Health

What a Long Strange Trip it Has Been…and Will Continue to Be

The ebb and flow of life is never more apparent than when we view it through the lens of health. A brilliant person once provided this pearl of wisdom, “A man who has his health has thousands of dreams, but a man with health challenges has but one dream.” Health has many definitions and aspects and is thus a very nuanced conversation. This individualized discussion provides the basis for the current healthcare revolution where each client is treated as a distinct entity with a precision medicine focus. This provided the impetus for me to pivot from insurance based population medicine to client driven medicine centered upon health optimization and transformation. 

My name is Dr. Michael Meighen and I am the Live Limitless MD. I am a musculoskeletal expert board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine. The early parts of my career were focused on non-operative orthopedic and sports medicine treatments with a goal of returning the client to full function. Coming out of my fellowship at the University of Florida, I was naive and felt as though I was going to fix the world with steroid containing interventional procedures and physical therapy. The reality of the situation however was that only 10-20% of my clients were responding well to this form of treatment. I slowly realized (stubborn I guess) that this approach was inadequate at best and a failure at worst. My epiphany came when I attended a meeting put on by the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine (AAOM). This information totally changed the direction and trajectory of my career.

I was introduced to a whole group of innovative and forward thinking physicians from all specialties focused on cutting edge treatments with a goal of resolving instead of maintaining disease. The initial process I learned and implemented was regenerative interventional orthopedics in the form of prolotherapy. This involves injecting dextrose (the sugar in IV fluids) into targeted tissues including joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, and discs with imaging including fluoroscopy (X-Ray) and ultrasound. The goal was to increase acute inflammation thus encouraging healing of the tissues. This was out of the box thinking and totally counter to anything I had learned in medical school, residency, or fellowship. A light bulb went off in my head as the focus of this treatment was on recovery and restoration as opposed to management. This opened up other avenues for knowledge gains and health optimization including platelet rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells for orthopedic, aesthetic, and sexual health disorders, bioidentical hormone replacement, peptides, epigenetics, data acquisition, and foundational principles like sleep enhancement and stress management. 

The greatest impact of this knowledge however came in the realization that I needed to live my message and incorporate these tenets of health into my lifestyle. While I had some positive habits including regular exercise and a healthy diet (in retrospect, totally false), I was metabolically ill with poor cell health. Truth be told, I was unhealthy and dealing with significant challenges including weight gain, muscle loss and body composition changes, lower extremity swelling, sexual dysfunction, eczema, brain fog, irritability and impatience, burnout and overwhelming stress, joint pain, lack of focus and confidence, and low self esteem/confidence. These are issues that are common in men starting their 30’s and may last a lifetime unless they are addressed. I then had an evaluation with a health optimization and precision medicine physician which included blood work, a DEXA scan, and a comprehensive history and physical exam. In summary, I had low testosterone, thyroid dysfunction, low Vitamin D, low DHEA, and a body fat percentage of 21%. Fast forward seven years, my hormones, vitamins, and micronutrients are optimized. My body fat percentage is down to 12% with an increase in muscle mass. My sleep, nutrition, and stress levels are much better. My mood has improved and I am less labile and more even keel. I have been treated with PRP for my right knee, right shoulder, hair, and penis (P Shot) with noted improvement. I am still a work in progress and continually working on evolution and transformation, but I am light years ahead from where I started. I call this going from ground zero (your starting point) to super hero (functional vitality) 

At this stage in my life, I am totally focused on the goal of helping as many men and women as possible to live the life that they want in a fully optimized fashion. Studies show that 88% of the US population is metabolically unhealthy (Araujo, Cai, and Stevens. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. Feb 2019. 46-52) which has significant ramifications for healthspan and longevity. The treatment interventions are multifaceted including sleep optimization, stress reduction, exercise, nutrition, fasting and intermittent fasting, sunlight, sense of purpose, interactive community, supplementation, hormones, peptides, medications, regenerative orthobiologics, IV’s, sauna, cold therapy, red light therapy, meditation, etc. The important take home message of treatment is the fact that it is a marathon as opposed to a sprint. The body and the mind is constantly in flux and ever changing so constant evaluation and intervention will be in order. While treating with testosterone will have some benefit for most men, combination and comprehensive intervention will always trump a single therapy option. 

If you wish to learn more about my philosophy and approach, then please read my #1 best-selling Amazon book called A New You; Using the Body's Regenerative and Restorative Powers to Optimize Orthopedic, Hormonal, and Sexual Health Function. I also authored a chapter entitled Pain Resolution, Body Rejuvenation in the book Codes of Longevity also available on Amazon. 

I will be writing a regular blog for Blokes on all things men’s health on various topics including bio-identical hormone replacement, peptide therapies, supplementation, erectile dysfunction/interventions , hair loss/treatment, exercise/resistance training, sleep strategies, stress reduction, biohacking, etc. I look forward to this role in helping to guide and educate men as well as their partners on all things precision medicine, longevity, health optimization, and maximizing function. I will sift through the literature to provide pearls of wisdom to easily implement and provide a blueprint for continued evolution. 

Dr. Michael J. Meighen, MD/PhD

The Live Limitless MD 

My name is Dr. Michael Meighen and I am a musculoskeletal expert and health optimization specialist focused on total transformation of my clients. I am the author of the #1 best-selling Amazon book called A New You; Using the Body's Regenerative and Restorative Powers to Optimize Orthopedic, Hormonal, and Sexual Health Function. 

I hold board certifications in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine and have over 20 years of experience. My treatment plans primarily concentrate on conservative and non-operative measures to help the individual improve their function, pain control, mobility, and longevity. I use evidence-based interventions to restore, regenerate, and rejuvenate the client allowing them to live a truly limitless life. I employ proactive approaches including fitness and strength training, mind-body techniques, hormone optimization, regenerative interventional orthopedic medicine, peptides, epigenetic testing, sexual health interventions, and aesthetic procedures to maximize health span and vitality. I am confident that the client will progress and evolve if they are accountable and embrace the process. It is my professional opinion that the client must become comfortable with being uncomfortable and be willing to push the limits of precision medicine to become a super being. 

Doctor Michael J. Meighen MD website. Email is drmike@livelimitlessmd.com.

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