Often, just a small change can have a large and lasting impact. Watch (or read) how activating a little-used muscle group can impact more than just Low Back Pain. Transcription: Hi, I’m Dr. Cathy Kim, and I’m a Body Function Specialist. In my Functional Medicine practice, I help you understand how chronic inflammation and structural …
When working in underserved communities, I encounter many patients who are interested in naturally supporting their immune system as they recover from viral illnesses. Aware of their limited finances, I’ve distilled Functional Medicine anti-inflammatory principles into a budget-friendly list of recommendations to accelerate their healing. Since inflammation correlates with severity of COVID-19, I offer this …
Anti-inflammatory Essentials in the time of COVID-19 Read More »
I was recently interviewed by Dr. Kevin Pho on his podcast, ThePodcast by KevinMD.com, based on my Chest Pain blog article. Watch (or read) as I describe my unexpected evolution from practicing conventional family medicine to pioneering a functional medicine style based on body mechanics and nutrition. Transcription: Kevin: Hi and welcome to the show, where …
Our muscles and fascia are so adaptable that they function like a close knit team, working together to compensate for each region depending on the movement — reaching, bending and twisting, etc. Foam rolling applies localized pressure to break down the densest areas of our soft tissue and restore lost flexibility. As a Functional Medicine …
With less diversity of movement such as squatting or climbing, our modern lifestyle is resulting in loss of flexibility of our muscles and fascia, especially in our legs. These front leg muscles attach to the pelvis, and directly influence the tilt of the pelvis day to day. At a deeper layer, our hip flexors, shorten …
Thigh Muscles: The Case for Foam Rolling | Ep. 4 Read More »
As a Body Function Specialist, I employ Functional Medicine principles to both internal and external body mechanisms, in order to reduce inflammation and inflexibility. Over time, I noticed that all of my patients had varying degrees of Genu Recurvatum (knee hyperextension), otherwise known as “locking the knees.” Paradoxically, although their knees (and often other joints) …
Patients often seek out my practice as a Body Function Specialist, because they want a Functional Medicine approach to help solve their persistent pain whether it’s in the back, hips, knees, feet, etc. Many people already perform “core strengthening” exercises as taught by their trainers or physical therapists. Unfortunately, contracting the abdominal wall muscles as …
In Functional Medicine, we reduce reliance on medications by improving the gut microbiome, the key to healthy immunity. Through diet and lifestyle changes, we can improve many conditions which share the same root cause. Having healthy gut bacteria helps our immune system adapt to the daily challenges of inflammation. It turns out that the pelvis …
Primary Care in Fascia Series ~”Diarrhea/Nausea/Vomiting” was the Chief Complaint for 32 year-old CB, my first patient of the day in Urgent Care. He was not dehydrated by his vital signs, and I expected to diagnose gastroenteritis, the “stomach flu,” as I entered the room — but the full story was that he had awoken …
Image Credit: Beth Scupham Fascia in Primary Care Series ~TS was a bright, unassuming patient in her mid-twenties who was unable to open her jaw after accidentally hitting her chin on a counter. The trauma had been forceful enough to cause bruising around her temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located in front of the ear. She had …
TMJ Pain & Plantar Fasciitis: How They May Share the Same Root Cause Read More »