Root Cause Medicine

Reverse chronic disease. Your joints and bones will thank you.

Why It Matters

The majority of patients I see in my office have orthopedic complaints that are caused by, or made worse by, chronic diseases. Conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, essential hypertension (high blood pressure), insulin resistance, and various forms of cancer are strongly linked to our typical Western diet.

In my practice, I try to help patients address the underlying medical conditions that cause or worsen their pain. I do not manage diabetes or pain medications; instead, I help patients reverse the root causes that lead to their orthopedic problems.

Many treatments, such as medications for diabetes, aim to make the body more sensitive to insulin or to give the patient exogenous insulin (insulin not made in the body). This helps keep blood sugar under control, which is very important for many reasons, but it does not address the underlying problem, or the root cause of many orthopedic complaints: insulin resistance, or hyperinsulinemia.

Research has shown that elevated insulin levels stimulate inflammation in the joints. Giving someone more insulin, therefore, does not address the root problem. Of course, elevated blood sugar should be treated to reach normal levels, but treatment with medication alone does not reverse the disease process. The goal of treatment for someone with diabetes is for the body to need only low amounts of its own (endogenous) insulin. The way to achieve this is through a low-carbohydrate diet.

You may have heard of the Paleo, ketogenic, or even carnivore diet. All of them are variations of a low-carbohydrate diet, which limits the share of calories coming from carbohydrates. This places the emphasis on protein and high-quality fats as the primary sources of energy.

My Recommendations

In a nutshell, I make the following recommendations:

1. Eliminate sugar from the diet. This includes added sugars and processed foods that contain any variation of sugar, as well as fruit juices, sugary sodas, and sports drinks.
2. Eliminate carbohydrates such as cereals, white potatoes, pasta, bread, and crackers. This also means eliminating or drastically reducing other grains (corn, oats, etc.). In the end, they are all broken down into sugar in the body and stimulate an insulin response.
3. Eliminate industrial seed oils (the so-called “vegetable oils”) such as corn, soybean, sunflower, canola, safflower, and peanut oil. These highly processed oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which tend to be unstable and easily oxidized in the body. They have also been shown to induce type 1 diabetes and to be neurotoxic in rodents.
4. If inflammation in the joints or body persists, consider eliminating legumes and nightshades.
5. Eat foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed. Try to eat food that comes from a farm, not a factory.
6. Eat a diet high in eggs, grass-fed beef (including organ meats such as liver), and cold-water fatty fish such as wild-caught salmon.

If You Have Diabetes

If you are diabetic, check your blood sugar often, including 60 to 90 minutes after a meal. Ask your provider to prescribe a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). You will learn which foods tend to spike your blood sugar. Over time, you should notice a decreased need for medication and perhaps even improvement in your joint pain.