A thread about using DMSO to treat chronic pain (along with all the other uses that exist for it) was recently shared by Joe Rogan on Twitter. If any of you are avid watchers of his show and he mentions DMSO, please let me know.
I have a very painful plantar fasciitis going on in my right foot. I’m currently waiting for my fitting and then prescription orthotics. (My current ones are wore out.) Does DMSO work for this confounding condition? 😖
If so, what would a good dosage be? BID? TID? Concentration of the DMSO? Trusted company to buy from? Or am I just overthinking this? Just rub a pea sized amount onto the painful area? (Make it simple) 🤷🏽♀️
Hi, I have chronic pain in my right ankle, and have been using DMSO topically, from the DMSO Store (on Amazon), pharmaceutical grade, every night and the pain is improving. My pain if from years and years of running. I've been very impressed with how much better my ankle feels.
I also put two teaspoons in water, cranberry juice (Northland) and Aronia Berry concentrate (On Amazon) every day and that's been a big help to my arthritis overall. (The drink is ~ 16 oz water, 2 oz Aronia concentrate and 6 oz of cranberry juice).
I spoke to my doctor about DMSO and she was very enthusiastic- she uses it topically and recommends it to her patients. Note - she's in independent practice and is not in network with any insurance carriers.
I developed a weakness in my left ankle/heal area with pain only when going up stairs. It really hurt.id have to hang on to the railing to pull myself up. I started rubbing on DMSO 99.995% gel I got at Tractor Supply. I rubbed it in good around 2 times a day. I don’t mind the bit of itching and burning I feel but it goes away. It helped right away and within 2 weeks it’s gone. Along with some mild knee pain that I had not even used the gel on. I would definitely use DMSO for PF. I had that once and never want it again. Thinking I may have saved weeks of barely getting around in pain if I had known about DMSO.
I had PF for years until I found the brand FITFLOP shoes/sandals which completely cured the pain. They are miraculous shoes with great support and cushioning and wear like iron. I recommend the sandals first with a sole at least 1 1/2 inches thickness. Try them. You won't be sorry.
Yes, that is the brand but there are many styles to choose from. Try looking through all the styles and choose one with a thicker sole, and read the reviews.
I found complete relief from my PF by wearing shoes with rocker soles. The brand I wore is MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology). They are not cheap, but that was nearly twenty years ago, and my PF has never come back. I wish you all the best.
yes, you're over thinking it! just try it. I've found I can go with a high concentration, like 70 percent on my feet, even though that concentration causes too much itching on other parts of the body. If I had PF, I'd start by washing and drying the feet, then apply DMSO to the entire bottom of the foot (maybe not on the heel or toes). Let it dry before putting on socks.
my wife has plantar fascitis(PF) and other related foot problems that complicate an explanation; used special shoes, had special orthotic inserts. . . until I heard from the MWD website this last few months about DMSO. She tried that and walks on her bare feet on hard floors with no problems/ almost no pain now.
It can't hurt to try it. Just get some of the Walmart aloe gel stuff at 70% and apply thinly at first, over a few days thicker and rub it in; keep it up for a week or two or whatever seems right until you feel it is helping or . . . not. About $35 if I recall for a small jar. Worth a try.
DMSO helped my plantar fasciitis - which was from a broken toe pulling on the muscles of the foot.
The next time I broke a toe, I used DMSO right away, and it was a much better healing.
Turns out, hubby broke a toe 3 days ago, and after DMSO he hardly notices it. He's now a believer.
THE ONLY WAY you will figure it out is to get some and start small. Use it on something insignificant - that mole that's been bothering you. Gain confidence as you gradually increase the percentage.
I started with 1%, and as I watched my skin improve, made up a 30%. It took me a few weeks to get up to 70%. I now coat my entire body once a day with it.
FOR MY BODY, it seems to need to be 50-70% to penetrate muscles. But 1%-30% seems fine for skin & topical.
READ AMD's ARTICLES for sources. Yoho "Surviving Healthcare" has been writing about it, now too. We've started a trend!
Find the nearest Good Feet Store, and test them. You should feel relief immediately. I used to fit people with products designed by a German doctor (Alzner) that had remarkable success for plantar fasciitis, as well as myriad other conditions. Frankly - the people who came in with custom supports asked me to discard them. Good luck.
My plantar fasciitis was completely cured by taking lysine. I'm a strict vegetarian and the holistic vet with whom I worked suggested I might be deficient. I've also taken lysine for other connective tissue pain. I also recommend looking at the website of Dr. Ray McClanahan and Correct toes. Here's a piece on your condition.
I'm using some DMSO gel from Tractor Supply Company on my right knee, which I overused and strained in various ways recently.
I was a "dextrous surgeon", doing over 1000 c-sections, and I don't recall nicking a baby, because I did not use a scalpel on the lower uterine segment, except to make a small central nick in it. I never used the Bovie electrocautery...
An older OB/GYN surgical tech, who was one of my early teachers as a Med Student, eventually commented to me in conversation that "I had respect for the tissue", a rare compliment from Robert. My mind was generally riding with the scalpel blade along tissue planes, and I gently used Russian forceps to grasp tissue edges.
Following my own c-section, years later, was generally much easier than following somebody else's c-section.
"For anyone who works with their hands (musicians, machinists, artists, carpenters, etc.), over time and with extensive practice, a deep intuition and flow develops, allowing for the steady progression towards expertise and excellence."
The instrument becomes a "living" extension of the individual and responds as such, does it not?
The debate of traditional microscope versus virtual microscope has many parallels. I have used both in case signout. Without question, I am more skilled with the traditional microscope; it has nothing to do with extent of practice with either microscope. Rather, when I look into the traditional microscope eye pieces the entire world around me disappears and background noises go silence (I dont even hear the music on the radio); to such an extent that people have come into my office and left without me knowing they were there. It is just my eyes, mind and the micron thin tissue within the field of vision. All the objective powers and coarse/fine focus manipulations are subconscious muscle memory movements. I dont even feel the glass microscopic slide I am moving across the stage. At that point is when I am diagnostically "locked in" and do my best work (the very subtle findings becomes easily identified) I have told others it is like being "one with the scope" and I trust the scope unconditionally not to let me down; years and years together have reinforced that. They either laugh at me or think I am losing my mind, funny stuff indeed.
Regardless, I have never been able to achieve that level of diagnostic "locked-in-ness" using a virtual microscope computer monitor. I cant block out the room around me. The monitor is not tactile. Its separate and distant from me.
However, the prevailing winds are blowing with gale force intensity towards virtual microscopy replacing the traditional microscope so I may be going the way of the dinosaur sooner than I would like.
It is not possible to program or artificial intelligence an equivalent to the invaluable impact of the human touch in any aspect of medicine, be it surgery or diagnostic histopathology.
This substack really hit home; spot on bullseye home. Ive reread it multiple times. It's book marked in my substack archives. Truly one of your best posts.
The profiteering health systems and health insurance companies rely on the public's inability to distinguish the store brand pizza from the more expensive name brand. Unfortunately, both the systems and companies promote us all as the same quality of pizza regardless; rendering us name brand types irrevelant.
I do believe they have AI computers now making diagnosis via the microscopy. I used to do all the manual diffs and I know what you are talking about being focused on the scope and the slide below - not to the wonderful extent you go to but close.
Now the hematology machines do the diff and very rarely referred to follow-up path review. It is becoming a world of diagnosis by computer and who is there to catch the mistakes that do happen?
"1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one WISE, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. "
From Genesis to Revelation when Adam and Eve sought knowledge before Life at the sowing of discontent from the angel of light, this perfection of man 666 has been in the making. 3's in the Scripture represent perfection. On the sixth day God made man. Man was perfect until he was lured into usurping God's rightful authority. This grotesque perversion is ripening unto fruition.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and SOULS OF MEN.
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy SORCERIES were all nations deceived:
Original Word: φαρμακεία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pharmakeia
Pronunciation: far-mak-I-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (far-mak-i'-ah)
Definition: Sorcery, witchcraft
Meaning: magic, sorcery, enchantment.
Word Origin: Derived from φάρμακον (pharmakon), meaning "a drug" or "spell-giving potion."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with similar practices is כֶּשֶׁף (kesheph), which also refers to sorcery or witchcraft, as seen in passages like Exodus 22:18 and Deuteronomy 18:10.
Usage: In the New Testament, "pharmakeia" refers to the practice of sorcery or witchcraft, often involving the use of potions, spells, and enchantments. It is associated with idolatry and the manipulation of spiritual forces through illicit means. The term is used to describe practices that are contrary to the worship of the one true God and are often linked with moral corruption and deception.
Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Greco-Roman world, "pharmakeia" was commonly associated with the use of drugs and potions for magical or religious purposes. Sorcerers and magicians were believed to have the power to influence the spiritual realm, often for personal gain or to harm others. Such practices were prevalent in pagan religions and were condemned by Jewish and early Christian teachings as they were seen as attempts to usurp God's authority and engage with demonic forces.
Unfortunately I think that the medical profession’s worshiping at the altar of technology is more pervasive and limiting than you think.
Surgically - Totally agree with your assessment. I was taught that to tell the difference between normal tissue and Dupytrens tissue, the easiest way was to the feel of the tissue when you strummed it against your 69 blade.
Diagnostically - Again agree with the reliance on technology instead of clinical skills such as palpation and topographical anatomy.
Procedures - Because of the loss of awareness of topographical anatomy more physicians are utilizing ultrasound and other modalities to give injections. The upcharge is a lot of times borne by the patient. The question is , is it the lack of topographical anatomy knowledge or the ability to charge more? Or the degradation of topographical anatomy knowledge by the over reliance on technology?
Wound Care - Although the wound Vac has definitely helped for some problem wounds, in my view, third world nurses and their knowledge on how to correctly do wet to dry dressings are still more efficient and cost effective for a lot of wounds.
Knowledge- When you look at our literature searches(pubmed),I noticed about five to ten years ago that the earliest dates on references were from the early sixties. How many medical students know how to use medicus indicus? How many medical libraries still carry it? The robust and often times elegant medical knowledge pre early sixties is very difficult to obtain. You have to search the bibliographies of the later 60s articles and order or search for those articles. How much data access have we lost through technology? Think it’s not a problem? The early sixties data was rich in references for antibody dependent enhancements from dengue and RSV vaccines.
Learning - Students remember less when they take notes on the computer by typing while sitting in lecture than using a pen and paper. Recent EEG data shows that typing does not stimulate the hypocampus (memory processing) while using a pen does.
A lot of what I publish comes from that earlier forgotten body of literature and I am continually amazed at how many fascinating but forgotten things are in.
I was at a meeting one time and it was the first meeting I attended where the contractor typed his notes directly on his laptop. All his attention was on typing and he couldn't keep up with the meeting. He finally inadvertently moved his hand and knocked his coffee into the truck depot president's lap!
Your comments are right on point. I am an old school MT that trained by doing all the tests manually. Now the training of new students is "Feed the Machine" with no knowledge or very little of the science or chemistry behind the testing. It is amazing what a good tech could see on a blood smear slide right away. For example, one could tell if the istruments were off on their counts for one thing. Now it is all auto diffs. It is really hard to find lab personell that have the knowledge that old school techs have. So much knowledge is being lost.
BTW, I still do written notes every day and keep a dailly log. I find it much easier to remember things if I write them down and rather look at my notebook than make notes on the computer. My co-worker (also old school tech) does the same. It is so true about writing it down and I still use a fountain pen - love the feel of a fountain pen on paper.
Also I want to know what the practical advantage of these rigid protocols is. My partner has had, unfortunately, 2 DVTs and gone to the same hospital for treatment. Each time they've begun dosing the heparin and checking his clotting, but after the first time, would it not have made sense to START at the dose that was appropriate LAST time, rather beginning all over again??
I am an OBGYN who has practiced for almost 31 years which includes my residency training in both General Surgery and OBGYN. In my earlier years most Gynecologic surgery was done through huge incisions which resulted in hospitalization and long recoveries as well as abdominal adhesions. Hysterectomies were the most common reason for small bowel obstructions due to adhesions forming at the vaginal cuff. I initially didn’t express any interest in Robotic hysterectomies due to the inability to feel the tissue and instruments. But I eventually got over that and have been performing most of my surgeries robotically for over 13 years now. I can assure you the patients do remarkably better as they go home the same day, recover much quicker and use less opiates for post op pain management. I also cannot recall the last patient in my practice who has required surgery for adhesions due to robotic surgery or had an abdominal hernia from the smaller wounds required. The problem with the current graduates that only train on minimally invasive equipment is their training in open cases is extremely minimal. Thus they cannot handle complications during the procedures should they have to convert to a laparotomy. Just my two cents.
To both of you ob/gyn Drs, I believe your prior experience helped you as you transitioned to robotics! The current graduates do need both types of training to really know what they are doing. I agree.
OR was my first job and I loved it. Orthopedic surgery in the late 60s, oh yes the blood loss. I well remember the one surgeon’s work. Good but oh my! Hips were the worst. I think all that has improved. I hope so!!!!
Kimberly, this has nothing to do with your comment but curious as you’re an OBGYN. I have recently learned about DMSO and want to start taking some orally. I would like to start trying for a second child in spring. Do you have any research or anything you’ve seen about taking DMSO prior to pregnancy or while pregnant. TIA
Midwestern Doctor is 100% spot on. This article specifically hits me hard because I was an orthopedic and podiatry implant surgical/clinical sales rep that worked in the OR, surgery centers, VA hospitals and physician clinics for 20 years. I worked with "old school" surgeons that were on top of their games and often hated to see new tech - especially robots. These docs were my best friends because they knew if JC was in the case, the following morning, that all implants and instruments were ready to go. I often had my docs tell me that they always slept better knowing I was working with them because I was always on top of my game. Case times were fast, blood loss at a minimum and almost always good outcomes. I saw these veterans slowly get pushed out of their surgical suites and practices.
I also worked with surgeons that were INCOMPETENT to say the least...I often saw procedures being done just for profit and if a surgeon did not follow the FDA approved technique, I had to say, "Hey doc, that's an off label use and I'm required to notify you now and have it logged in the patient's chart." This was to protect me as a manufacturerer's rep. if a lawsuit ever came to fruition which happened a many times.
Most medical salespeople are very intelligent and are vigourously screened during the hiring process. Unfortunately, the surgeon is really the only advocate for the reps and their products they want to use in their surgical practice. The hospital administration and materials managers, quite frankly, could care less about anything except cost, price and profit. Salesreps are treated very poorly like 2nd class citizens while the hospital waits to pay their submitted bills for services rendered until we had to send the hospital to collections just to get paid for implants already provided.
The big corporate reps just buy contracts and pay off in competent surgeons to use their products and tech gadgets. With that, I saw many of the surgical procedures have declining good outcomes. I was the rep that supported the "old school" surgeons who were called in to fix the mess just like Midwestern Doctor. I worked one day a week in the OR just to supply revision implants and help fix or revise bad cases of their collegues in the same practice. Always get a 2nd or 3rd opinion people.
C19 ended my career because I refused to take the cancer causing clot shot designed specifically to( .... )but, I digress. Sad part, the only people that cared were my "old school" surgcial docs.
I'm currently a full time stay at home dad and it's the best career I've ever had! God Bless.
I have a small book about DMSO. I think your article is amazing - and I applaud everything you have written here. I wish everyone would learn from this common sense. There are so many people around me who have had multiple back and spine injuries. It usually starts with a small cut to fix one disk... a year or two later, the next disk - and it moved right up the spine until they are walking bent over and still in pain. Is that normal? This seems to be how it goes.
I have a friend who is in his 40's who broke his heal a year ago. He had to wait for Worker's Comp to fix it and they were so late that it fixed itself incorrectly. So, a few months later, a prominent surgeon here fixed it again and put in 3 screws. That was months ago. Now this patient has sepsis, a huge red ball on his foot and they are fighting it in hospital (he's been there almost 3 weeks and they can't find the source of infection. Not only that, he now had meningitis - had severe pain in his head and spine - so they put him on another med. Then they found an infection in his upper spine and operated (to dig the infection out - from C1 to T something) and now he has a huge scar there that needs to heal. In the meantime, still in hospital and needs some type of another scan to see if his brain has any problems... It's a fiasco. He's been in hospital 2+ weeks and more... lost over 20 lbs b/c he doesn't feel like eating, etc.
Update:
His parents took him out of hospital, he has fallen a few times and is in severe pain, depression, etc. and on a lot of 25+ different meds. His mom and dad are taking care of him - with nursing care a few times a week. He needs care 24-7. I want to tell them about DMSO, but I wouldn't be able to explain it correctly - nor how to use it for his problem - or if it would or could be used for his problem.
Thank you for caring about people and doing the real thing, not the popular thing.
As a surgeon and an ordained pastor and a fully awake person I do agree with much of what you shared. However, in my practice I can use the robot as exquisitely as with open surgery through the Spirit. God’s presence is what makes the difference, not a surgeons “skill”. He is the great physician and healer.
I really like your comment. It seems still that to have skill with robotics, and to understand the tissues, you first have to have felt them with your hands.
My husband had an appendectomy 24 years ago and the surgeon punctured his bowel. After a week of intense pain where the doctor pretty much called my husband a wimp, we went to the emergency room where a CT scan found a dime size hole in his bowel. The doctor performed a bowel resection which has left him with life long intestinal problems as well as two adhesion surgeries done by another surgeon. The anger he feels toward this surgeon who flippantly said "I fixed the problem didn't I?" is still there. This surgeon we later found out had performed many botched surgeries and the pharmacists have dubbed him Dr. Infection yet he still practices.
Sometimes we forget that a for-profit medical system is, by design, never going to prioritize patient care. It can’t. Its purpose is to make money, above everything else. We need to change our entire system from for-profit to something else. Not-for-profit, maybe.
I was impressed by your perspective on diminishing the natural invasiveness of surgery by using old Chinese butcher metaphors. Being a retired academic pediatric surgeon and actual Chinese style acupuncturist, I noticed how my mind and intention was more important than just the physical trauma of the incision. In my practice I observed how intention and correct selection, and indications for procedures improved the healing process. After being considered a poor dexterity practitioner by doing less and using the right time, procedure and intention I was able to become one of the most successful surgeon in my hospital. I have written in 5 published books some of my ideas about how spirituality and lifestyle influences the healing process of the patient-therapist relationship. At 80 years my rhythm is starting to slow down and my economic status is hampering the publishing process of my next book, Healing the Cancer In Our Genes, an Epigenetic approach to disease. This is my page www.ivanfigueroaoteromd.comifiguero@prtc.net 787-399-2041 Ivan
Great article AMD. I appreciate the need for 'connection' to the work at hand, and it is very true, that in order to be skilled, one must first have understanding. Critical thinking is no longer taught to young doctors apparently either. Most I have met in the last ten years are simply indoctrinated, and lack the essential ingredient to be a truly effective doctor. I have had the most rewarding experiences imaginable with several surgeons...I guess you could say that I love them for all they have done for me...extraordinary people with exceptional skills, and a dedication to excellence. I am grateful to those surgeons who have been faithful...and with thanks, use my hands for good...always.
I was just commenting on Dr. Paul Alexander’s Stack that one of the things we are losing, in this push for more technology, is the ability to do something just by “feel”. Our God given sense of learning that comes from our head, down through our heart, & out through our hands. Or through our hands, up through our heart, & into our head (or mind’s eye). Humans learn both ways, but the personal tactile connection is a “knowing” that anything “virtual” cannot & does not offer. Hands on training & practice gives the surgeon that empathetic connection to the patient & is a constant reminder that this is another human being who is trusting in me. How do we find surgeons that are awakened, not woke? How do we search for & interview potential surgeons? Ones that have discernment & who aren’t following the narrative of “vaccines” for every “scamdemic” the scare mongers try to push? I have a prolapsed bladder & would like to get help for this, but am terrified & unable to trust a surgeon to fix this. I have seen on YT video documentaries that the DeVinci Device that is commonly used often results in complications or injuries not foreseen. Many say to find a doc who hand stitches the bladder back in place vs. one that uses this device. I’d also like to find a doctor who isn’t vaccinated with this mRNA LNP crap. Would be nice to have a website to search for these doctors who’re unjabbed, therefore, prove their ability to have their own discernment & who I’d be more likely to trust. I also have concerns about shedding. Are their any doctors here that know of a great, urogynocologist, in the Central Texas area, that fits this bill? I’d really appreciate some guidance.
In addition, the best thing I’ve found for spine pain from herniated discs, or degenerative disc disease(DDD), & related spine disorders is ELDOA’s. Google for full meaning of acronym. It’s long. It’s a type of active stretching to train the muscles to hold decompression gained. There is a specific position or exercise for each level of the spine. You learn these positions & do them daily. Approximately 1 min. per position or exercise. Lumbar problems take longer for results than cervical due to weight bearing status. I have both. The cervical corrected itself in a few months. The lumbar took around 9 months to finally get pain relief & longterm results. I can always (and do) go back to these decompression exercises (ELDOA’s) whenever the pain starts to return. I do them a few times, & the pain goes away again. My body remembers the decompression space it achieved, & quickly returns to that when I do the exercises again. So I always have this to turn to. It’s a game changer & that’s no lie. ELDOA’s are the way to go for most spine issues. Mark Albrecht of BalancedBodiesAustin.com is a leading expert on this. I have avoided 3 fusions with these exercises. Thanks for sharing this great article. I wish there were more docs like yourself.
You’re absolutely right, the COVID-19 response exposed serious issues within the healthcare system, leading to a significant erosion of public trust in physicians and hospitals. The JAMA study you referenced highlights a major shift in how Americans view the medical profession. A drop in trust from 71.5% to just 40.1% is a concerning trend, and it underscores the need for reform in how healthcare is delivered.
Many people have felt disconnected from their healthcare providers during the pandemic, with some encountering a heavy reliance on technology and bureaucracy, while others faced restrictions on in-person visits or encountered inconsistent information. The shift toward more impersonal, technology-driven medicine — as seen in telemedicine or the overwhelming use of medical technologies — has contributed to a sense of alienation, especially for those who valued the personal relationships and trust they once had with their physicians.
Excellent article. As a RN with 32 years of acute care experience, the last 7 years of which I worked in surgery (OR and PACU), I agree with everything you wrote. I no longer trust most physicians (or nurses) or hospitals and I do everything I can to avoid the mainstream healthcare system. Your articles have been exceptional and I appreciate you taking the time to write them. Thank you very much!
Sad when we have to say that about a profession we gave the best years of our life to doing! We have to see our PCP but I have a better eye on things now. I will have to admit my husband’s specialists are awesome. 🤔
The deeper I dive into the subject of our “healthcare system” the less I feel valued as a human being. The ‘for profit model’ has turned us all into commodities to be tortured while being gaslit, for the benefit of corporations and their stockholders. I am grateful to the Midwestern Doctor for providing people this enormously valuable resource. Please, make his work known to family, friends and colleagues. God bless.
A thread about using DMSO to treat chronic pain (along with all the other uses that exist for it) was recently shared by Joe Rogan on Twitter. If any of you are avid watchers of his show and he mentions DMSO, please let me know.
That thread can be viewed here: https://x.com/PierreKory/status/1875592917697622069
I have a very painful plantar fasciitis going on in my right foot. I’m currently waiting for my fitting and then prescription orthotics. (My current ones are wore out.) Does DMSO work for this confounding condition? 😖
If so, what would a good dosage be? BID? TID? Concentration of the DMSO? Trusted company to buy from? Or am I just overthinking this? Just rub a pea sized amount onto the painful area? (Make it simple) 🤷🏽♀️
Looking forward to your reply… 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Hi, I have chronic pain in my right ankle, and have been using DMSO topically, from the DMSO Store (on Amazon), pharmaceutical grade, every night and the pain is improving. My pain if from years and years of running. I've been very impressed with how much better my ankle feels.
I also put two teaspoons in water, cranberry juice (Northland) and Aronia Berry concentrate (On Amazon) every day and that's been a big help to my arthritis overall. (The drink is ~ 16 oz water, 2 oz Aronia concentrate and 6 oz of cranberry juice).
I spoke to my doctor about DMSO and she was very enthusiastic- she uses it topically and recommends it to her patients. Note - she's in independent practice and is not in network with any insurance carriers.
I hope this helps!
Lucky you! I'm hiding this stuff from my doctors. At this stage, I don't have one I trust that much.
I developed a weakness in my left ankle/heal area with pain only when going up stairs. It really hurt.id have to hang on to the railing to pull myself up. I started rubbing on DMSO 99.995% gel I got at Tractor Supply. I rubbed it in good around 2 times a day. I don’t mind the bit of itching and burning I feel but it goes away. It helped right away and within 2 weeks it’s gone. Along with some mild knee pain that I had not even used the gel on. I would definitely use DMSO for PF. I had that once and never want it again. Thinking I may have saved weeks of barely getting around in pain if I had known about DMSO.
Janet- you’re not on a statin are you?
I had PF for years until I found the brand FITFLOP shoes/sandals which completely cured the pain. They are miraculous shoes with great support and cushioning and wear like iron. I recommend the sandals first with a sole at least 1 1/2 inches thickness. Try them. You won't be sorry.
https://www.fitflop.com/us/en/shop/iqushion-mens-ergonomic-flip-flops-p-J80#B80
Is this the one? Does not look to be 1.5"
Yes, that is the brand but there are many styles to choose from. Try looking through all the styles and choose one with a thicker sole, and read the reviews.
no way to determine heel thickness. . . thx
I found complete relief from my PF by wearing shoes with rocker soles. The brand I wore is MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology). They are not cheap, but that was nearly twenty years ago, and my PF has never come back. I wish you all the best.
yes, you're over thinking it! just try it. I've found I can go with a high concentration, like 70 percent on my feet, even though that concentration causes too much itching on other parts of the body. If I had PF, I'd start by washing and drying the feet, then apply DMSO to the entire bottom of the foot (maybe not on the heel or toes). Let it dry before putting on socks.
my wife has plantar fascitis(PF) and other related foot problems that complicate an explanation; used special shoes, had special orthotic inserts. . . until I heard from the MWD website this last few months about DMSO. She tried that and walks on her bare feet on hard floors with no problems/ almost no pain now.
It can't hurt to try it. Just get some of the Walmart aloe gel stuff at 70% and apply thinly at first, over a few days thicker and rub it in; keep it up for a week or two or whatever seems right until you feel it is helping or . . . not. About $35 if I recall for a small jar. Worth a try.
DMSO helped my plantar fasciitis - which was from a broken toe pulling on the muscles of the foot.
The next time I broke a toe, I used DMSO right away, and it was a much better healing.
Turns out, hubby broke a toe 3 days ago, and after DMSO he hardly notices it. He's now a believer.
THE ONLY WAY you will figure it out is to get some and start small. Use it on something insignificant - that mole that's been bothering you. Gain confidence as you gradually increase the percentage.
I started with 1%, and as I watched my skin improve, made up a 30%. It took me a few weeks to get up to 70%. I now coat my entire body once a day with it.
FOR MY BODY, it seems to need to be 50-70% to penetrate muscles. But 1%-30% seems fine for skin & topical.
READ AMD's ARTICLES for sources. Yoho "Surviving Healthcare" has been writing about it, now too. We've started a trend!
Find the nearest Good Feet Store, and test them. You should feel relief immediately. I used to fit people with products designed by a German doctor (Alzner) that had remarkable success for plantar fasciitis, as well as myriad other conditions. Frankly - the people who came in with custom supports asked me to discard them. Good luck.
My plantar fasciitis was completely cured by taking lysine. I'm a strict vegetarian and the holistic vet with whom I worked suggested I might be deficient. I've also taken lysine for other connective tissue pain. I also recommend looking at the website of Dr. Ray McClanahan and Correct toes. Here's a piece on your condition.
https://correcttoes.com/foot-help/foot-conditions-and-problems/plantar-fasciosis/
Wear shoes with a raised heel - about 1 1/2 inches. That takes the pressure off of the heel.
I'm using some DMSO gel from Tractor Supply Company on my right knee, which I overused and strained in various ways recently.
I was a "dextrous surgeon", doing over 1000 c-sections, and I don't recall nicking a baby, because I did not use a scalpel on the lower uterine segment, except to make a small central nick in it. I never used the Bovie electrocautery...
An older OB/GYN surgical tech, who was one of my early teachers as a Med Student, eventually commented to me in conversation that "I had respect for the tissue", a rare compliment from Robert. My mind was generally riding with the scalpel blade along tissue planes, and I gently used Russian forceps to grasp tissue edges.
Following my own c-section, years later, was generally much easier than following somebody else's c-section.
I "wasted time" closing each tissue layer.
I'm gonna guess that with Joe's sporting life = he knows quite a lot about it.
Be great if he joined the DMSO Gospel Team!
"For anyone who works with their hands (musicians, machinists, artists, carpenters, etc.), over time and with extensive practice, a deep intuition and flow develops, allowing for the steady progression towards expertise and excellence."
The instrument becomes a "living" extension of the individual and responds as such, does it not?
The debate of traditional microscope versus virtual microscope has many parallels. I have used both in case signout. Without question, I am more skilled with the traditional microscope; it has nothing to do with extent of practice with either microscope. Rather, when I look into the traditional microscope eye pieces the entire world around me disappears and background noises go silence (I dont even hear the music on the radio); to such an extent that people have come into my office and left without me knowing they were there. It is just my eyes, mind and the micron thin tissue within the field of vision. All the objective powers and coarse/fine focus manipulations are subconscious muscle memory movements. I dont even feel the glass microscopic slide I am moving across the stage. At that point is when I am diagnostically "locked in" and do my best work (the very subtle findings becomes easily identified) I have told others it is like being "one with the scope" and I trust the scope unconditionally not to let me down; years and years together have reinforced that. They either laugh at me or think I am losing my mind, funny stuff indeed.
Regardless, I have never been able to achieve that level of diagnostic "locked-in-ness" using a virtual microscope computer monitor. I cant block out the room around me. The monitor is not tactile. Its separate and distant from me.
However, the prevailing winds are blowing with gale force intensity towards virtual microscopy replacing the traditional microscope so I may be going the way of the dinosaur sooner than I would like.
It is not possible to program or artificial intelligence an equivalent to the invaluable impact of the human touch in any aspect of medicine, be it surgery or diagnostic histopathology.
This is a really wonderful comment I sincerely appreciate you leaving.
This substack really hit home; spot on bullseye home. Ive reread it multiple times. It's book marked in my substack archives. Truly one of your best posts.
The profiteering health systems and health insurance companies rely on the public's inability to distinguish the store brand pizza from the more expensive name brand. Unfortunately, both the systems and companies promote us all as the same quality of pizza regardless; rendering us name brand types irrevelant.
I do believe they have AI computers now making diagnosis via the microscopy. I used to do all the manual diffs and I know what you are talking about being focused on the scope and the slide below - not to the wonderful extent you go to but close.
Now the hematology machines do the diff and very rarely referred to follow-up path review. It is becoming a world of diagnosis by computer and who is there to catch the mistakes that do happen?
"1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one WISE, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. "
From Genesis to Revelation when Adam and Eve sought knowledge before Life at the sowing of discontent from the angel of light, this perfection of man 666 has been in the making. 3's in the Scripture represent perfection. On the sixth day God made man. Man was perfect until he was lured into usurping God's rightful authority. This grotesque perversion is ripening unto fruition.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and SOULS OF MEN.
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy SORCERIES were all nations deceived:
Original Word: φαρμακεία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pharmakeia
Pronunciation: far-mak-I-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (far-mak-i'-ah)
Definition: Sorcery, witchcraft
Meaning: magic, sorcery, enchantment.
Word Origin: Derived from φάρμακον (pharmakon), meaning "a drug" or "spell-giving potion."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with similar practices is כֶּשֶׁף (kesheph), which also refers to sorcery or witchcraft, as seen in passages like Exodus 22:18 and Deuteronomy 18:10.
Usage: In the New Testament, "pharmakeia" refers to the practice of sorcery or witchcraft, often involving the use of potions, spells, and enchantments. It is associated with idolatry and the manipulation of spiritual forces through illicit means. The term is used to describe practices that are contrary to the worship of the one true God and are often linked with moral corruption and deception.
Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Greco-Roman world, "pharmakeia" was commonly associated with the use of drugs and potions for magical or religious purposes. Sorcerers and magicians were believed to have the power to influence the spiritual realm, often for personal gain or to harm others. Such practices were prevalent in pagan religions and were condemned by Jewish and early Christian teachings as they were seen as attempts to usurp God's authority and engage with demonic forces.
Unfortunately I think that the medical profession’s worshiping at the altar of technology is more pervasive and limiting than you think.
Surgically - Totally agree with your assessment. I was taught that to tell the difference between normal tissue and Dupytrens tissue, the easiest way was to the feel of the tissue when you strummed it against your 69 blade.
Diagnostically - Again agree with the reliance on technology instead of clinical skills such as palpation and topographical anatomy.
Procedures - Because of the loss of awareness of topographical anatomy more physicians are utilizing ultrasound and other modalities to give injections. The upcharge is a lot of times borne by the patient. The question is , is it the lack of topographical anatomy knowledge or the ability to charge more? Or the degradation of topographical anatomy knowledge by the over reliance on technology?
Wound Care - Although the wound Vac has definitely helped for some problem wounds, in my view, third world nurses and their knowledge on how to correctly do wet to dry dressings are still more efficient and cost effective for a lot of wounds.
Knowledge- When you look at our literature searches(pubmed),I noticed about five to ten years ago that the earliest dates on references were from the early sixties. How many medical students know how to use medicus indicus? How many medical libraries still carry it? The robust and often times elegant medical knowledge pre early sixties is very difficult to obtain. You have to search the bibliographies of the later 60s articles and order or search for those articles. How much data access have we lost through technology? Think it’s not a problem? The early sixties data was rich in references for antibody dependent enhancements from dengue and RSV vaccines.
Learning - Students remember less when they take notes on the computer by typing while sitting in lecture than using a pen and paper. Recent EEG data shows that typing does not stimulate the hypocampus (memory processing) while using a pen does.
My view only. DK
A lot of what I publish comes from that earlier forgotten body of literature and I am continually amazed at how many fascinating but forgotten things are in.
I was at a meeting one time and it was the first meeting I attended where the contractor typed his notes directly on his laptop. All his attention was on typing and he couldn't keep up with the meeting. He finally inadvertently moved his hand and knocked his coffee into the truck depot president's lap!
Your comments are right on point. I am an old school MT that trained by doing all the tests manually. Now the training of new students is "Feed the Machine" with no knowledge or very little of the science or chemistry behind the testing. It is amazing what a good tech could see on a blood smear slide right away. For example, one could tell if the istruments were off on their counts for one thing. Now it is all auto diffs. It is really hard to find lab personell that have the knowledge that old school techs have. So much knowledge is being lost.
BTW, I still do written notes every day and keep a dailly log. I find it much easier to remember things if I write them down and rather look at my notebook than make notes on the computer. My co-worker (also old school tech) does the same. It is so true about writing it down and I still use a fountain pen - love the feel of a fountain pen on paper.
Also I want to know what the practical advantage of these rigid protocols is. My partner has had, unfortunately, 2 DVTs and gone to the same hospital for treatment. Each time they've begun dosing the heparin and checking his clotting, but after the first time, would it not have made sense to START at the dose that was appropriate LAST time, rather beginning all over again??
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Automation in the aviation industry has also led to a steep decline in pilot ability to actually fly the aircraft when called upon to fly.
This is a really good point. Can you provide a good source for that claim so I can include it?
I am a Line Check Pilot on the B767 for a major airline. Been flying since 1985 so have seen massive changes during my flying career.
https://flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IASS_2019_Behrend_Lafargue.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTpqhgeocbI
Children of the Magenta line
I am an OBGYN who has practiced for almost 31 years which includes my residency training in both General Surgery and OBGYN. In my earlier years most Gynecologic surgery was done through huge incisions which resulted in hospitalization and long recoveries as well as abdominal adhesions. Hysterectomies were the most common reason for small bowel obstructions due to adhesions forming at the vaginal cuff. I initially didn’t express any interest in Robotic hysterectomies due to the inability to feel the tissue and instruments. But I eventually got over that and have been performing most of my surgeries robotically for over 13 years now. I can assure you the patients do remarkably better as they go home the same day, recover much quicker and use less opiates for post op pain management. I also cannot recall the last patient in my practice who has required surgery for adhesions due to robotic surgery or had an abdominal hernia from the smaller wounds required. The problem with the current graduates that only train on minimally invasive equipment is their training in open cases is extremely minimal. Thus they cannot handle complications during the procedures should they have to convert to a laparotomy. Just my two cents.
100% Agree Dr.Biss , I too am an ob/ gyn, similar years experience.
To both of you ob/gyn Drs, I believe your prior experience helped you as you transitioned to robotics! The current graduates do need both types of training to really know what they are doing. I agree.
OR was my first job and I loved it. Orthopedic surgery in the late 60s, oh yes the blood loss. I well remember the one surgeon’s work. Good but oh my! Hips were the worst. I think all that has improved. I hope so!!!!
Thank you AMD again.
Kimberly, this has nothing to do with your comment but curious as you’re an OBGYN. I have recently learned about DMSO and want to start taking some orally. I would like to start trying for a second child in spring. Do you have any research or anything you’ve seen about taking DMSO prior to pregnancy or while pregnant. TIA
Midwestern Doctor is 100% spot on. This article specifically hits me hard because I was an orthopedic and podiatry implant surgical/clinical sales rep that worked in the OR, surgery centers, VA hospitals and physician clinics for 20 years. I worked with "old school" surgeons that were on top of their games and often hated to see new tech - especially robots. These docs were my best friends because they knew if JC was in the case, the following morning, that all implants and instruments were ready to go. I often had my docs tell me that they always slept better knowing I was working with them because I was always on top of my game. Case times were fast, blood loss at a minimum and almost always good outcomes. I saw these veterans slowly get pushed out of their surgical suites and practices.
I also worked with surgeons that were INCOMPETENT to say the least...I often saw procedures being done just for profit and if a surgeon did not follow the FDA approved technique, I had to say, "Hey doc, that's an off label use and I'm required to notify you now and have it logged in the patient's chart." This was to protect me as a manufacturerer's rep. if a lawsuit ever came to fruition which happened a many times.
Most medical salespeople are very intelligent and are vigourously screened during the hiring process. Unfortunately, the surgeon is really the only advocate for the reps and their products they want to use in their surgical practice. The hospital administration and materials managers, quite frankly, could care less about anything except cost, price and profit. Salesreps are treated very poorly like 2nd class citizens while the hospital waits to pay their submitted bills for services rendered until we had to send the hospital to collections just to get paid for implants already provided.
The big corporate reps just buy contracts and pay off in competent surgeons to use their products and tech gadgets. With that, I saw many of the surgical procedures have declining good outcomes. I was the rep that supported the "old school" surgeons who were called in to fix the mess just like Midwestern Doctor. I worked one day a week in the OR just to supply revision implants and help fix or revise bad cases of their collegues in the same practice. Always get a 2nd or 3rd opinion people.
C19 ended my career because I refused to take the cancer causing clot shot designed specifically to( .... )but, I digress. Sad part, the only people that cared were my "old school" surgcial docs.
I'm currently a full time stay at home dad and it's the best career I've ever had! God Bless.
It's really interesting to hear about this from a sales rep's perspective.
I have a small book about DMSO. I think your article is amazing - and I applaud everything you have written here. I wish everyone would learn from this common sense. There are so many people around me who have had multiple back and spine injuries. It usually starts with a small cut to fix one disk... a year or two later, the next disk - and it moved right up the spine until they are walking bent over and still in pain. Is that normal? This seems to be how it goes.
I have a friend who is in his 40's who broke his heal a year ago. He had to wait for Worker's Comp to fix it and they were so late that it fixed itself incorrectly. So, a few months later, a prominent surgeon here fixed it again and put in 3 screws. That was months ago. Now this patient has sepsis, a huge red ball on his foot and they are fighting it in hospital (he's been there almost 3 weeks and they can't find the source of infection. Not only that, he now had meningitis - had severe pain in his head and spine - so they put him on another med. Then they found an infection in his upper spine and operated (to dig the infection out - from C1 to T something) and now he has a huge scar there that needs to heal. In the meantime, still in hospital and needs some type of another scan to see if his brain has any problems... It's a fiasco. He's been in hospital 2+ weeks and more... lost over 20 lbs b/c he doesn't feel like eating, etc.
Update:
His parents took him out of hospital, he has fallen a few times and is in severe pain, depression, etc. and on a lot of 25+ different meds. His mom and dad are taking care of him - with nursing care a few times a week. He needs care 24-7. I want to tell them about DMSO, but I wouldn't be able to explain it correctly - nor how to use it for his problem - or if it would or could be used for his problem.
Thank you for caring about people and doing the real thing, not the popular thing.
PLEASE TELL THESE PEOPLE ABOUT dmso WHETHER YOU ARE GOOD AT IT OR NOT. It may give them hope and desire to check it out. God help you to bless them.
That is so tragic. I’m sure DMSO would help.
As a surgeon and an ordained pastor and a fully awake person I do agree with much of what you shared. However, in my practice I can use the robot as exquisitely as with open surgery through the Spirit. God’s presence is what makes the difference, not a surgeons “skill”. He is the great physician and healer.
I really like your comment. It seems still that to have skill with robotics, and to understand the tissues, you first have to have felt them with your hands.
The surgeons skill is a talent granted by God. Maybe you are a superior person but for a normal people like me a skilled surgeon is a God send.
I read the advantage of robotics is it can be done over distances where a specialized surgeon is unavailable.
I worry that as a MWD pointed out, what happens when a complication comes up and the specialist doctor is not there to figure out a solution.
My husband had an appendectomy 24 years ago and the surgeon punctured his bowel. After a week of intense pain where the doctor pretty much called my husband a wimp, we went to the emergency room where a CT scan found a dime size hole in his bowel. The doctor performed a bowel resection which has left him with life long intestinal problems as well as two adhesion surgeries done by another surgeon. The anger he feels toward this surgeon who flippantly said "I fixed the problem didn't I?" is still there. This surgeon we later found out had performed many botched surgeries and the pharmacists have dubbed him Dr. Infection yet he still practices.
That’s not acceptable!
Please look up Dr. Darrell Wolfe. I believe he will help your husband.
Sometimes we forget that a for-profit medical system is, by design, never going to prioritize patient care. It can’t. Its purpose is to make money, above everything else. We need to change our entire system from for-profit to something else. Not-for-profit, maybe.
How about pay-for-result?
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I was impressed by your perspective on diminishing the natural invasiveness of surgery by using old Chinese butcher metaphors. Being a retired academic pediatric surgeon and actual Chinese style acupuncturist, I noticed how my mind and intention was more important than just the physical trauma of the incision. In my practice I observed how intention and correct selection, and indications for procedures improved the healing process. After being considered a poor dexterity practitioner by doing less and using the right time, procedure and intention I was able to become one of the most successful surgeon in my hospital. I have written in 5 published books some of my ideas about how spirituality and lifestyle influences the healing process of the patient-therapist relationship. At 80 years my rhythm is starting to slow down and my economic status is hampering the publishing process of my next book, Healing the Cancer In Our Genes, an Epigenetic approach to disease. This is my page www.ivanfigueroaoteromd.com ifiguero@prtc.net 787-399-2041 Ivan
Great article AMD. I appreciate the need for 'connection' to the work at hand, and it is very true, that in order to be skilled, one must first have understanding. Critical thinking is no longer taught to young doctors apparently either. Most I have met in the last ten years are simply indoctrinated, and lack the essential ingredient to be a truly effective doctor. I have had the most rewarding experiences imaginable with several surgeons...I guess you could say that I love them for all they have done for me...extraordinary people with exceptional skills, and a dedication to excellence. I am grateful to those surgeons who have been faithful...and with thanks, use my hands for good...always.
I was just commenting on Dr. Paul Alexander’s Stack that one of the things we are losing, in this push for more technology, is the ability to do something just by “feel”. Our God given sense of learning that comes from our head, down through our heart, & out through our hands. Or through our hands, up through our heart, & into our head (or mind’s eye). Humans learn both ways, but the personal tactile connection is a “knowing” that anything “virtual” cannot & does not offer. Hands on training & practice gives the surgeon that empathetic connection to the patient & is a constant reminder that this is another human being who is trusting in me. How do we find surgeons that are awakened, not woke? How do we search for & interview potential surgeons? Ones that have discernment & who aren’t following the narrative of “vaccines” for every “scamdemic” the scare mongers try to push? I have a prolapsed bladder & would like to get help for this, but am terrified & unable to trust a surgeon to fix this. I have seen on YT video documentaries that the DeVinci Device that is commonly used often results in complications or injuries not foreseen. Many say to find a doc who hand stitches the bladder back in place vs. one that uses this device. I’d also like to find a doctor who isn’t vaccinated with this mRNA LNP crap. Would be nice to have a website to search for these doctors who’re unjabbed, therefore, prove their ability to have their own discernment & who I’d be more likely to trust. I also have concerns about shedding. Are their any doctors here that know of a great, urogynocologist, in the Central Texas area, that fits this bill? I’d really appreciate some guidance.
In addition, the best thing I’ve found for spine pain from herniated discs, or degenerative disc disease(DDD), & related spine disorders is ELDOA’s. Google for full meaning of acronym. It’s long. It’s a type of active stretching to train the muscles to hold decompression gained. There is a specific position or exercise for each level of the spine. You learn these positions & do them daily. Approximately 1 min. per position or exercise. Lumbar problems take longer for results than cervical due to weight bearing status. I have both. The cervical corrected itself in a few months. The lumbar took around 9 months to finally get pain relief & longterm results. I can always (and do) go back to these decompression exercises (ELDOA’s) whenever the pain starts to return. I do them a few times, & the pain goes away again. My body remembers the decompression space it achieved, & quickly returns to that when I do the exercises again. So I always have this to turn to. It’s a game changer & that’s no lie. ELDOA’s are the way to go for most spine issues. Mark Albrecht of BalancedBodiesAustin.com is a leading expert on this. I have avoided 3 fusions with these exercises. Thanks for sharing this great article. I wish there were more docs like yourself.
Great points. I also do a lot of the writing here by feel.
You’re absolutely right, the COVID-19 response exposed serious issues within the healthcare system, leading to a significant erosion of public trust in physicians and hospitals. The JAMA study you referenced highlights a major shift in how Americans view the medical profession. A drop in trust from 71.5% to just 40.1% is a concerning trend, and it underscores the need for reform in how healthcare is delivered.
Many people have felt disconnected from their healthcare providers during the pandemic, with some encountering a heavy reliance on technology and bureaucracy, while others faced restrictions on in-person visits or encountered inconsistent information. The shift toward more impersonal, technology-driven medicine — as seen in telemedicine or the overwhelming use of medical technologies — has contributed to a sense of alienation, especially for those who valued the personal relationships and trust they once had with their physicians.
Excellent article. As a RN with 32 years of acute care experience, the last 7 years of which I worked in surgery (OR and PACU), I agree with everything you wrote. I no longer trust most physicians (or nurses) or hospitals and I do everything I can to avoid the mainstream healthcare system. Your articles have been exceptional and I appreciate you taking the time to write them. Thank you very much!
Sad when we have to say that about a profession we gave the best years of our life to doing! We have to see our PCP but I have a better eye on things now. I will have to admit my husband’s specialists are awesome. 🤔
The deeper I dive into the subject of our “healthcare system” the less I feel valued as a human being. The ‘for profit model’ has turned us all into commodities to be tortured while being gaslit, for the benefit of corporations and their stockholders. I am grateful to the Midwestern Doctor for providing people this enormously valuable resource. Please, make his work known to family, friends and colleagues. God bless.
I just think of it as being like an assembly line