Issue 128 - Leading with Excellent service by topdoctormagazine

ISSUE 128

WHAT IF YOU COULD CHANGE THE FUTURE OF YOUR HEALTH IN 20 MINUTES? PG

THE EFFECTS OF COFFEE ON YOUR SENSES OF TASTE AND SMELL PG

LEADING WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DR. HARRY PAN PG

EDITOR

Brianna Connors

Derek Archer

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ionuț Raicea

Aviana Roth

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Hannah Townes

Lillian Myers

CONTRIBUTORS

Ionuț Raicea, Gaye Newton, Yuko Tabasa, Victoria Cook

A WORD FROM THE EDITORS Leading a healthy, well-balanced life is a challenging undertaking for many of us. New advancements in lifestyle or nutrition come to life daily, and the busy rhythm of our lives often prevents us from keeping up with what's fun and fresh. Here at Top Doctor Magazine, we are on a mission to bring these advancements to your attention and become a source of inspiration for those who want to live their lives to the fullest. Our contributors will constantly keep you up to speed with fresh, entertaining, and reliable content, from nutrition and travel to lifestyle choices! We hope that our handpicked ideas will guide you towards self-realization, selfimprovement, and willingness to help those around you better themselves. - Brianna & Derek

What If You Could Change The Future of Your Health In 20 Minutes?

Leading with Excellent Service

What You Eat Can Affect Your Workplace Performance

18 Dance Away The Pain

Could This Popular Treatment Eliminate Your Chronic Pain?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

T H A N K F R O N T L I N E

Y O U H E R O E S

TOP DOCTOR MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER

2021 • ISSUE 128

What if You Could Change the Future of Your Health in 20 Minutes? By Ionuț Raicea Today's society is quickly shifting its focus towards a proactive medical approach. More and more people, especially Millennials, are less keen on taking shots in the dark with their health and pursue the promising direction of preventive medicine. Not to mention the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which had us second-guessing our overall health and well-being. For patients, the time for sitting with their arms crossed is over. Over the past two years, one of the most resonating words we daily heard was asymptomatic, mainly restricted to the COVID-19-pandemic field. The fear of carrying a virus without any notice was both overwhelming and scary for many of us. "What if I have the virus?" "What if I unwillingly infect someone else?" Such questions definitely are not any novelty. However, what if we take the word asymptomatic and apply it to our overall health? Could there be any latent diseases ready to strike us without notice? Disease prevention is a sine qua non prerequisite for a healthy, well-balanced life. Here at Top Doctor Magazine, we envisage a world where early health screenings can detect future diseases in asymptomatic patients. Therefore, we are striving to equip physicians with all the technology necessary for early detection medicine (EDM) – e.g., preventive screenings – to identify disease indicators in asymptomatic patients proactively while, at the same time, increasing their revenue and patient number.

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Look no further; the answer lies in our newest testing system designed to help both physicians and patients collaborate towards disease prevention in a non-invasive and allencompassing way – the TopDocDX Microvascular Testing System! Join us today and learn how TopDocDX will become the future of early detection technology with improved efficiency and no additional costs to physicians!

Presenting the TopDocDX Microvascular Testing System This clinically powerful and non-invasive testing system for hidden diseases in asymptomatic patients provides the patient with an inside-out look on their health. Compared with other preventive tests, such as the electrocardiogram (EKG), which only tests the patient in a calm, peaceful environment, TopDocDX presents a real-life picture to the patient, with all its positive and negative influences. Therefore, physicians will have an enhanced understanding of the patient's overall health.

with a healthy microvascular system, the macrovascular system can thrive as well. Ideal for tobacco consumers, diabetic patients, and people suffering from hypertension and high cholesterol levels. Sudomotor Test – testing the sweat gland function. Patients place their hands and feet on stainless-steel electrodes, exposing themselves to an incremental low direct voltage that causes sweating. This approach provides evidence of any sweat dysfunction and gives the physician information on the patient's health years ahead on any visible disease symptoms.

The TopDocDX Active Scan Machine (i.e., the TopDocDX device) consists of three tried-andtrue FDA-approved tests that have received recognition in the cardiology field: The Ankle Brachial Index (ABI) – this test observes the blood pressure ratio in opposite body parts (e.g., left and right arm, left and right ankle, etc.) and submits data for analysis. As long as the ratio is balanced, the patient will experience no issues at a microvascular level;

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Function Test – The TopDocDX Active Scan Machine checks the health of the ANS and its main components, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Together, they control and regulate numerous internal organs and physiologic processes, including blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, metabolism, sweating, etc.

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Furthermore, the results come in the shape of a 35-page color-coded report, where: GREEN stands for “OPTIMAL HEALTH” YELLOW advises patients to implement specific lifestyle choices, and RED calls for urgent medical care Instead of assailing the patient with a mountain of information, TopDocDX shrinks the report into a two-page summary, more appropriate for physician-patient discussions!

The TopDocDX Clinical Applications The TopDocDX Microvascular Testing System successfully uncovers and analyzes propensities towards a myriad of medical conditions, such as: Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy (CAN) Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy (DAN) Cardiac Arrhythmia Congestive Heart Failure Asthma Peripheral Vascular Diseases Circulation Problems Pain Management Neurological Conditions Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome Anxiety/Stress Parkinson's Disease Psychological Conditions Once the patient performs the 20-minute test, the physician receives and analyzes the results together with the patient's medical history by using our TopDocDX algorithm. This approach provides a predictive model for the patient's future cardiovascular and neurological health! PAGE

By analyzing the results, physicians and patients can discuss ways to enhance the latter's overall health and schedule follow-up tests for performance tracking. Although this might sound like additional costs for the patient, we are here to affirm quite the opposite; both the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approve of the TopDocDX Testing System. Therefore, insurance companies will cover all the costs, another fantastic reason for patients to undergo preventive screenings!

No Up-Front Costs, Positive Cash Flow, and No Financial Risk So, how do you, the physician, benefit from employing the TopDocDX Active Scan Machine in your office(s)? And, most important, what are the initial costs? "Do I have to break the bank for this screening system?" Quite the contrary; instead of spending about $60,000 on equipment, you will receive the TopDocDX testing supplies free of charge! However, would not new technology call for additional practitioners and, subsequently, more people on a payroll to get the job done? Not if we assign an on-site medical assistant

Instead of becoming a nuisance, the TopDocDX Active Scan Machine will work for you without any intrusion. All you need to provide is a 5x5 foot area and patients, and you are good to go! In return, you and your practice will benefit from: $160-170 net revenue per screening (after taxes) Increase office visits by 15-20% No capital expenditure No clinical staff training No burden on the billing staff We believe that this opportunity is the physicians' golden ticket into a world where patients learn about their potential diseases timely enough for a remedy to be implemented. Both patients and physicians now have all the tools necessary to ensure a healthy future for the patient without expensive investments or burdensome medical bills. If you are ready to join the future of preventive medicine with TopDocDX, more details await you here!

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Microvascular Testing System TopDocDX presents a real-life picture to the patient, with all its positive and negative influences. Therefore, physicians will have an enhanced understanding of the patient's overall health.

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15-minute Non-invasive Onsite Diagnostic Tests This clinically powerful and noninvasive testing system for hidden diseases in asymptomatic patients provides the patient with an inside-out look on their health.

Early Detection of Chronic Disease in Asymptomatic Patients Diagnose Complex Symptoms Increase Patient Compliance with Treatments

An Exclusive Interview with

Dr. Harry Pan

D O C T O R

H A R R Y P A N : L E A D I N G E X C E L L E N T S E R V I C E

W I T H

WRITTEN BY: VICTORIA COOK

Harry Pan is the lead primary care doctor at his practice, Sagebrush Medical Center in Henderson, NV. He balances the work of a businessman, a doctor, a husband, and a father of two. As for many physicians, COVID-19 was a determinant of their business survival under intense pressure. Dr. Pan and his team were no different as they faced difficulties within their community as a fairly young practice.

Managing the COVID-19 Crisis Less than a quarter of the nation’s physicians control their medical destinies. What about the other physicians? Most frequently, they find employment in hospitals under the leadership of healthcare administrators, whose sole goal is to bring a "business" touch to the medical field. As such, actual physicians, who were the backbone of the medical administrative side last century, are currently outnumbered (3200% growth between 1975 and 2010) by healthcare administrators, whose understanding or willingness to understand how physicians save our lives is frequently deficient.

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Intentional Care SA direct and involved relationship with the patients drew Dr. Pan to opening his private practice in 2017. In addition, his work at hospitals made him realize how transactional visits were and how important having a detailed understanding of the patients' prior medical history could benefit their overall care and future diagnosis. "Over the last four years, I've had patients from the day our clinic opened. Being able to serve them and see them grow with me is, I think, the most fascinating and fulfilling part of the job," Dr. Pan said.

Part of Dr. Pan's intentional care involves screening for mental health issues. He cannot stress enough the value of making sure the whole of the patient is healthy. "I think if we take an extra five minutes to just sit down with them and address these [mental health] issues, we can actually help our patients better. Sometimes I just pause in addressing their external issues and ask, 'Hey, how are you really doing?', and I occasionally get people who just cry." Caring and addressing the internal state of his patients in hand with solving the external physical problems has led Dr. Pan to be a highly recommended doctor in his region. Patients have consistently written how much they appreciate his service. In the future, Dr. Pan hopes to increase the quality of care he offers and expand his practice. If you would like to learn more about him and his team, you can visit them here.

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What You Eat Can Affect Your Workplace Performance By Victoria Cook

A recent study has proven what we have always known and feared: eating unhealthy foods can have immediate adverse effects on the workforce. However, don’t trash your favorite burger and throw out your drafthouse beer in despair just yet. The study answers the question, “Does a healthy lifestyle matter?” and in this article, we’ll cover the study and ways to jumpstart your healthy eating lifestyle. (The benefits are worth it!)

Eating healthy may seem like a no-brainer, but doing so can be difficult when working and you don’t feel like you have the energy to make yourself meals. Each person is different and will have dietary needs that vary depending on weight, height, body fat percentage (BFP), body mass index (BMI), and any dietary restrictions and needs.

The Repercussions of Eating Unhealthy

Ideally, your healthy diet will consist of tasty, nutritious foods that meet your dietary needs. But you first have to know what your dietary needs are to ensure they are being met.

Researchers Seonghee Cho and Sooyeol Kim assessed the psychological and physical effects of eating unhealthy foods, focusing on food consumed after work. Psychological results, such as guilt, came shortly after eating food the person perceived and felt was unhealthy. The physical results showed themselves in the morning through diarrhea, stomach aches, and bloating. According to their study, these results affected evening workplace performance. The results cannot indicate an exact percentage of decreased efficiency in the workplace, but they do show that what we consume has the power to influence how we feel for the rest of the day and the next. Other studies have also shown that eating healthy can increase productivity. Giving your body the nutrients it needs improves your mental capacity, stabilizes hormones, improves your immune system - the list goes on and on.

What’s a Healthy Diet Anyway?

To begin, let’s determine your calorie intake. Using this free tool, you can determine your required calorie intake based on your current activity level, age, height, and weight. You can also use the calculator to determine your BMI and BFP. These will help you determine if you need to bulk up or slim down. Once you’ve determined your required calorie intake, you should consider what vitamins you eat. How you feel can be a good indicator of vitamin deficiency. If you find yourself constantly tired even after 8 hours of sleep, you may not be getting all the nutrients your body needs to sustain itself. There are vitamin deficiency tests available if desired.

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Spice Up Your Food Life Finding the foods that work for you can take some experimentation, but the general standard of eating includes daily servings of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The key is to incorporate healthy foods as the bulk of your diet and have unhealthy foods as planned treats. You are seeking a balanced diet. Your meal times can also be savory and fun. A strawberry banana smoothie, stuffed peppers, and chicken tostadas are all great foods to eat. If you like playing in the kitchen, try out some of these recipes. You may find a new favorite, and they don’t take longer than 30 minutes to cook! Watch your portion sizes and make sure you don’t overeat. If you feel full but know you could eat more, do not indulge. Eating after your body has had enough can throw off your digestive system and make it harder to recover. Treat yourself weekly and avoid overindulging.

Have Someone Cook for You If you find yourself exhausted at the thought of cooking for yourself after a long day of work, you have options other than a greasy fast food sub! We’ve listed below some of the latest food services that give you tasty, healthy options with minimal effort. HelloFresh Ranked as the #1 meal delivery service, HelloFresh gives you the option to indulge your eyes and stomach by ordering meals you want to try. They send you the ingredients and the recipes for easy assembly. You can save time and money by skipping grocery shopping and having your meals almost ready to go.

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Daily Harvest Don’t want to bother with cooking in the kitchen? Daily Harvest offers healthy pre-made meals ready to go. Their commitment to fresh produce does come with an increase in price per meal, but their occasional deals can offset the price. This meal plan is perfect for the foodie wanting organic whole foods. Huel An up-and-coming company, Huel sells readymade meals in the form of vitamin powder. All you have to do is add water. Huel’s unique take on swapping out meals for smoothies (which contain essential nutrients) has set them apart from other food delivery services. If you don’t like the hassle of cooking, grocery shopping, and pondering where to go for lunch, Huel is suitable for you. Did we mention you save money with them, too?

Get That Increased Productivity! We all want to live easier lives, and eating well is one foundational way to build lives of longevity and health. We make our future selves grateful for the low-fat enchilada we eat today. Eating affects our wellbeing, and it is up to us to be responsible for the food and drinks we consume. The benefits of eating well far outweigh the short-term benefits of satisfying our cravings. When you come off from work, enjoy what you eat and always choose healthy foods. You can go further in your career and life if you do.

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Dance Away the Pain HOW DANCE CAN EASE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

By Gaye Newton One morning you wake up, and your left index finger is trembling. Another day you feel unusually stiff, and your body movements aren't as fluid as they've always been. Then you start having trouble getting your words out properly, and your body takes longer to move about. You lose your balance more than you used to, and your coordination is…off. As time goes by, you experience increasingly intense symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. You find yourself withdrawing from your social life and sinking into despair, anxiety, and depression. Fortunately, there are ways to treat Parkinson's, gain relief from the symptoms, and slow their progress. There are medical treatments, medications, and… Dance! Several studies have shown that dance can improve multiple Parkinson's Disease symptoms and improve your emotional and psychological well-being.

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About Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's Disease attacks the areas of the brain that control the body's ability to move. Typically beginning between 50 and 79 years, the disease is degenerative, and its progression is slow. Nevertheless, it can produce tremors, poor coordination and balance, slowed movement, stiff muscles, impaired speech, and more. In addition to the physical impact on the body, Parkinson's can have profound psychological effects. When your body does not function properly, when you can no longer do things you used to take for granted, when you feel like you're losing your independence, your mental health can suffer. In addition, your "motor symptoms lead to further psychological issues, depression, [and] social isolation."

Exercise: Get Moving! How do you combat a degenerative condition that targets motion? You move! The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research states, "Exercise is one of the most powerful treatments for Parkinson's Disease." Evidence suggests that it is instrumental in preventing or slowing progression, managing symptoms, and avoiding isolation. The Cleveland Clinic observes, "Exercise can help people with Parkinson's slow the disease and control symptoms. It also has psychological benefits, protecting brain cells and often providing social interaction." Exercise can help improve flexibility, muscle strength, and balance. Any type of exercise is helpful, as long as you can handle the activity. Discuss it with your doctor, physical therapist, or other professionals on your team of caregivers to find something you can benefit from and enjoy. How about dancing?

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Dance: On Your Toes or in a Chair, Raise Your Hands in the Air! Dance can be an ideal form of exercise for people with Parkinson's Disease. Compared to many other types of exercise, dance is exceptionally versatile. There are various genres from which to choose, so it can easily accommodate a wide range of interests, skills, and comfort levels. For example, if standing is difficult, you can sit in a chair and still move your arms and legs, lean to the side, and bend forward. Psychologically, you can benefit from the social environment of your dance class. You share a common experience and can, over time, develop friendships. You have opportunities for creative expression and even just a reason to smile.

Research Dance has been the subject of a great deal of research on its effect on Parkinson's Disease. Some research suggests that dancing may improve your ability to walk, balance, and generally move. Exploring the long-term effects of dance on Parkinson's patients, a study conducted at York University in Canada revealed that dancing to music can impede the disease's progression and improve everyday life. Another study suggests that dance stimulates areas of the brain previously damaged by Parkinson's. In a study where 16 people with mild Parkinson's took weekly dance classes for three years, participants experienced marked, sustained improvement in both physical and psychological symptoms.

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Music Another factor that makes dancing stand out is its partner—music. On its own, music offers benefits for people with Parkinson's. "Music may serve as an external cue to facilitate movement." It has a rhythm, a beat, a pattern to follow, and expresses emotion in its volume, tempo, voice, and instrumentation. Studies show that listening to music may influence brain activity related to emotion, communication, and movement. In addition, rhythm can improve coordination, walking, and balance. For people with Parkinson's, rhythm can play "a crucial role in rehabilitation, enhancing connections between the motor and auditory systems." Putting music and dancing together creates a powerhouse of creativity, movement, and resources to help repair what has been damaged.

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Dance for PD® One program providing dance classes for people with Parkinson's Disease is Dance for PD®, a nonprofit organization in the United States and 25 other countries. Professional dancers and movement experts teach specialized classes that incorporate modern theater, ballet, folk dance, tap, improvisation, choreographic repertory, and social dancing. Participants, some of whom have described the program as "liberating," can "experience the joys and benefits of dance while creatively addressing symptom-specific concerns related to balance, cognition, motor skill, depression and physical confidence."

Improving Mental Health Like other forms of exercise, dancing can alleviate feelings of isolation, hopelessness, the loss of control over your own body, and other mental health issues brought on by Parkinson's. Classes provide a social setting where you can interact with people whose situation is similar to yours, people who understand. Instead of gradually withdrawing from the life you once had, you have an opportunity to add to it or even start anew. "Studies show participants feel their mood lighten and their anxiety decline. In a 2015 study published in the Journal of Neural Transmission by Westheimer and colleagues from four universities, participants reported feeling less helpless, grateful for the companionship and a general sense of improved health."

Conclusion Dance is more than a form of exercise. While it is essentially a series of physical movements, it is also an outlet for emotional expression. Dance and the music that accompanies it give participants abundant cues and actions that strengthen the body and mind. For people with Parkinson's Disease, it can be a tremendous source of progress and empowerment. Multiple studies have shown the positive influence dance can have on mobility, balance, coordination, mental health, and overall well-being. So one morning, you wake up, and you find you have more control over how your body moves. And you smile because later that day, you'll have a dance class.

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Could This Popular Treatment Eliminate Your Chronic Pain? AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. AASHISH JAY KUMAR Written by Ionuț Raicea Jim Moharter suffered from an unfortunate accident back in 2003, when his vehicle took part in a massive car crash. Severe injuries to his neck and spine plagued his existence ever since, nor could he find an adequate solution to his pain – high-dose narcotics and pain medicine became the word of order, mainly comprising dangerous opioids such as Fentanyl. In addition, the accident impaired Moharter's locomotor abilities up to the point where he could not avoid the wheelchair any longer. Such was Moharter's state when Dr. Aashish Jay Kumar, a Wayne State University graduate who runs his clinic in Raleigh, NC, under Duke Health, welcomed him into his office. "When he first came here, he was on high-dose narcotics; he was in a wheelchair, he didn't walk." Instead of replacing the narcotic Band-Aid, Dr. Kumar decided to replace this vicious approach with a tangible and practical solution in the shape of a neuromodulation procedure. Now, Moharter is free to walk at will, without worrying about past pain or medication.

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"It's very empowering, psychologically and physically," says Dr. Kumar. Moharter's story has a happy conclusion; however, thousands of chronic pain patients out there would be much better off after a neuromodulation procedure in a painless, medication-free world. Dr. Kumar kindly agreed to share his wealth of knowledge with the Top Doctor Magazine team

in order to help these patients and raise more awareness on the astounding benefits of neuromodulation. Now, it is our turn to synthesize his thoughts and present to our readers the science behind neuromodulation and the benefits stemming from this narcotic-free approach!

Explaining a Neuromodulation Procedure A wind of change is sweeping the interventional pain field, bringing about neuromodulation's rise in popularity. Instead of long narcotic spans, small devices work their magic in inhibiting pain signals from arriving at the brain; such news can only cheer up 8 out of 10 patients, who, as Dr. Kumar discloses, do not require controlled substances as treatment. Instead, their best and safest bet lies in a neuromodulation procedure capable of delivering electric stimulation benefits in one go! The neuromodulation procedure entails little to no effort from the patient's side. First, a thin lead is implanted under the skin and guided to the target nerve through X-ray and ultrasound. Then, the doctor will attach an impulse generator to your skin to communicate with the lead. Once in place, you can cause the device to send electrical stimulation to the nerve through a remote called a patient programmer. The impulse generator delivers low-dose electrical stimulation to the target nerve to "reset" the nerve and provide pain relief. For a more precise understanding, Dr. Kumar proposed the circuit overload analogy – the exterior electrical stimulation block the pain signals traveling from the nerve to the brain. Thus, instead of focusing on the pain, the nerve will turn its attention towards the novel stimulation, consequently liberating you from pain!

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Treating Multiple Types of Pain with Versatility Neuromodulation travels far and wide when it comes to treatable pain areas. Anything from fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, and chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) falls under neuromodulation's jurisdiction. Whether it is in the knees, wrists, shoulders, or back, neuromodulation inhibits the painful sensation left after certain surgeries, such as replacement surgery. It might sound surprising, but even patients plagued by migraines from occipital neuralgia see Dr. Kumar for neuromodulation! Neuromodulation's versatility lies not only in the treatable pain types; the Duke Health team understood the need to accommodate the device to the patient's needs. Therefore, while some patients cannot wait to enjoy the permanent benefits of neuromodulation, others might want to give it a test run. Consequently, Dr. Kumar spoke to us of two device types:

Temporary peripheral nerve stimulation devices: the patient wears the device for sixty days until removal, with pain relief effects lasting upwards of two years. At Duke Health, temporary devices come in the shape of the SPRINT device. Permanent peripheral nerve stimulation devices: no different from their temporary counterparts, except for two things – they are permanent and do not malfunction underwater! Duke Health recommends the Bioness StimRouter as a permanent peripheral nerve stimulation solution. Dr. Kumar does not see an issue with patients who make their debut on temporary devices; on the contrary, the opportunity to experience the peripheral nerve stimulation benefits prompts patients to transition to permanent devices. "If it works well enough, they're going to want to get it permanently anyway. 'I want a permanent version of this so that I don't have to come back every two years.'"

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Raising Awareness around Neuromodulation Over the past few years, neuromodulation has experienced a steady rise in popularity. The growing number of distributors and the patients' willingness to avoid invasive treatments and narcotics brought traction to peripheral nerve stimulation devices. "It's something that patients can consider to be less invasive than something going in their back. So, I think that's why it's gaining traction." Because of this increase in popularity, Dr. Kumar performs around fifteen neuromodulation procedures every month. However, for the time being, the snowball still needs time before it turns into an avalanche. Akin to other pain relief methods, such as CBD-based products, neuromodulation must wait for more data, more research papers, and more publicity before turning mainstream.

In the meantime, Dr. Kumar and his pain relief peers hope to see more patients bring positive change to their lives through neuromodulation. Insurance companies cover the procedure; therefore, numerous patients could potentially benefit from a peripheral nerve stimulation device right away!

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