A Gift I Didn't Know I Would Get with Rejuvenation Medicine
by Dr. Bartley Kerr, NRC Founder and CEO
by Dr. Bartley Kerr, NRC Founder and CEO
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When I started the concept of Rejuvenation Medicine, I wanted people to look better, feel better and be more healthy. Over the years, I have personally learned that it can do much more! Let me explain.
If you look at the two pictures of myself that I put up, there is a thirty year progression - the pic on the left is when I was in my late twenties (yes, I actually rode that horse with an old Gold's gym tank top and obligatory fanny pack)! “Cringe” as my kids would say! The photo on the right is me working out in my garage at my current age of 57. I'm sure you noticed that I am lighter, in fact thirty pounds lighter... but still training and staying strong. So what's the point?
Injury! As I frequently tell patients, for the most part, unhealthy people often get sick, and healthy people often get injured. I am in the later group. A long history of contact sports and general clumsiness has led to a left torn quadriceps, left torn hamstring, broken jaw, broken thumb, right torn off biceps, a partial tear on the left biceps, a right rotator cuff tear and numerous low back surgeries and procedures. Well, the back stuff “got” me...bad!
In 2017 I was just walking in my house from one room to another, and out of the blue, heard a “pop” in my low back while at the same time got a terrible sharp pain in my left hamstring. As a seasoned veteran of hamstring tears, the pain was exactly like I had before. The next day, the hamstring pain was gone, but settled in my calf and foot – bad! MRI time – it's not the hamstring - it's the spine!
Well, I have seen many spine MRI's in my day, but mine was pretty ugly! I extruded (blew up) my 2 lowest disks, and have what is called "modic changes" throughout the spine. Because of this, we got a neck MRI and thoracic MRI to see how those disks were affected. Well, herniations and extrusions at every level in the mid back and the neck MRI only had two areas that looked somewhat okay. In the immortal words of the villain “Vector” from the “Despicable Me” movie: “Oh, Poop!”
Modic changes can cause extreme back pain and cause herniations within vertebrae and blow up disks. The vertebrae can get infiltrated with blood and fatty deposits that can cause structure problems. To add to this, my spinal genetics aren't the best as my grandfather died young of a spinal condition and my dad had one of the ugliest x-rays I have ever seen!
Okay, okay! Let's stop the pity party here, as I am in good company! I would say that many of my patients have as bad or worse injuries and conditions than I do! Active people often get injured. Everybody gets “something!” We are in this together, kids!
So, what now? Well, after all the surgeries, nerve damage and atrophy of certain muscles, sitting, walking and doing normal things became very difficult. The pain was at a different level! It was a depressing and scary time. The surgeons said there was nothing else that they can do and the neurologists wanted to do some pretty barbaric things to me. The eventual advice was just to “live with it,” the medical term that means “I don't want to help you any more!” At that point I understood that I was probably the only person who had the ability and desire to help a patient like me. I realized that if this is going to happen to someone, it should be me. I'm the guy who can figure out not only how to live with this thing, but to thrive!
“I will figure out how to train for this condition! I will figure out a nutrition protocol to lose unneeded weight, hold muscle and decrease inflammation! I will put together an arsenal of strategies and supplements in addition to hormone optimization to make my joints move easier, keep valuable muscle and keep the inflammation down!” I wanted back in the game!
After I was cleared to work out after the last surgery, I was in pretty bad shape. The leg was still messed up, and the back felt like Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa from the late 90's were doing batting practice on it! It was time to go to the garage and start again. Crawl, walk, run. That's the game plan. In the immortal words of “Rocky,” “It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward!” Awesome stuff!
So, the first month back, I spent some embarrassing time with the little pink, yellow and blue dumbbells that look like paperweights. My routine centered around leg strength, postural muscles and some strength moves. I didn't have much, but I had that “spark.” You probably have experienced this as well – you are totally in it and motivated. Round one in a “Rocky” fight and you are going the distance (and if you concentrate closely, can hear the motivational music in your head).
I had a lousy spine, but desire and a game plan. I became stronger and leaner month after month. I added balance, stretching and neural flossing protocols. Game on! I know I can't fix my spine, but I can optimize the tissue around it!
Today, I am able to do a lot of things I could not do because of my commitment to Rejuvenation Medicine protocols. I can sit for much longer periods, walk longer distances, and do just about anything around the house that my wife tells me to do, except for bending! I still have pain, but “controlled” pain.
Okay, so what's the point of all of this. Besides my initial desire to help people look better, feel better and be healthier, there is another caveat to Rejuvenation Medicine. It allows severely injured people like me to live, move, exercise and thrive! Without Rejuvenation Medicine, I would not be able to take advantage of all the great things life has to offer. Rejuvenation Medicine saved me... and I am still moving forward!
If you look at the two pictures of myself that I put up, there is a thirty year progression - the pic on the left is when I was in my late twenties (yes, I actually rode that horse with an old Gold's gym tank top and obligatory fanny pack)! “Cringe” as my kids would say! The photo on the right is me working out in my garage at my current age of 57. I'm sure you noticed that I am lighter, in fact thirty pounds lighter... but still training and staying strong. So what's the point?
Injury! As I frequently tell patients, for the most part, unhealthy people often get sick, and healthy people often get injured. I am in the later group. A long history of contact sports and general clumsiness has led to a left torn quadriceps, left torn hamstring, broken jaw, broken thumb, right torn off biceps, a partial tear on the left biceps, a right rotator cuff tear and numerous low back surgeries and procedures. Well, the back stuff “got” me...bad!
In 2017 I was just walking in my house from one room to another, and out of the blue, heard a “pop” in my low back while at the same time got a terrible sharp pain in my left hamstring. As a seasoned veteran of hamstring tears, the pain was exactly like I had before. The next day, the hamstring pain was gone, but settled in my calf and foot – bad! MRI time – it's not the hamstring - it's the spine!
Well, I have seen many spine MRI's in my day, but mine was pretty ugly! I extruded (blew up) my 2 lowest disks, and have what is called "modic changes" throughout the spine. Because of this, we got a neck MRI and thoracic MRI to see how those disks were affected. Well, herniations and extrusions at every level in the mid back and the neck MRI only had two areas that looked somewhat okay. In the immortal words of the villain “Vector” from the “Despicable Me” movie: “Oh, Poop!”
Modic changes can cause extreme back pain and cause herniations within vertebrae and blow up disks. The vertebrae can get infiltrated with blood and fatty deposits that can cause structure problems. To add to this, my spinal genetics aren't the best as my grandfather died young of a spinal condition and my dad had one of the ugliest x-rays I have ever seen!
Okay, okay! Let's stop the pity party here, as I am in good company! I would say that many of my patients have as bad or worse injuries and conditions than I do! Active people often get injured. Everybody gets “something!” We are in this together, kids!
So, what now? Well, after all the surgeries, nerve damage and atrophy of certain muscles, sitting, walking and doing normal things became very difficult. The pain was at a different level! It was a depressing and scary time. The surgeons said there was nothing else that they can do and the neurologists wanted to do some pretty barbaric things to me. The eventual advice was just to “live with it,” the medical term that means “I don't want to help you any more!” At that point I understood that I was probably the only person who had the ability and desire to help a patient like me. I realized that if this is going to happen to someone, it should be me. I'm the guy who can figure out not only how to live with this thing, but to thrive!
“I will figure out how to train for this condition! I will figure out a nutrition protocol to lose unneeded weight, hold muscle and decrease inflammation! I will put together an arsenal of strategies and supplements in addition to hormone optimization to make my joints move easier, keep valuable muscle and keep the inflammation down!” I wanted back in the game!
After I was cleared to work out after the last surgery, I was in pretty bad shape. The leg was still messed up, and the back felt like Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa from the late 90's were doing batting practice on it! It was time to go to the garage and start again. Crawl, walk, run. That's the game plan. In the immortal words of “Rocky,” “It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward!” Awesome stuff!
So, the first month back, I spent some embarrassing time with the little pink, yellow and blue dumbbells that look like paperweights. My routine centered around leg strength, postural muscles and some strength moves. I didn't have much, but I had that “spark.” You probably have experienced this as well – you are totally in it and motivated. Round one in a “Rocky” fight and you are going the distance (and if you concentrate closely, can hear the motivational music in your head).
I had a lousy spine, but desire and a game plan. I became stronger and leaner month after month. I added balance, stretching and neural flossing protocols. Game on! I know I can't fix my spine, but I can optimize the tissue around it!
Today, I am able to do a lot of things I could not do because of my commitment to Rejuvenation Medicine protocols. I can sit for much longer periods, walk longer distances, and do just about anything around the house that my wife tells me to do, except for bending! I still have pain, but “controlled” pain.
Okay, so what's the point of all of this. Besides my initial desire to help people look better, feel better and be healthier, there is another caveat to Rejuvenation Medicine. It allows severely injured people like me to live, move, exercise and thrive! Without Rejuvenation Medicine, I would not be able to take advantage of all the great things life has to offer. Rejuvenation Medicine saved me... and I am still moving forward!