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  If you’ve ever been told you have “tight muscles” or “knots,” you may have heard that dry needling can help relieve them. But what is actually happening inside the muscle when a needle is inserted? Understanding the science behind dry needling can help explain why it’s such a useful tool for treating musculoskeletal pain. First, it helps to understand what a trigger point is. Trigger points are small, hyper-irritable spots within muscle tissue that can form when muscle fibers stay contracted for too long. This can happen from

As men age, one of the common conditions that starts to appear is poor erections. It is estimated that about 30 million men in the US have some form of erectile dysfunction (ED), with about 25% of those starting around the age of 40.  ED can be the result of numerous underlying conditions, which can be grouped into 4 main categories:  Cardiometabolic = the most common, which can create blood flow issues (vascular disease)*  Neurological = usually due to nerve issues from the back or around the prostate. Back

Iron deficiency anemia remains a common worldwide disease despite being easy to diagnose, and easy to treat in most individuals. In many places this is due to limited access to food, but even in the United States where food is considered abundant, an estimated 10 million people have a diagnosis of iron deficiency. The real number is likely much higher when you consider how many adults and children do not get properly, or routinely screened. Why does low iron matter, and how much do you really need? Without iron,

If you recently looked into Vitamin IV therapies or spent time in a functional medicine clinic, you likely came across NAD+ services for energy, longevity and more. If you haven’t given it a try yet, it’s probably time. There’s a reason it’s gaining so much popularity: NAD+ may be small, but its effects are mighty! Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (see why we call it NAD+?) is a type of coenzyme, a powerful little molecule that helps out with the key chemical reactions that make up your metabolism. Want to build

Most of us associate “pain injections” with cortisone (steroid) shots or nerve blocks, common interventions that often work very well for acute pain. These allow physicians to quickly get painful swelling under control, and in some cases better confirm the source and location of the pain. But what happens when the injection fails, or the effect wears off? This is where alternative injections therapies shine, in the management of recurring and chronic pain syndromes.  As mentioned above, sometimes the steroid injections and nerve blocks fail. Even when they succeed,

In modern culture, we are sadly all too familiar with chronic stress and the insidious symptoms of high cortisol: abdominal weight gain, insomnia, mood swings, headaches, high blood pressure and increased appetite. Stress was already a way of life long before the COVID-19 pandemic came along, completely flipping daily living upside down. According to the American Psychological Association, 78% of adults reported a significant increase in their stress levels 2020 onward. When you consider how chronic stress destroys a body, this number is even more frightening.  Identifying and treating

In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in radio ads and articles promoting men’s treatment for “low T.” There is an increased awareness and understanding of just how important optimal testosterone levels are for health and longevity. Women, too, suffer when their testosterone levels are low and can also benefit from treatment. It’s no secret that men’s testosterone levels have been in a slow and steady decline for decades now. Why is this happening? The truth is, we don’t know. It may be due to a combination

According to the National Institutes of Health, roughly 5% of Americans have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and many more remain undiagnosed. Of the millions of people with hypothyroidism, the majority have a much more important diagnosis of autoimmune disease: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s is the leading cause of low thyroid in this country, and although we think of it as a “thyroid” disease, it’s more accurate to call it an immune system disease. When you have an autoimmune disease, your white blood cells create antibodies that target your own tissues

Everyone knows about diabetes, but what about the insulin resistance that comes first? Identifying and treating high insulin early is the key to preventing pre-diabetes and diabetes. Many more conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and heart disease, are easier to manage when insulin is addressed from the start. Long before that rising insulin manifests into a “disease,” it can cause a whole host of unpleasant symptoms such as sugar cravings, fatigue, and easy weight gain. The good news? Insulin resistance responds well to diet changes and natural