if you go back to the video on potassium, I share the functional ranges to be aiming for in potassium, sodium, and chloride on the slide itself.

In Dubai, I can recommend Dr. Alessandro at DISC in JLT. He’s great.

Hey ,

I was just curious how things are right now. Did you made any progress with the numbing feelings & your spasm?

I would love to hear about your developments!

 I’m so glad you’re finding answers and also finding some relief!! That’s always great to hear.

I can share my personal experience with my neck instability and bulging disc. It got to a point where surgery was offered as well but they couldn’t guarantee that it would provide stability since almost every cervical spine in my neck was affected. The cause of my issues started as a teen when I was in a bad car accident and experienced major whiplash. Over the years, the ligaments surrounding my cervical spine became very lax which created that instability and allowed for bulging discs and extreme/debilitating pain at times where I literally could not move or walk – it became frightening.

The only treatments that helped during acute episodes were chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture. But these sessions starting becoming way too frequent (and expensive) and I needed to find a more permanent solution.

That’s when prolotherapy entered my life and made all the difference. I shared my experience with prolotherapy on Instagram here, and here in my stories if you’d like to see how the procedure is conducted.

By injecting a sugar solution into ligaments, tendons, joints, muscles, etc, it creates irritation in that area to promote natural healing. For me, it helped strengthen the ligaments around my cervical spine, and after 3 sessions (once per month for 3 months), I was a new person. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it actually worked!! I’m still pain free!

Now I don’t want to give you false hope because we’re all so unique, but if your disc bulges are also due to instability in ligaments surrounding that area, prolotherapy might be an option for you too. Definitely worth having a consult with the doctor to see if you’re a candidate. (Dr. Suaad Trebinjac consults at HMS Al Garhoud Private Hospital on Sundays only – rest of the time he’s in Al Ain) The best part is that it was all covered by insurance too!

Now from a root cause perspective, here is a list of risk factors that can lead to a herniated disc:
• Weight. Excess body weight causes extra stress on the disks in the lower back.
• Occupation. Repetitive lifting, pulling, pushing, bending sideways and twisting also can increase the risk of a herniated disk.
• Genetics. Some people inherit a predisposition to developing a herniated disk.
• Smoking. It’s thought that smoking lessens the oxygen supply to disks, causing them to break down more quickly.
• Frequent driving. Being seated for long periods combined with the vibration from the motor vehicle engine can put pressure on the spine.
• Being sedentary. Regular exercise can help prevent a herniated disk.

If any of the above apply to your situation, working to remove these risk factors will also likely help.

 Physio and osteopathy are actually complimentary so they can be helpful during and after prolotherapy, so I wouldn’t delay if you’re feeling inclined to schedule a consultation. But Dr. Suaad would also be in a better position to advise you on these treatment options and the timing of them all.

I did an upright MRI at American Upright – and that’s a whole story on its own. Trying to find a doctor to order an upright MRI through insurance was difficult because unfortunately traditional MRIs pay higher commissions to referring physicians. It’s unfortunate, but money and politics are also involved in healthcare. It’s sad. But I did find an amazing orthopedic surgeon who gladly gave me a requisition (Dr. Stefan Ortner – orthopedic surgeon at Health Bay Polyclinic).