Let's talk about (what's wrong with) Western Medicine

Your body has an immense capacity to heal itself, but this is not the emphasis for the business of Western/Allopathic medicine.

Ever since the beginning of the antibiotic era of medicine, it seems the emphasis has been on treating with a pill that changes some kind of lab value, or affects cellular biology. As I mature in my professional experience, I have come to the conclusion that much of science and medicine still gets things wrong. I will often say that "Food is our first medicine".

I am a licensed physician in the US, and so I went through the typical medical school training, but here are a couple of example of where some of medical school education got it wrong: In school, it was common to refer to something like 95% of DNA as 'junk' DNA. As if the cells just kept old DNA that it didn't need or use. Not we are just starting to learn of the importance of epigenetics, the DNA that doesn't directly code for proteins, but is influenced by diet, sleep, stress, environment, etc. This 95% of DNA may be the 'Gatekeepers and regulators of gene expression' and a very important aspect of out health that we are just starting to appreciate.

Another example is the gut microbiome, that bacteria that reside in our intestines and can influence our immune system, mental and general health. In the past, we thought nothing of prescribing antibiotics even for mild viral infections like a cold. I mean, we knew we weren't suppose to because of the risk of encouraging resistant bacteria, but we didn't really concern ourselves with wiping out much of the healthy bacteria of the gut.

And nutrition? of there is so much bad information and recommendations. Just look at the general population of the US -take a walk around your local Walmart and see the people and check out what is in their shopping cart. This is a country that relies on high carbohydrate, highly processed and fast foods. This will be a lengthy topic for another blog post.

I am not an 'alternative care' provider, but I am offering a contrarian view on healing the body whether it is an injury, or just the ravages of aging.

In school, many years ago, there was no mention of the use of platelet rich plasma. Now, it is becoming accepted and used in many different specialties such as orthopedic surgery, dentistry, aesthetics, veterinary medicine, ophthalmology, etc.

Even though it is becoming more common, it is exciting to be on the pioneering, leading edge in offering PRP to my patients. I hope you read through the content here and learn about the many benefits of using your body's own innate healing systems.

-Dr. James Johnson, Medical Director