Texas Man Says I will Fly To LA or Florida, Just Treat My Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis

Dr. Lox does a lot of phone consultations, Skype, and emails to patients around the country and around the world, for a variety of joint pain, sports injuries, hip rheumatoid arthritis, and alternatives to surgery.

Knee surgery alternatives, with knee stem cell therapy is the most common, followed by the hip, and shoulder. However, Dr. Lox has treated nearly every joint. A ballerinas toe, a concert pianist wrist, gymnasts wrists, professional baseball pitchers shoulders and elbows. So this very pleasant Texas Man request was not unusual for Dr. Lox to evaluate his hip Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Can Be Systemic and Involve One Joint Primarily

The Houston man moved to a plant based diet and lost 30 pounds. He had been on steroids for many years and is now tapering off. He was also on Methotrexate and refused biologics and other drugs due to side effects.

He declined the new drugs his rheumatologist recommended, and stated he was going to change his diet going gluten free. The rheumatologist actually laughed at him, stating that would not work.

Then, the rheumatologist told him he would be in a wheelchair and never lift his child again, if he didn’t sit back down and do as he was told.

He promptly walked out of the rheumatologists office.

The following year, he sent her a Christmas card with him doing pulling ups, and 30 pounds lighter.

He researched everything and became convinced there was a lot of literature supporting trauma, stress, diet, and environmental factors that affected rheumatologic diseases.

Indeed there is a lot of new research in all these areas. Especially the gastrointestinal tract inflammation that is caused by diet, toxins, and antibiotics disrupting normal gut bacteria flora. He felt he did have the disruption of leaky gut syndrome.

A Regenerative Medicine Stem Cell Alternative Option for Hip Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis monoarticular means primarily affecting one joint.

Often, other joints may hurt, but one is particularly bad, or even leading to early degenerative of the joint. This was this patient’s case with his hip.

He had limped so long this also affected other joints and exacerbated his hip degeneration. He chose to take charge of his life, do his research, eliminate many of the medications, modify his diet, exercise, utilize mediation stress reduction techniques, and treat Hip biggest problem disabling him, his hip pain.

He researched Dr. Lox, was impressed with his knowledge, Lectures to University Professors and Researcher in the field, and his extensive experience.

He know the difference between the new online start ups everywhere. He choose not to trust his health and his commitment to getting well for himself and his young family to someone new just because they were closer in Texas.

Instead he called Dr. Lox was impressed with his confidence and experience, and said, “I will fly to LA and see you in your Beverly Hills, California office or fly to Florida and see you in your Tampa Bay, Florida office in Clearwater. Whatever is easier and quickest.”

He owns a construction company, and getting well is his priority.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by systemic symptoms. These can be widespread affecting many different joints, and in some cases internal organs. Not all people are affected the same way.

There is a sub type known as juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and also the more common adult onset.

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA can be very progressive and disabling at a young age.

Autoimmune Diseases and Rheumatologic Variants: AS and Psoriatic Arthritis

RA is one of many rheumatologic disorders. It is characterized by clinical features, and the a, positive Rheumatoid Factor or RF on laboratory tests. Many other abnormalities can be seen on laboratory analysis, with different rheumatologic conditions.

The most difficult sometimes to diagnose are the ones with no laboratory abnormalities. Vague joint complaints that are often dismissed until later damaging xrays changes are evident or nonspecific markers of inflammation or disease processes are abnormal on laboratory tests, such as CRP or C reactive protein, and the ESR.

Commonly called the sed rate for erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This is non-specific but when elevated indicates something is wrong. It can be elevated in infections, cancer, and various diseases so it is nonspecific, but can be a clue when no other obvious cause is recognized.

Sero-Negative Arthropathies: Ankylosing Spondylitis AS, and Psoriatic Arthritis

To make things more complicated, there are what is known as sero-negative arthritis. These have no specific laboratory tests indicating its presence.
Ankylosing Spondylitis or AS, and Psoriatic Arthritis are two such conditions which lack specific lab tests. Psoriatic Arthritis is easier, if it presents with classic skin Psoriatic plaques or lesions. Sometimes, it begins without skin manifestations, and presents with joint pain. Making the early diagnosis difficult, and often missed early.

Ankylosing Spondylitis AS, was often felt in past decades to be a genetic variant with a specific laboratory marker known as the HLAB-27 marker.

Unfortunately, too many old school physicians when the HLAB-27 was negative on lab tests the diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis or AS was not given, despite early signs and specific patient complaints that were classic for AS.

As more recent research occurred, the experts in research and Universities found the missing HLAB-27 was not necessary for the diagnosis. Classic AS clinical symptoms were enough. Thus the diagnosis for the Rheumatoid factor negative and other lab tests of rheumatologic conditions, were dropped in favor of a new name SERP-negative Arthropathies or Spondyloarthopathies.

This was a blessing to misdiagnosed patients who were told they had fibromyalgia or just couldn’t be helped. To further disrepute the if you were not HLAB-27 positive, even if you had a relative with AS, as it is known to be genetically linked, there are now more complex markers not tested for.

Partly because doctors don’t know the current scientific research, and many labs are not equipped to test for them. Basically, the inherited genetic allele HLAB-27 is more complex, with variants. Just like so many areas of medicine are now being found to be more complex.

There are 5 HLAB variants, only one is B27. That sounds like a great way to miss the diagnosis, if you don’t this. One B40 has specifically more associated tendencies to have interactions with gastrointestinal inflammation.

Leaky Gut, Gastrointestinal Issues, Diet, Plant Based and Organic Questions

All are commonly asked by often met with no answers or resistance from treating physicians. This is often the result of their own lack of understanding of current scientific research and knowledge.

How can this be?

Because so much has been learned in the last decade on the role of microbes, bacterial flora and what normal bacteria actually does, and what occurs when abnormal or changes occur to the normal bacterial environment. This abnormal gut bacteria environment is called gut dysbiosis. Many new doctors, and those in Universities familiar with recent scientific research, understand this. Patients are reading on their own.

Dr. Lox often has detailed discussions on diet, nutrition and exercise to help his patients. A Expert experienced Physician who not only is aware of the new research, but lectures Nationally and Internationally on various topics interconnecting all these factors is important to help with patient education. Often, they comment, no one every spends the time to talk about all this. Well, that is truly sad. Getting patients better is the goal, and our chosen career. Dr. Lox doesn’t adhere to the model of managed care quick office visits. Personalized medicine or individualized care, requires time to understand each patient. This is not cookie cutter franchise medicine, one size fits all. Humans are very diverse, recognizing this and adapting to each patient’s needs is the way to successfully helping patients.

This is rewarding.

Understanding nutrition, supplements, diet, organic foods, Plant Based diets, exercise, optimal human performance is important to treating teen athletes, professional athletes, aging patients from 40-100, and disease states compromising quality of life from joint pain, is all part of the expertise of Dr. Lox and his experience.

Rheumatologic conditions have long been part of his practice, including Avascular Necrosis or AVN, also know s Osteonecrosis. Patients from around the world have traveled to see Dr. Lox for avascular necrosis AVN or osteonecrosis, as well as many other conditions.

Rheumatologic Medications The Good and Bad

Some people do wonderful with simple new drugs even the recent biologics can be dramatic on previous non-responding patients. However, they by no means cure everyone. Understanding the science of how the work by inhibiting part of the inflammatory cascade of cytokines, reveals an imperfect system. Even the TV commercials warn of risk of infections, including tuberculosis or TB. Inhibitors of one cytokine of many involved in the inflammatory cascade can not suppress the others that are also involved. This would shut down your ability to fight infections, and mount an immune response. It seems the pharmaceutical industry knows only a Stem Cell has master regulatory capacity of the inflammatory cascade.
The patient form Texas, was determined to get well. He read on all the side effects of taking powerful Rheumatologic medications that suppress the immune system. Some are even categorized as chemotherapy drugs. These can have serious side effects.

Prednisone, a commonly prescribed cortisone drug often used in high doses for severe inflammation and rheumatologic conditions has tremendous side effects especially the higher the dose, and the length of being on corticosteroids. Weight gain, dysruption of the normal adrenal axis which produces are own glucocorticoids are suppressed. This can lead to adrenal shutdown, and Cushing syndrome. Distinct features weight gain, moon faces, and Buffalo hump are some. The late actor comedian Jerry Lewis blew up to over 300 pounds from it, and it was easily recognized by his look, which he even stated disturbed himself so much he considered suicide.

Consult An Experienced Expert in Sports and Regenerative Medicine such as Dr. Lox

Dennis M. Lox M.D., has always had a keen interest in learning beyond the norm. Always wanting to improve, state current of the state of the art research and treatments to help his patients, and strive always to improve and better an excellent doctor for his patients.

Helping patients is what it is all about. It is also very rewarding. Dr. Lox since beginning his private practice has designed and edited 2 published medical textbooks, written 8 medical textbooks chapters, authored numerous scientific articles and abstracts, lectured Nationally and Internationally with some of world’s leaders in Sports Medicine, Nutrition, Regenerative Medicine, Tissue Engineering. These include some of the most acclaimed leaders in these fields at Prestigious Universities. Two have been featured on the news program 60 minutes for their groundbreaking research.

Dennis M. Lox M.D, was recently voted one of the best Sports Medicine Doctors in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California for 2019.