beyond weight loss to support energy, inflammation reduction, and cardiovascular wellness. Whether you're exploring metabolic health options or have questions about GLP-1 safety during reproductive stages, this quick but informative conversation offers practical insights to help guide your next steps. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show Transcript 3 0:00 Welcome to Foundations and Functions weekly podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J. 4 0:14 Pabla. 1 0:16 Welcome to Foundations and Functions. This is going to be a short talk today. I read a recent article that really caught my attention about GLP-1 medications and fertility. And those are definitely two things that we see quite a bit at our practice at Integrative Medicine Laser and Aesthetics. 1 0:33 Dr. Pava and I feel like we talk about this quite a bit every day. So, just kind of some background, these GLP-1 medications are pretty popular. You've heard of the brand names Wigovi, Monjaro, these sort of things. The generic names tend to be the sub-muglutide, the terzapatides that are out there. These are glucagon-like peptides. GLP1s mimic these hormones that are naturally occurring in our body. And what they do is they help regulate your blood sugar, they stimulate your pancreas to increase insulin when your blood sugar gets high to help regulate that blood sugar, get the sugar actually into the cells for metabolism. 1 1:16 They help control your digestion, they help control your appetite. These are naturally occurring things that our body already makes. We actually produce them in our gut. But we found a lot of benefit from using these GLP-1 agonists, these synthetic hormones that actually help regulate blood sugar. So people who are diabetics are getting a lot of benefit from that. In addition to regulating blood sugar, they're seeing some weight loss. 1 1:40 So it's kind of evolved into this, definitely this weight loss adjunct that people are getting some good benefit. And so, according to the article I read, the use among women for GLP1s from 2020 to 2023 in three short years, that number rose by 594%. So it's a pretty popular thing out there right now. And one of the things I wanted to talk to you today about is 1 2:09 how does GLP-1 agonist affect fertility? You know, there's a lot of concern with patients in our practice about fertility. And so I wanted to touch base on this with more and more women using this. 1 2:26 So the key here, there are a couple of things about this. First of all, I want to make sure that we share that because of the action of the GLP-1 actually slowing down your peristalsis, the kind of the way food moves through your stomach and your GI tract, it can actually affect your birth control. So if you're someone who isn't necessarily concerned about getting pregnant, you're actually trying to do the opposite. 1 2:47 You're trying to avoid pregnancy by taking birth control pills, but you're on the GLP-1, it can actually affect the absorption of that birth control pill. So that's a cautionary tale, things to think about out there. The other side of that is what's the risk for women taking a GLP-1 who become pregnant or during pregnancy. And this is one of those really important things in healthcare and medicine that we focus on for safety for our patients. And that is this. There's no evidence of safety. 1 3:18 The big reason is because it's hard to get pregnant women to show up to studies to see if something bad will happen to your baby. So in light of that, the general recommendation would be if you are actively trying to get pregnant, if you become pregnant or think that that may be a possibility, a GLP-1 medication may not be the safest thing for you. Certainly, there's no studies about the safety of GLP-1 1 3:45 medications with breastfeeding. So again, our recommendation would typically be to avoid those medications while breastfeeding. And even undergoing in vitro fertilization, you know, when we talk about harvesting eggs or stimulating eggs, there's quite a bit of literature out there that says, look, we probably ought not be using a GLP-1 when you're doing egg removal for at least up to two weeks before and sometimes even a month before. 1 4:14 So those were things I just wanted to touch base with folks that are out there that may be considering a GLP-1 medication but may also be either concerned about fertility or may find themselves on a GLP-1 and find themselves pregnant, you know, what to do. Generally, the recommendation would be to stop, see your health care provider right away. We always want to make sure that you're getting healthy safely. 2 4:38 I'm Rachel, the patient coordinator, and I just wanted to thank you for tuning in to today's episode. Dr. A. Mick gave some incredible insight into GLP-1 peptides and how they're transforming more than just weight management. Whether you're interested in improving metabolic health, reducing inflammation, supporting cardiovascular wellness, or simply feeling more energized, 2 4:59 these peptides may offer benefits far beyond what most people expect. If any part of today's conversation resonated with you, or if you're curious about whether GLP-1 therapy might be a fit for your goals, we'd love to hear from you. You can easily reach out to our office through our website, or give us a call to schedule a consultation. 2 5:20 And one more thing, this podcast is about staying informed together. If there's a study, article, or trending topic you'd like us to review on a future episode, let us know. We want to make sure we're answering the questions that matter most to you. Thanks again for listening, and we look forward to connecting with you soon. 3 5:37 The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have 3 5:55 regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information, please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at Integrative Medicine through their website at integrativemLA.com.…
 
Show Description In this episode of the Foundations and Functions Weekly Podcast , Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J. Pabla dive into a critical—and often misunderstood—topic: the difference between food allergies and food sensitivities. As part of National Food Allergy Awareness Month, the doctors explore the science behind the immune system’s varying responses, highlighting how IgE antibodies cause immediate, potentially life-threatening reactions (think EpiPens and ER visits), while IgA and IgG antibodies trigger slower, more insidious symptoms like fatigue, bloating, joint pain, and brain fog. Using real-world examples and patient stories, they explain how something as innocent as broccoli could disrupt your life days after eating it—and why conventional allergy testing often misses the mark. Listeners will also learn about the rise in food sensitivities, the impact of modern food production on gut health, and how to navigate confusing lab results with an elimination diet strategy. The episode is packed with practical advice, including common trigger foods, symptom tracking tips, and why working with the right practitioner is key to uncovering hidden root causes of discomfort. Whether you're battling IBS, unexplained rashes, or chronic fatigue, this episode offers a fresh, functional lens on how what you eat might be eating away at your health. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show Transcript 3 0:00 Welcome to Foundations and Functions Weekly Podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now, here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J. 1 0:14 Pabla. Thanks everybody for taking time out to listen to our podcast. You may not have realized it, but May is actually National Food Allergy Awareness Month. So we wanted to take some time to talk a little bit about food allergies versus food sensitivity. And those are two big topics that we see in our practice quite a bit. So remember, a big goal that we have through our education and our talks here is to help 1 0:41 you get healthy safely. So, Dr. Pabla, real quick, let's get into what's the main difference between a food sensitivity and a food allergy? 2 0:54 So, when we look at the immune system, there's actually five antibodies, but we really don't talk about IGD. And really, they're mediated by different components of the immune system. So allergies are mediated by an antibody known as IgE, and food sensitivities are mediated 2 1:15 by the part of the immune system that deals with IgG and IgA. And that's kind of the best way to kind of describe it, and we're going to get into the details of how that presents clinically differently. 1 1:29 Yeah. So when I used to teach this and I've talked to people, I think I tell them, think about IGE, think emergency room, think EpiPen. That's correct. These are the real emergency, true allergies that are life-threatening. Yes. And so this is the other way that I describe it pretty colorfully is I say, 1 1:49 think of like your drunk cousin, Teresa, right? Where she has a little bit of wine and she's just out of control. You know, so sometimes when you have a food allergy, your immune system, your IgE, just becomes completely out of control, 1 2:05 completely, you know, where I say, the, her idea, the IgE's best solution to protect you and save you is to kill you. 10 2:14 Yeah. 9 2:15 Yeah. 2 2:17 Yeah, so, yeah, allergies can, are usually manifested fairly immediately. You'll, you can present as a skin rash and some redness all the way to something that's life-threatening, anaphylaxis. Right. 1 2:31 And that tends to be progressive. 4 2:32 Right. 1 2:32 Sometimes the first time you're exposed to something that activates IgE, maybe you get a small rash, maybe you don't feel so well. But as you continue to get exposed to that allergen, that protein triggers a stronger response from that IgE to the point that anaphylaxis, now, but sometimes anaphylaxis can show up immediately. 2 2:49 Right, yes. And it's mediated through IgE, which actually binds to the allergen and then connects with a cell called the mast cell. And the mast cell releases histamine, other chemicals, and that tends to cause the rashes, then the cardiovascular changes, and even can compromise air the rashes, then the cardiovascular changes and even can compromise airway. 1 3:08 Right, okay. So now, so that's allergy, everyone knows allergy. Everyone knows peanut allergy. Again, it's that someone gets exposed to that, their throat swells, their tongue swells, they've got to do the EpiPen 1 3:19 and they got to get to the ER right away. And again, like you said, it tends to be rapid onset and very life-threatening. Sensitivity though is a little bit different in that it's rarely life-threatening. It tends to be a little slower onset. But let's talk a little bit about how that IgA can mediate that. 1 3:39 So here's the pop quiz. Where is IgA found? 2 3:43 Yeah, so IgA and IgG are the ones that tend to mediate food sensitivity. IgA tends to be in more mucosal surfaces, sinus cavity, vaginal mucosa, GI tract. And 80% of our lymph nodes are essentially in our GI tract, you know, in the lower portion of your small bowel. 2 4:05 And so, you know, they're kind of sampling what I say when I tell patients it's inflammation. So when these antibodies and immune cells are activated, they tend to cause more insidious type symptoms that aren't necessarily immediate, but can be delayed by hours, days, and it's sometimes real hard 8 4:26 to figure it out. 1 4:27 And that's one of the things we talk about is sometimes you could be sensitive to something, food for example. You know, you eat some broccoli on Tuesday, and you might not have a symptom until Thursday or Friday. Right. And so it's hard to track that back to say, oh, it was because of something that happened 1 4:44 to me days ago. And so that's why you mentioned the IGA, we find a lot of mucosal tissue, including our GI tract. That's why a lot of food sensitivities manifest with some sort of GI presentation. 7 4:58 That's correct, yeah. 1 4:59 So we'll talk about bloating and abdominal pain later on. So some of the key facts we talk about with food sensitivities, 20% of the world population have some sort of food sensitivity. In the United States, one in 13 children have some form of food sensitivity. 1 5:16 And in the last couple decades, the incidence has just gone up, right? So we're seeing more and more of these foods. Now, we might do a whole nother podcast about why that is, but the short answer is our food supply is just different. It's different today than it was 1 5:35 when our parents were young, and of course when their parents were younger. So the mass production of food, and the alterations of our crops have really fed into that. So let's touch a little bit about some of the most common food sensitivities or foods that cause either allergy or sensitivities. 2 5:57 Yeah, so you've got dairy, wheat, and everybody kind of classically talks about gluten and celiac disease, which is an enteropathy or inflammation, which is a type of food sensitivity. Soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, those are the big ones that can cause sensitivities. Obviously any food can cause a sensitivity based on the reaction of your immune system, but those are the classic ones. 1 6:25 Yeah, and so we know that, again, I'll tell patients, go do a deep dive in your refrigerator. Look at all your sauces. Everything that's in the door of your refrigerator, finding dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, it's ubiquitous. 2 6:40 Yes, it's in everything, absolutely. And it's hard to avoid. And you've got flowers now that have higher gluten concentrations. So that's, as you mentioned before, the food supplies change, our gut biome has changed. All of that has mixed together to increase our food sensitivities and our reactions to the foods that we eat currently. 1 7:03 Yeah. And so one of the main strategies, obviously, with these food sensitivities is really just avoidance, right? Trying to either dramatically reduce or remove these irritants from your food supply. So we talk about keeping a food diary, and that goes back to what we talked about, that sometimes these things show up days later, you know, once you actually ingest them 1 7:25 or get exposed to them. So, but let's talk about some of the symptoms, right? There are some common symptoms that we see. Patients come see us in our practice and say, gosh, you know, I've got all these weird symptoms going on. So what do you think is the most common thing 1 7:40 that we see from patients? 2 7:41 Right, so food sensitivities present obviously in the gastrointestinal tract, so the simplest ones are a lot of bloating, sometimes you get constipation, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, but then you get some systemic symptoms too, such as fatigue, joint pain, and that's because your immune response, right, your immune system is in your GI tract. And these white blood cells are living in these lymph nodes and they're sampling this inflammation and then releasing chemokines and cytokines, 2 8:12 which can cause systemic symptoms as well. So you might get some joint pain with that, muscle aches, skin rashes, brain fog, migraine headaches, beyond the classic gastrointestinal symptoms. 1 8:27 I think some of those, so we'll see a lot of patients that come in, you know, gosh, and they say, man, every time I eat, every time I eat, within minutes of eating, I am uncomfortable. I have significant bloating. You know, there's always kind of the joke, you know, 1 8:44 at the family gatherings, the Christmas or Thanksgiving of wearing the spandex pants or the loose pants, but this is different than that. This is a daily battle that people have where they have very uncomfortable bloating. We saw a picture recently of someone, 1 8:59 of a young lady who within 20, 30 minutes of eating looks like she's six, seven, eight months pregnant. I mean, she just has that much and it's very painful. 4 9:07 Right. 2 9:08 And, you know, and we're going to talk about this in our other podcast, but there could be a subset of that called SIBO where you actually have bacteria that overgrows in your small bowel that can cause more immediate bloating. But the bloating related to this tends to be more delayed, but absolutely can be immediate as well. But we'll subset that out and talk about that 2 9:33 at a different time. SIBO standing for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. 1 9:38 Yeah, that's a whole podcast. 2 9:40 Whole nother podcast, but definitely foods exacerbate that as well. 1 9:47 And so, again, one of the things we talk about is, is your gut killing you, right? Are you having a lot of GI symptoms from the foods that you're eating? They're disrupting your daily life. 2 9:59 You might come in with the term irritable bowel syndrome, right? What does that mean? I think that's kind of a basket term catch-all, a clinical diagnosis of, you know, chronicity, of bloating, sometimes alternating constipation, diarrhea, but how much of that could be just related to food sensitivities? Obviously, there's other pathologies that kind of merge under that umbrella of IBS, but we try to stay away from that term. 2 10:26 We understand that term, it's a clinical diagnosis, but we try to really find the root cause of that. This might be one of the root causes of irritable bowel syndrome. 1 10:36 And that's where, you know what, what we do when we look at things from a functional lens and we pull those together, a lot of these can be kind of vague symptoms and they don't always show up at the same time. You might have some nausea and maybe some diarrhea 1 10:48 and then next time you don't, you just have the joint pain. And so they kind of can be really vague and often patients have really good, reasonable explanation for them. You know, well, of course I'm fatigued. I'm busy at work. 1 11:00 I've got a lot of stress with some deadlines coming up, or I just moved, or fatigue, brain fog is another one. Well, maybe I'm just getting older, that's why I'm a little confused more often. And so pulling all of those symptoms together and looking at it from a wider lens helps us really get down to what are some of the issues. I talk a lot about skin and skin reactions, you know, whether that's acne or rosacea 1 11:27 or some sort of inflammatory response from just at the skin level. And we think, well, someone might come and see us go, I have a skin issue. No, you have a gut issue. 6 11:36 Right, right. 1 11:37 You have a gut issue. That's showing up as a skin problem. 2 11:41 But this is really more of a gut issue. Yeah, and one of the caveats is there's a lot of companies that do these tests, and we like to correlate this data clinically. There tends to be a lot of false positives in these food sensitivity panels, so how we manage that is once we kind of determine your level of reaction, we essentially will do elimination diet, and then usually six weeks or so, 2 12:12 six to eight weeks to get the inflammation down, and then we can do a reintroduction to verify the data. So just because you have a food sensitivity panel that's positive, is it true positive, right? 5 12:24 And Dr. Emick and positive, is it true positive, right? 2 12:25 And we're, Dr. Amick and I, we really want to, you know, you don't necessarily just treat labs, you treat patients. So we want to verify that data and just want to put that out there. There tends to be a lot of false positives with these tests, so you've got to be with 1 12:39 the right provider that understands that and then can help you verify that data. And on the flip side, we've seen kind of what I would call maybe some false negatives where patients don't understand what we talked about before was the IgE versus Ig. If you've had a, if you've gone to a dermatologist or an immunologist and you've had the skin prick test, most likely that is an IgE food allergy. 1 13:01 So some patients might say, well I had a food allergy test and it was negative. Well, it was negative for the IgE, the anaphylaxis, but did they really test the IgG, IgA, IgM? And then the other side of that is you and I get pretty fussy about the quality of testing and how the lab is actually testing. 1 13:20 We had one lab quite a while, when we first opened the practice, and they were using the crab, remember that? They were using the crab shell, right? As their source of sensitivity. Well, who eats the crab shell? 1 13:32 No one eats the crab shell. But it was cheap, it was easy to get to, and so we're like, well, you gotta be careful of what test you're choosing in the lab 2 13:40 and how they validate those tests. So there's a lot of disparity between those. And foods can have multiple different components. Like milk can have multiple different components of proteins in them, right? So how do you prepare that when you do your analysis? How well are you digesting it? Are you breaking it down to X amount of amino acids? 2 13:59 And so that changes the test, how you're actually preparing the sample. So, we take that all with a grain of salt, but it's a starting point, right? It gets us a rough idea, then you can do an elimination and then reintroduce that food one at a time and verify, oh, yes, I reintroduced, let's say, pineapple, and now I broke out in a rash and I felt more bloated. 2 14:23 And now your clinical symptoms correlate with the lab that validates the test, right? So you just, you know, you might get your food sensitivity panel back. You did it in the mail and say, oh my gosh, I'm allergic to all these foods or excuse me, 2 14:38 intolerant to all these foods. That's not necessarily true. You got to verify that. 1 14:43 And I think a lot of folks get intimidated when they hear elimination diet, because they'll say, gosh, well, what am I supposed to eat? I can't eat anything. And so helping folks understand which are the crossover sensitivities, 1 14:55 which are true allergies, true sensitivities, and then again, that whole process of going through, reintroducing some foods at some time, and then understanding what your tolerance level is for that 2 15:06 Can be really important and and we're gonna talk more about gluten sensitivity and and then celiac But you know, these antibody tests are all indirect. The gold standard is a duodenal biopsy So I just want to put that out there but we're gonna talk specifically about a type of sensitivity called gluten sensitivity or celiac and that once again that'll be another podcast. 1 15:28 Right, and then the other thing we can talk about another podcast, keying that up, would be histamine intolerance. Yes. What does that mean? And so a lot of folks suffer from that where we have to remind them that, listen, your body makes histamine naturally and there are some foods that just naturally 1 15:45 are high in histamine. So if you're either making too much histamine or you're ingesting too much histamine, you can definitely have some symptoms from that. So those are coming down later on in our podcast journey. So I think kind of recapping a lot of this, 1 16:03 the first things we talk about is food allergy and food sensitivity are different beasts. There are different body responses to them. One is true immunological, IgE mediated and could potentially be life-threatening. Sensitivities tend to be- 2 16:22 More insidious. 1 16:23 Yeah, more insidious, not necessarily life-threatening, but very life-disruptive. 4 16:27 Right. 1 16:28 Yeah, so timing and onset are issues. Allergies tend to be more rapid. Sensitivities tend to be more slower onset, like you said, insidious there. And then the type of reactions that we get. And then the plethora of symptoms. 1 16:44 Again, I think that the ones we see mostly are the abdominal pain, bloating, migraines, fatigue, skin rashes, brain fog, even kind of nasal congestion, like, oh, I just have some hay fever, some allergy. It could actually be a food sensitivity issue. So if any of that connects with you, if you feel like that might be something that has been kind of elusive to you, certainly reach out. 1 17:09 We're happy to help and see you for that and get you some testing and help you interpret that testing so that you can wrap your hands around your health. If any of those symptoms seem like things that you deal with on a regular basis, we want you to reach out. Our office can help get you scheduled. We can work through that allergy testing and sensitivity testing and really help educate 1 17:35 you about what's going on inside your body. Because remember, we want to return to when medicine actually made you better. And a big part of that is helping you understand how your body works. 3 17:50 The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information, please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pablo at Integrative Medicine through their website at Amick or Dr. Pablo at Integrative Medicine through their website at IntegrativeMLA.com Rate your transcript:…
 
Show Description In this episode of Foundations and Functions , Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amich dive into the groundbreaking Four Point Hormone Panel—a tool they've developed to bring clarity and insight to women struggling with unexplained hormonal symptoms. Drawing from personal experiences and years of clinical practice, the doctors explain how traditional hormone testing often fails to account for the natural fluctuations in female physiology. By testing key hormones four times throughout the menstrual cycle, they’re able to map a more accurate picture of what's really happening in the body—and finally validate what so many women have been told to ignore: "Everything's normal" doesn't always mean everything's okay. Dr. Amich and Dr. Pabla break down the science behind the panel and share how it's transforming the way they help patients address symptoms like anxiety, depression, infertility, and fatigue. From hormone behavior to root causes like thyroid dysfunction, PCOS, and even environmental toxins, this episode is packed with eye-opening insights into how functional medicine can restore balance and well-being. Whether you’ve been dismissed by traditional care or you’re simply curious about a deeper approach to hormonal health, this episode will help you ask better questions—and understand your body like never before. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show Transcription 3 0:00 Welcome to Foundations and Functions weekly podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J. 6 0:14 Pabla. 2 0:16 This is Dr. C.J. Pabla with Dr. Jason Amick. Welcome to our Foundations and Functions podcast. Today we're going to be talking about the Four Point Hormone Panel and kind of like why we decided to do the Four Point Hormone Panel. So I'm going to pass it on to my partner, Dr. Amick. Why don't you tell us kind of how you came up with this concept and how it really has 2 0:40 helped our patients? 1 0:41 Dr. Amick Morse Yeah, thanks so much. So, you know, one of the things that I say pretty frequently is, you know, I'm a girl dad, and constantly in my life, you know, I've been faced with situations, you know, with my daughters and my wife, and I just think, wow, dudes don't put up with that. 1 0:58 You know, a dude would never go through that the way you guys do that. And so, you know, in seeing a lot of our patients, female patients who come in really frustrated, and they hear kind of the same thing, like, well, you know, I haven't felt well, I haven't felt well, and my doctor just tells me everything is normal. My labs are normal, my hormones are normal, but I don't feel well. And you know, I kind of thought about that for a while, and it occurred to me, biologically, dudes 1 1:30 are dumb. I mean, from a biological perspective, our hormones are really pretty basic. You're 10 years old, you're 12 years old, boom, you hit puberty, your testosterone spikes, kind of hangs out there. Yeah, maybe in your late 30s and 40s, your testosterone may waver a little bit, 1 1:47 but female physiology, their hormones change daily. Daily, and it's a cycle that they go through every single month. And so, one of the things that I thought of was, what does normal mean when you talk about an estrogen level? So we know the range of estrogen can be, depending on where you are in your cycle, 4 to 400, 1 2:14 generally speaking. And that's a huge range. And so I applied that and I thought, well, gosh, 71 is normal. But is it always 71? Is 71 the highest that you get? Is 71 the lowest that you get? 1 2:32 And so, yeah, I mean, it would be great to, as scientists and as nerds that we are, to get as many data points as possible. But it's really hard to get people to come in and get blood drawn every day for 28, 32 days. 5 2:46 Right. 1 2:47 So really we work with our lab. We've got a great relationship with our lab that keeps a lot of costs down for patients who pay out of pocket. And so we're able to actually put together this panel that includes an estrogen level, progesterone level, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin, and testosterone. 1 3:07 And we can actually sample that on a patient four different times during their menstrual cycle for really low cost. And what that does for us is it allows us to graph that. Now it took me some time. I had to go back and remember my Excel and logarithmic functions to put all that on a graph. But really, it was eye-opening. 1 3:28 I remember when you and I first looked through that graph and went, wow, this is kind of out of a textbook. We know how the hormones are supposed to fluctuate throughout the different – the luteal phase, for example. We know kind of where estrogen should be in relation to progesterone. And so we've been able to take that graph and really give patients a lot of data and 1 3:53 help them make it make sense. And so there are patients that we've definitely sat across from and said, you know what, right, all of your lab values are within the normal range. But the behavior of these hormones are not normal. And so, validating that, I think, means a lot to a lot of patients that say, you know what, you're right, you don't feel well. 1 4:14 You're not crazy. There's nothing wrong with you. You're not broken. You just have some physiology that's off and that manifests in emotions, anxiety, depression, sometimes infertility even. And so using that data set and what we know about physiology helps us really paint the picture for our patients and put them on the right track, know what questions to 1 4:39 ask. And then sometimes that means going back to their OBGYN or going back to their primary care doctor and saying, hey, here's this graph. And I know in my experience, most of those providers have never seen a graph like that. 4 4:52 Yeah. 1 4:53 The current insurance model just would never allow a primary care doctor using insurance to order the same five or six labs four times in a month. Right. You know, and cover those costs. to order the same five or six labs four times in a month, you know, and cover those costs. So we're able to do that, and because of that, we can provide a lot of insight into, you know, what's happening with someone's hormones. 1 5:17 And so from there, you know, some of those patients may choose to see us from a functional medicine perspective, right, where, you know, they see you, and we start kind of digging down that root cause path of why is that? choose to see us from a functional medicine perspective, right, where they see you and we start kind of digging down that root cause path of why is that? Why is your progesterone flat? 1 5:31 So that may indicate you're not ovulating. Well, why would that be? So then we can kind of talk about some of the reasons that someone may have hormone 2 5:43 dysfunction. Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah, polycystic ovarian syndrome. You could have thyroid dysfunction. So those can affect high androgens. Elevated prolactin can suppress ovulation. So there's several root causes that we can look up and kind of try to determine, like, why are you not ovulating? 2 6:04 And you know, how many times have you had people come in and said, well, I have my hormones checked and I'm like, okay, where were you in your cycle? Like, I don't know. And I said, well, then this data makes no sense because your hormones change so much throughout your cycle. And so I think just helping women know that there's not a linear response to your hormones throughout all 28 days. They change. 2 6:25 And I think that's kind of like their aha moment. They're like, oh, okay, now that makes sense to me. And then that's why we're looking at four data points so we can follow this curve. So yeah, I think the four-point panel has really helped a lot of our women kind of understand what's going on throughout their cycle and their responses to their hormones. 1 6:45 Darrell Bock And then we take that lens and we broaden that lens because, again, we go back to where do some of these hormones come from? What are the foundations of these hormones? And so, again, we go in and we look at gut health. We look at toxin load. We look at chronic viral infections. 1 7:01 And we really kind of figure out, oh, it may not be PCOS, it may not be a thyroid, it may be something going on with your environment. It could be a heavy metal toxicity, it could, mold exposure, we talk about that a lot. A lot of these things can affect your physiology in lots of different ways. 1 7:19 So that's kind of where we started down the path with these four-point hormone panels. And man, it's one of my favorite things to do with patients and helping them really gather good quality data that really helps explain their physiology. So if you are someone who thinks, gosh, I just don't feel well, I want to get my hormones checked, the questions to ask are are what hormones are you getting checked? 1 7:46 When are you getting them checked? Maybe a good option would be to come to our office and let's do a four-point hormone panel and just take a look at how your hormones are behaving, not necessarily what their level is because one of the things I explain to people too, it seems like no one really kind of knows what a normal estrogen level should be. That's going to be different person to person. 1 8:08 So it's about the behavior though. So hopefully that helped make it make sense. And thanks for listening today to our Foundations and Functions podcast with Dr. Pabla and Dr. 3 8:21 Amy. The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider 3 8:38 with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information, please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at integrativemla.com…
 
Show Description Foundations and Functions is a weekly podcast hosted by Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amich that challenges the current medical model by returning to the core of what medicine was meant to do—make people better. Drawing from their extensive experience in emergency medicine, critical care, and integrative health, Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amich dig into the foundational principles of human physiology and the root causes of chronic illness. Whether it's unraveling the mystery behind hypertension, uncovering hidden mold toxicity, or connecting seemingly unrelated symptoms to gut health, each episode offers insightful, real-world discussions grounded in science and practical clinical experience. Designed for patients who feel unheard or stuck in a system of short visits and fragmented care, the podcast is a deep dive into personalized medicine that values time, thoroughness, and education. Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amich believe true healing happens when we make sense of the body's signals, ask the right questions, and have the freedom to connect the dots. Through compelling cases and thoughtful analysis, Foundations and Functions offers hope, understanding, and a roadmap for anyone looking to reclaim their health by addressing what truly matters at the root. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show transcription: 3 0:00 Welcome to Foundations and Functions weekly podcast, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. Now, here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. C.J. 8 0:14 Pabla. 2 0:16 Welcome to Foundations and Functions with Dr. C.J. Pabla and Dr. Jason Amick. Dr. Pabla, why the name, foundations and functions? 1 0:25 Well, kind of like the foundation of a house, right? It starts from the ground up. The foundation is not strong, the house is not strong. So just like in science, foundational things like the structure of a protein, you change the structure, its function changes, right? So that's kind of what we wanted to get through in the podcast is, these are very important concepts, and we want to kind of weave this concept through all of our podcasts. 2 0:57 Darrell Bock And it speaks a little bit to how we think and talk every day in terms of, you know, patient conditions, patient issues, is, you know, we understand that the foundation of homeostasis and the normal physiology people are supposed to have. And so getting back to, you know, fundamental foundational clinical science, clinical medicine, and understanding how what we do every day affects the function of our body. 2 1:25 So when you have symptoms, it's letting you know that there's something off with maybe the function. And so we can tie that into the foundations. What are the root causes? What are the basic principles of physiology that we can apply to help people get better? 2 1:43 And so, one of the goals that we have, and we always say is do we want to 1 1:50 return to when medicine made you feel better. 2 1:53 So talk, tell me about that. Talk about that. What does that mean to you when you when you 1 1:57 say we want to return to when medicine made you better? You know, when somebody presents to our office, instead of just kind of looking at, you know, the basic symptoms and consider maybe, you know, medicine for short term, which initially may help stabilize symptoms, we want to kind of work upstream, right? We want to get to that root cause. For example, if you come in for hypertension, maybe you need an antihypertensive medicine to stabilize that. 1 2:25 But what are the reversible causes of hypertension? Sleep apnea, hypercortisol, multiple other things that we can look at. So obviously addressing weight, lifestyle, caffeine toxicity, right? So foundational stuff is really working upstream and really trying to address those root causes. And I think this is one thing that, you know, I think we do well in our practice. We spend enough time. And I think that's the key is really spending that time 1 2:57 with a patient unraveling the mystery. 2 2:59 Yeah. And I think we both have a lot of experience in medicine, in emergency medicine, critical care, hospital administration. And I think some of this, for me, helps remind us that the American health system that we currently have really doesn't do a great job of actually healing people. It used to be, used to be focused on that quite a bit and I think now when we look at all the statistics and data, despite the fact that we spend a tremendous amount 2 3:33 of money on healthcare compared to any other first world country, we have some of the worst outcomes, infant mortality, maternal mortality, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, all these things. And no doubt, we do a phenomenal job with acute care, trauma, strokes, heart attacks, best in the world hands down. But actually making people better or what do you always say about type 2 diabetes? The best way to treat type 2 diabetes is? 1 4:04 Dr. Darrell Bock's don't get it. 2 4:05 Don't get type 2 diabetes. So we can get to that level of returning to when medicine focused on, not necessarily just even preventative care, but avoidance care. How do we keep you from getting a disease anyway? So with that in mind, let's talk a little bit about who our target audience is. 2 4:29 When we do this podcast, because we talk a lot amongst ourselves, and we do a tremendous amount of education with our patients, what's something that you could point to to say, look, this is who we want to reach? 1 4:41 This is our target audience. Well, I mean, I think that's a broad range. I mean, men and women, you know, children. I think, you know, our target audience is people that might have had chronic issues that aren't being addressed necessarily. Not just, you know, talking about preventative care, but, you know, maybe they've gone to multiple providers and they have this mysterious illness, and, you know, the 15-minute to 20-minute medical model isn't working because they have multiple symptoms and no one's connecting the dots, you know. 1 5:17 They might see a different specialist for each one of these symptoms or each one of these disease processes, and no one, unfortunately, is connecting the dots. And that's kind of like what we see. So you know, obviously, we do do acute care medicine, we do some urgent care in the office, and we love doing that. 1 5:34 But really addressing those people that have gone to multiple different providers, and you know, haven't really, no one's really addressed their root cause. I guess that's kind of the general audience we really appeal to quite a bit. 2 5:49 Yeah, and I think two things that come to mind. One of those patients that come in, like I've had, for example, high blood pressure for the last 15 years. I'm about to start my fourth blood pressure medicine, but no one can help me figure out why I have this 2 6:04 or what I need this for. And then I think the other side of it that sets us apart is that audience, you know, that patient, that medical consumer. You know, like you said, you know, 9 to 11, 9 to 15 minutes, that's the average time that you spend face-to-face with a provider in the United States. 2 6:20 And you know, one of the things you always say is you can't solve complex problems, you know, in 10, 15 minutes. Dr. John Alder Reid Right. Dr. John Alder Reid You need more time to really dig into that. And so I think, you know, this will be a whole other podcast someday, but from a, you know, even an insurance model, you know, I think the fact that is looking at that, you know, they're paying out of pocket and going, what am I getting for this? What did I just pay for in that office visit? 2 6:50 So I think that's a big chunk of drive for patients who come see us because they want their questions heard, they want answers, and they want to feel like that there was a value in this visit that they just had with us. 1 7:06 So, right. Well, I think the other big thing is we limit the complexity by seeing, you know, much less patients and knowing them in depth, you know, getting all their data, reviewing their data well before seeing the patient and not, you know, having to see 30 to 40 patients a day, which is driven by unfortunately insurance issues. And so we have the freedom to really spend that time. 1 7:31 And I think that's where the, a lot of our patients get resolution of their symptoms because we finally connect the dots. And you know, that can take an hour. That can take two hours, you know what I mean? 7 7:45 Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah. 1 7:45 Dr. Robert Pulsner But I don't think, no matter how intelligent of a physician you are, I don't think 15 minutes is going to solve that problem. 2 7:52 Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah. And I think one of the things that sets us apart is this concept that we carry around with making it make sense. Even today, we had a patient that we were just spitballing about, like this is their lab value, doesn't seem to make sense with their symptoms, so where else should we be looking? What else can we be doing to help them? And just kind of throwing out a neurological basis, 2 8:18 an endocrine basis, what are all the possible reasons that this person could be having the symptoms, but at the end of the day, how do we help the patient understand the symptoms they're having, why they're having them, and what the next best steps are for them? So yeah, we definitely spend a lot of time with patients. Education is very key for us because again, we just love treating every patient like a 2 8:39 research case. 6 8:40 Yeah. 1 8:41 Yeah. You know, and then also having access to, you know, other biotech companies that can really help us dig into the mystery. Like sometimes the mystery is you have multiple symptoms and no one bothered asking the patient, oh, by the way, do you have water damage in your home? Oh, by the way, do you have mold in your home? 1 9:00 You know, mold toxicity is one of those mysterious illnesses that can cause multiple symptoms. And so really then helping not only educate the patient, but then demonstrating to the patient, yes, you have mycotoxins because we've done the appropriate test. So I think that's the other thing that we figured out over the years in our practices, who's our go-to to help us figure out some of these mysteries. And I think that takes time to find the companies that are going to give you valid information 1 9:30 so you can share that with the patients. And that's important, not only to help the patient, but then they can actually see, oh yes, my mycotoxins are very elevated. And yes, this correlates, maybe not not causation but correlates and is 2 9:46 resulting in some of your symptoms. And digging through those symptoms you know you know near and dear to my heart is gut health and and gut dysbiosis and so one of things I share with patients is sometimes you have these 12, 15, 17 random symptoms that don't I call them just white noise and you know if we can tie that back to your gut health we can get your gut healthy, sometimes we can reduce those symptoms or even eliminate those symptoms completely. 2 10:11 Now what's left are the two or three symptoms that are really at the heart of your discomfort and issue. 5 10:18 So... 1 10:19 Yeah. I use the term dust settles a lot with the patients. I said, you know, you're coming in pretty ill, multiple symptoms. Let's walk you, you know, to 30 to 40 percent better. See what symptoms peel away because, A, you know, we address your gut issues first, and then, you know, when these symptoms go away, then we can follow the other symptoms, you 1 10:40 know. So we're really big on looking at that. Patients can be overwhelmed. Well, how am I going to get better when I have 20 different symptoms? Well, that's for us to try to focus on those core symptoms first and address that core issue first. And then, you know, they come back a couple months and they feel really great and they say, but I still have insomnia and I still might have some fatigue, but hey, these are gone now. Okay, well, now we have another subset of core symptoms that we're going to look at 1 11:06 to address those issues. 4 11:07 Dr. Darrell Bock Yeah. 2 11:08 So I think it's a great introduction, and hopefully we've given you a little bit of insight of how we think we can get better medicine through foundations and functions. So ultimately, again, we just want to return to when medicine made you better. Thanks for spending time with us today. Thanks for listening to our podcast. There are going to be a lot more coming. And so please stay tuned. And we'll talk to you soon. 3 11:36 The information provided in this podcast is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed information, 3 11:58 please contact Dr. Amick or Dr. Pabla at Integrative Medicine through their website at Integrative Medicine through their website at integrativemla.com.…
 
Patient Coordinator Rachel Phillips gives an overview of the personalized approach to discovering the root cause of illnesses. We use an integrated clinical approach to combine functional and traditional medicine to go further and identify the root cause of our patients’ problems. Functional medicine addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental factors that influence a person’s health. We often see clients with chronic issues who haven’t been getting better with traditional treatments. Unique to Integrative Medicine, Laser and Aesthetics in Carmel, our providers will create individualized whole body health, 360-degree plans based on genetic testing, functional/integrative lab assessments, nutrient deficiency testing and your patient history. Often we spend over two hours with you during your initial visit, asking questions and actively listening. Here is what you can expect as a new patient: Patient schedules an initial appointment and completes preliminary questionnaires. Our doctors review and research your history and records prior to meeting you. On your first visit, you will have a full exam with Dr. Pabla and further discuss concerns. You receive a custom action plan and review it with Dr. Amich to implement. We continue to meet every 2 months to treat the root cause of your medical conditions. Learn more about our approach I ntegrativemla.com/ Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show Transcript Welcome to Better Medicine, a return to when medicine made you feel better. Now, here's patient coordinator, Rachel Phillips. Welcome to Better Medicine, where we return to when medicine actually made you better. We are looking to deep dive into the root cause of health issues and explore how our personalized approach can help you achieve better health. I'm your host, Rachel, and today we're going to talk about something that affects so many people but is often misunderstood. It's the connection between gut health, hormones, and your overall well-being. Have you ever wondered why you don't feel quite like yourself? Why no matter what you do, your health issues just aren't improving? Well, there's a good chance you might be missing a key piece of the puzzle, and that's where we come in. At Integrative Medicine, Laser, and Aesthetics, our doctors specialize in root cause analysis, a way of looking at your health that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlining factors contributing to your symptoms, not just masking them. It's a powerful way to get to the bottom of what's truly going on inside your body. Let me introduce you to Dr. Amick and Dr. Pablo, our top specialists who are transforming the way we look at health. Dr. Amick is an expert in gut health and hormone balancement. You may not know this, but your gut health and your hormones are connected. Issues like bloating, digestion discomfort, fatigued, or even skin problem could be linked to imbalances in your gut and your hormones. Dr. Emick is dedicated to helping you understand and treat these underlying causes, leading to a healthier and more vibrant you. And then there's Dr. Pabla. When you see Dr. Pabla, he doesn't rush through your appointment. He takes his time, sometimes up to two hours long. He studies your symptoms, understanding your health history, and gets to the root cause of your health issues. Whether you're dealing with fatigued, persistent pain, or unexplained weight gain or loss, Dr. Pabla is committed to digging deeper to figure out what's really going on in your body. And if future testing is needed, he will order any diagnostic testing or screening to ensure nothing is overlooked. Did you know that we offer a full functional medicine blood panel right here in our office? Right after your visit with the doctor, you can get it done. That's right! No need to go to an outside lab anymore. Everything is handled in-house, making it quicker and easier to get the answers that you need. If you're a woman struggling with hormonal imbalances, you'll be especially interested in what we offer. Our 4-point, 6-point, and 8-point hormone panels are designed to help uncover issues with everything from infertility to your monthly cycle. If your hormones are out of balance, you may be experiencing fatigued, mood swings, weight changes, or even difficulty getting pregnant. Our comprehensive hormone panel gives us valuable insight into what's really happening and helps us develop a personalized treatment plan just for you. We believe that health is more than just treating the symptoms. It's about understanding the entire picture. We are the top practice here in Indiana that can order specialty testing to find food sensitivity, mycotoxin testing. So how does the process work? Well, it's easier than ever to get started. Here's how to connect with us. Just give us a call or schedule online. Our friendly front desk team is here to assist you. We are here to help you find the best time that works for you. Once your appointment is scheduled, you'll receive an email with all the important details about your visit. This includes any preparation you might need and a link to sign up for our online patient portal. Did you know that once you set up the patient portal, you can send us lab panels, medical records, or any other important information you'd like Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amick to review? It's a great way to save time and ensure that your doctor has all the information that he needs before your appointment for your best care. We believe putting our patients first, and that means ensuring your experience is as smooth as possible. By using our online patient portal, you'll help us create a more personalized and effective care plan that is tailored to your needs. Whether you're dealing with chronic conditions, want to improve your overall well-being, or you just want to explore a more natural approach to health, Dr. Pabla and Dr. Amick is here to guide you every step of the way. Their extensive experience at Integrative Medicine allows them to combine traditional treatments with advanced therapies, giving you the best of both worlds. So what are you waiting for? Take the first step towards a healthier, more balanced life today. Call us now or go online to schedule your appointment with Dr. Pabla or Dr. Amey, our top leading doctors at Integrative Medicine, Laser, Laser Anesthetics. Thanks for listening. My name is Rachel top leading doctors at Integrative Medicine, Laser, Laser Anesthetics. Thanks for listening. My name is Rachel and this is Better Medicine.…
 
When looking for answers to your health problems, it can feel as if you’re on your own. Your health and happiness are our top priorities. We’re here to help you identify the source of your problems and get you back on track to feeling healthier and happier. Functional medicine , IV infusions , and functional aesthetics are just some of the methods we utilize to get to the bottom of your health issues and help you get back to feeling your best. Whether you live in Carmel, Zionsville, Indianapolis, or the surrounding areas, we are here to help. Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The content is not a substitute for professional medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you would like more detailed medical information, please contact Integrative Medicine through their website at https://integrativemla.com/ Show Transcript Welcome to Better Medicine, a return to when medicine made you feel better. Now, here's Dr. Jason Amick and Dr. CJ Pabla. Hello, this is Dr. CJ Pabla. This is Dr. Jason Amick. Welcome to Better Medicine. This is our first podcast. We're excited to do this, to start this endeavor, to share kind of our thoughts, our philosophy, and a lot about our practice, and to talk about things that are relevant and important to people every day. So one of our big philosophies at our practice is returning to when medicine actually made you better. And that has so much to do with our integrative approach to medicine and healthcare in general. So, Dr. Pawa, tell us a little bit about why you started the practice, how you developed functional integrative medicine mindset. I practiced emergency medicine for 18 years and this is where Dr. Amick and I kind of connected, but, uh, we'd see a lot of chronic stuff in the emergency department. Not necessarily acute stuff. Uh, women that had gut problems, multiple CT scans, and, uh, no one can really find what's wrong. We could tell them what it's not, but what was it? Right. So I started thinking about like, why are so many chronic stuff in this country just handled with just medication. So that was kind of the philosophy, could we work upstream and find root causes to these problems if we dug a little bit deeper. So that's kind of the philosophy behind that practice. We're not anti-medicine. I think medicines are great for stabilizing symptoms and getting people kind of stabilized, but you know, we kind of look at it as a band-aid. And then, you know, what can we do to work upstream? So that's kind of my philosophy and Dr. Amick's philosophy, and we know the gut is linked to many things. Dr. Amick can kind of speak about that, but so that's kind of why I decided to get out of emergency medicine and deal more on the chronic side and look at more root causes for patients. I think we both had some personal experiences we can talk about, but I you know, I can remember a long time ago we work in the ER. We would have patients come in with sometimes pages, two, three pages of medicines. I can remember even back then kind of thinking to myself that, gosh, you would think that if medicine solved problems, the more medicines you were on, the healthier you would be. And it was never the case. The more medicines they were on, the worse off they were. So I know early on, we started kind of questioning our training and the standard medical model, you know, 20 years ago, kind of going, nah, does this really kind of make sense? And so, you know, from my perspective, you know, I kind of stumbled into integrated functional medicine just through, you know, lots of different experiences that I had, including some hospital administration roles and really getting to see what happens behind the scenes, you know, how the insurance model affects healthcare, how it drives clinical decisions in healthcare organizations, looking at different types of healthcare models, you know, from emergency medicine care, under MTALA and all those things, all the way to cardiac and cardiovascular care, you know, acutely and chronically, you know, in those two areas, I would say in a lot of areas, the United States, we surpass every other country with our acute care model when it comes to trauma, cardiovascular, you know, heart attacks, strokes, you know, when, when an insult occurs to people, we, we are bar none the top of the world in managing those. Yeah. But when it comes to preventing those things, we really, it's sad and embarrassing how terrible we really rank against other countries, even some of the countries that aren't necessarily considered first world countries. So, from that perspective, I kind of, you know, really took into account, okay, so what else is out there? And that's kind of why I stumbled into functional medicine, integrated medicine, and really understood, going into it, that this is an approach where you start with basic physiology, basic biochemistry. Like, how do we actually make people better? You and I talk a lot about the systems biology approach, right, the whole body is connected. So you don't have a liver problem, you've got a body problem that manifesting in the liver, that sort of thing. So that was kind of my experience. And then also understanding the healthcare model today, I think as a lot of people are acutely aware, isn't really about making you bad at it. So that's kind of where I came from. And I think you had some personal first-hand experience maybe with some back injury or back pain. And so tell us about that a little bit. Yeah, so, you know, like Dr. Amick said, chronic care, we basically manage symptoms and do we actually get patients better? You know, I snowboarded for many years and was having a lot of chronic low back pain and, you know, went the traditional medicine route, did an MRI, which is important to look for structural issues, saw a back surgeon and really wasn't getting any better until I saw a doctor that did myofascial release and that made a world of difference. So you know, getting that done, getting look at muscles that were inactivated, that weren't functioning right, made a big difference in my pain management and I was able to get back into working out and being healthy. So, you know, besides my personal journey, you know, I realized that, you know, what can we do to affect change? And, you know, as a physician, I really didn't know a lot about nutrition, right? So, you know, you study a little bit of it in medical school and I realized that the countries that do it well, the core is changing the way you eat, you know, eating not only so what does it mean to eat healthy and we can get into that down the road but you know, eating not only, so what does it mean to eat healthy and we can get into that down the road, but you know, really eating whole foods and avoiding foods that tend to be inflammatory and you know, and it's harder and harder to eat healthy. And so, that's kind of our take on it, you know, really establishing a core of, you know, good foods, some proper supplementation, and then really focusing on gut health. Yeah, and you know, I've said for a long time, I continue to say, and I think the two worst things we say in medicine and healthcare is, eat better and exercise. Yeah. Because no one really knows what any of that means. Right. And so, we have to take a really broad look at, what does it mean to eat better. Well, it's not just, you know, removing processed food and things that are bad for you, but it's also understanding how your body reacts to the foods you are putting in your mouth. Because again, from a systems biology approach, I mean, every single organism on this planet, and you can take a good hour and watch some really good TV programs about nature, and what you learn from just watching, whether it's a butterfly or a snail or a Capuchin monkey or whatever, you know, they're intimately tied to their environment and what they eat How they eat and what's available to them and that's something that you know from a biological perspective. We've gotten away from yeah and so there's absolutely a recourse when you're eating processed foods and chemicals and things that just aren't natural to your biology, and that has some long-term effects. So we see a lot of things in our practice, and we manage a lot of that, not just, you know, from a food and nutrition perspective, but a lot of chronic diseases. We talk a lot in here about inflammation, inflammatory processes. We do a lot of disease management for patients. And I think one of the things that sets us apart from a lot of other practices is our deep understanding of the physiology, but also our ability to explain physiology to our patients and educate them. Yeah. And you know, emergency medicine gives you a broad perspective on a lot of different pathology because, you know, as a ER doctor, you might see trauma in one room and then you got a heart attack in another room and you got ortho in another room so it gives us a broad perspective and also in graduate school I studied a lot of physiology and biochemistry and really I think the battle is won when you look at the cellular level you know how does toxins how does inflammation affect the cellular level? And, you know, we spend a lot of time on Dr. Emick on whiteboards, kind of nerding out and, you know, drawing formulas and looking at organic molecules and looking at different pathways that are interrupted by inflammation or interrupted by, you know, toxins in our environment. And so, I think, you know, this is not just some pseudoscience. This is actually science at its best, I believe, where you really have to understand the pathways. For example, B vitamins, I mean, what are they? Well, they're cofactors. They make enzymes more efficient. Minerals, they make enzymes more efficient. So, when people tend to say, well, vitamins and minerals,, do they really impact you? Well, reactions in the body slow down when you don't have the cofactors. And a slowed down reaction could develop symptoms, which ultimately could develop disease. So, you know, I think that's kind of our philosophy. We really like to research our patients and impart change. And this is where the philosophy comes in, is working upstream, looking at root causes. You know, you come in with hypertension. Has anybody looked at sleep apnea? Has anybody looked at other secondary reversible causes? And we try to do that. So we're not just gonna stop your antihypertensive because that would be not healthy. But if we can impart change and do the other things, then maybe we can wean you off the antihypertensive. Yeah. So, you know, returning to basic fundamental physiology and biochemistry. Returning to basic physiology and biochemistry means, you know, not being afraid to revert back to the basics, you know, and again, we keep saying, we tell people, we're not anti-medicine, but, you know, understanding things like vitamin D and what does vitamin D do to your body and all the things, remember, vitamin D can be, it can act like an enzyme, it can act like a hormone, it should act like a vitamin, it's kind of a multiplayer. And so a lot of times when we see patients that have issues, we want to know, hey, what's your vitamin D? No one has ever checked their vitamin D level, right? They're on a bunch of different medicines or gels or creams or shots for this, that, or the other, and we look and their vitamin D is in the tank. And so, you know, we say, gosh, if we fix those things, maybe you don't need to be on five medicines, Right. Um, you know, maybe you just need one, one low dose daily medicine that is actually helpful to you. Right. Uh, because remember the, the rule of polypharmacy, once you get above three medicines, I think everything else is interacting with each other and causing more problems. So, uh, again, I think that's where we really latch on the idea of getting back to when medicine and not just medicine pills, but medicine care, medicine health, actually makes you better and gives you a longer health life. Exactly. How long do you live well? That's what we're trying to shoot for, improving your quality of life. Going back to the vitamin D, low vitamin D can cause mood disorders. So you're on antidepressant, but maybe once we correct your vitamin D, you could get off the antidepressant or the antidepressant becomes more effective. I think a lot of people in the end can relate to that because everyone realizes they feel better about July, August, when the sun is out and they're happy, they're outside, they're feeling better. But just not understanding how that, that, that vitamin D actually plays a big part of all year long throughout our whole healthcare. Yeah. So, I mean, that's kind of our philosophy is, you know, really digging in and really trying to find root causes to help you. So this was kind of our beginning podcast. It's going to be a little clunky. So thanks for sticking in there with us and being patient. We're going to perfect our sound and our mode as best we can, but really, we just want to share who we are and what we do, and if that is helpful to anyone, that's God's work, and it's really what we're about. So thanks for listening. There's going to be so much more coming over the next few weeks and months, and we look forward to doing this for a long time. Yeah, absolutely. And don't hesitate to reach out to us and say, hey, can you talk about vitamin D metabolism? Can you talk about gut health? And we're more than happy to look out there. And what are people searching? What are people interested in, and we're more than happy to talk on that subject matter. All right. So, again, thanks so much for spending time with us today, giving us your time and your attention for better health. attention for better health. So, thanks again, and we'll sign off.…
 
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