"A Return to Healing" Blog: Tue, 02/09/2010 - 16:21 — BBelitsos
America’s epidemic of Type 2 diabetes has become a national emergency. In fact, we are currently fighting a losing war against this disease, which now affects almost 25 percent of all Americans in its earliest form, known as metabolic syndrome. But now there is hope—not only for containing the disease with new drugs—but for (1) prevention, (2) amelioration of the its symptoms and manifestations, and (3) even for curing this scourge entirely.
My writing partner Len Saputo, MD, founder of the Health Medicine movement and the Health Medicine Center in Walnut Creek, CA, is optimistic about managing the epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Dr. Saputo has pioneered a blend of mainstream and alternative approaches centered around teaching healthy lifestyle strategies, developing a community support system to deliver them, and bringing forth a new revolutionary cutting edge technology that can reverse the symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. (The full story is in our book A Return to Healing: Radical Health Care Reform and the Future of Medicine)
“Excellent data now exists that proves that Type 2 diabetes is caused primarily by poor lifestyle habits,” says Dr. Saputo. “But until the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome is made, our American way of life offers almost nothing to proactively reverse its risk factors; the vast majority of research dollars now goes to developing drugs to treat the disease only after it has already affected us. We are changing that.”
“What is needed,” says Dr. Saputo, “is a widespread prevention program that teaches about a healthy diet, exercise, stress reduction, adequate sleep, and realistic weight management—in other words, an urgent application of preventive medicine and clinical nutrition. We have perfected such programs at our clinic. And, we have even expanded our lifestyle modification approach into our larger community, with a successful program called the Wellness City Challenge. This program is catalyzing a lifestyle revolution in our area, which embraces all 19 cities in Contra Costa County in northern California.”
DIABETES PAIN MANAGEMENT BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. Saputo is also one of America’s pioneering physicians using near-infrared light therapy for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy—blending it when needed with varying combinations of adjunctive disciplines such as physical therapy, many styles of bodywork, clinical nutrition, chiropractic, guided imagery, acupuncture, psychology, and applied kinesiology in conjunction with the light therapy. Since he started this work in 1999, he has treated hundreds of patients, with the vast majority experiencing a dramatic remission of pain, increased sensation, and improved balance.
In 2004, the inventor of this technology along Dr. Saputo and others, self-funded a highly successful clinical trial on 120 patients suffering from advanced painful diabetic neuropathy, a debilitating and painful condition. FDA approval for the near-infrared light therapy technology is expected soon. And in the meantime, Dr. Saputo is carrying on with his heroic effort of fighting, for the first time, a winning war against metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.
