HBOT Conversations:
Dr. Hemal Mehta & Fasting (Part 1)
Dr. Hemal Mehta, MD is a Medical Director and an Independent Medical Examiner who focuses on pain management through a Regenerative medicine approach.
Dr. Mehta is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Pain Management. He received his Doctor of Medicine Degree from Ross University School of Medicine and completed his residency at East Carolina. He is the Medical Director of Vibrant Health of North Carolina, Tennessee Integrative Pain Institute, and TN Integrative Healthcare: Musculoskeletal and Regenerative Center; additionally, Dr. Mehta is the attending physician at Nashville Regenerative Orthopedics.
Dr. Mehta is the 2013 recipient of the Inaugural Patient Appreciation Award at Nashville Academy of Medicine, and the 2004 Research Resident of the Year for East Carolina University.
Dr. Mehta has extensive experience with stem cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. He has incorporated Ozone Injection Therapy, PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Injections, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Regenerative Matrix and Regenerative Medicine Procedures – to name a few – into his integrative wellness & longevity medical practices.
Watch the Podcast
HBOT News Network welcomes Dr. Hemal V. Mehta, M.D.; Medical Director of Vibrant Health of North Carolina.
After the first 10-15 years of his medical career focusing on interventional pain management, Dr. Mehta started to get involved in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicines is a newer field of medicine involving PRP – Platelet Rich Plasma, stem cells, and different techniques (like HBOT) to help regenerate tissue in the body. When he first started using regenerative medicine, Dr. Mehta witnessed his patients doing considerably better and improving to the point that he was able to even wean them off of opioid pain medications. It was then that Dr. Mehta started integrating Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT or HBO Therapy) into some of the individualized patient healing plans he would develop for optimum healing.
Dr. Mehta touches on inflammation and how inflammation is one of the greatest problems people today deal with on a daily basis. Bad food choices, injuries and even stress all contributes to an increase of inflammation. Targeting inflammation is key to a healthy body and mind. Hyperbaric oxygen is an ideal therapy to address inflammation by upregulating the anti-inflammatory gene and downregulating the inflammatory gene. Dr. Mehta also mentions other therapies that assist in reducing inflammation in the joints and body — regenerative treatments using stem cells, PRP, ozone injections and exosomes.
According to Dr. Mehta, too much focus and energy goes into the promotion of pharmaceutical drugs to ease every ailment, indication or condition. He mentioned that when he was studying for his medical degree, he had almost two years of pharmacology classes but only one six-week semester of nutrition. It’s unfortunate that nutrition is not stressed more to young doctors, because much of the food we purchase at the grocery store is toxic and very pro-inflammatory. Dr. Mehta stresses that “you are what you eat”. Processed food is one of the worst things for our bodies. In his opinion, processed food is a major oxygen depleter since our bodies have to use extra energy and oxygen to break it down. Our bodies have to work much harder to break down processed junk, so he encourages our viewers to eat foods that are natural and avoid processed.
Since nutrition is a HUGE part of a person’s health, it’s important to look at alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs – like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and fasting. In Dr. Mehta’s opinion, fasting is an excellent way for people to maintain health. Our bodies don’t necessarily NEED 3 meals a day, so when we overeat our bodies store the excess. Dr. Mehta is a big believer in fasting and reminds us that fasting is the ultimate detox. Food, especially processed food, sugar, and food with high fructose corn syrup, can be very pro-inflammatory and toxic. Fasting accelerates the process of the liver cleaning out toxins and gives our organs a much needed break to heal and rejuvenate. Fasting dates back to the Bible and beyond – every religious facet has fasting as part of their religion.
Fasting is nothing new, so try it and add Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy into the mix too; something magical is truly happening to the body when you fast and receive HBOT. Dr. Mehta reminds us that there is also a strong association between fasting and reduced cancer risk, which he will get into more in Part 2 of our Conversations with Dr. Mehta about fasting & HBOT. Stay tuned to learn more about how fasting starves the cancer cells from the sugars and nutrients they need to feed and grow.
*Pease consult your doctor to see if fasting is right for you.
Guest
Dr. Hemal Mehta
Dr. Hemal Mehta specializes in non-opioid treatment for joint pain, osteoarthritis, spine pain and neuropathy. He is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician whose goal for patients is to reduce pain while increasing their level of function & quality of life. He received his Doctor of Medicine Degree from Ross University School of Medicine and completed his residency at East Carolina.
Dr. Mehta is the Medical Director of Vibrant Health of North Carolina, Tennessee Integrative Pain Institute, and TN Integrative Healthcare: Musculoskeletal and Regenerative Center; additionally, Dr. Mehta is the attending physician at Nashville Regenerative Orthopedics. He is the 2013 recipient of the Inaugural Patient Appreciation Award at Nashville Academy of Medicine, and the 2004 Research Resident of the Year for East Carolina University. He is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
Dr. Mehta has extensive experience with stem cell proliferation and angiogenesis. For years he has incorporated Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy into his integrative approach for pain management and rehabilitation, and he has also preformed the following procedures fluoroscopically: Translaminar Cervical and Lumbar ESI, Transforaminal Lumbar ESI, Lumbar Selective Nerve Root Blocks, Stellate Ganglion Blocks, Lumbar Sympathetic Blocks, SIJ injections, Hip Joint Injections, Piriformis Injections, Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joint Injections, Medial Branch Nerve Blocks, Radiofrequency Ablation of Medial Branch Nerve, Discography, Percutaneous Disc Decompression/ Intradiscal Injections, Spinal Cord Stimulator Lead Trial, PRP/ Regenerative Matrix/ Regenerative Medicine Procedures for Spine, Peripheral Joints, and Nerves, P-Shot/O-shot, Juvederm Anti-aging, and Ozone Injection Therapy.
Subscribe Now, It’s Free!
Recent HBOT News
Linear analysis of heart rate variability in post-concussive syndrome.
Heart rate variability (HRV) represents measurable output of coordinated structural and functional systems within the body and brain. Both mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and HRV are modulated by changes in autonomic nervous system function. We present baseline HRV results from an ongoing mTBI clinical trial. HRV was assessed via 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography; recordings were segmented by physiological state (sleep, wakefulness, exercise, standing still). Time, frequency, and spatial domain measures were summarized and compared with symptoms, sleep quality, and neurological examination. Median low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF) ratio exceeded 1.0 across segments, indicating prevalence of sympathetic modulation. Abnormal Sharpened Romberg Test was associated with 29% LF/HF decrease (95% CI [2.1, 47.7], p=0.04); pathological nystagmus associated with decreased standard deviation of electrocardiogram R-R interval (SDNN) index (25% decrease, 95% CI [0.8, 43.4], p=0.04). Increased sympathetic modulation was associated with increased anger scores (19% LF/HF increase with 5-point State Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 trait anger increase (95% CI [1.2, 39.1], p=0.04)). A 13% HF increase (95% CI [2.1, 25.7], p=0.02) was observed with increased Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores. These results support autonomic nervous system dysfunction in service members after mTBI.
TBI study questioned: Dr. Weaver response.
Abstract: Weaver, Lindblad, Wilson, Churchill, Deru, , , , (). TBI study questioned: Dr. Weaver response. Undersea & hyperbaric medicine : journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc, ;44(1):82-85. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28768093
Sleep assessments for a mild traumatic brain injury trial in a military population.
Baseline sleep characteristics were explored for 71 U.S. military service members with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) enrolled in a post-concussive syndrome clinical trial. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep diary, several disorder-specific questionnaires, actigraphy and polysomnographic nap were collected. Almost all (97%) reported ongoing sleep problems. The mean global PSQI score was 13.5 (SD=3.8) and 87% met insomnia criteria. Sleep maintenance efficiency was 79.1% for PSQI, 82.7% for sleep diary and 90.5% for actigraphy; total sleep time was 288, 302 and 400 minutes, respectively. There was no correlation between actigraphy and subjective questionnaires. Overall, 70% met hypersomnia conditions, 70% were at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 32% were symptomatic for restless legs syndrome, and 6% reported cataplexy. Nearly half (44%) reported coexisting insomnia, hypersomnia and high OSA risk. Participants with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had higher PSQI scores and increased OSA risk. Older participants and those with higher aggression, anxiety or depression also had increased OSA risk. The results confirm poor sleep quality in mTBI with insomnia, hypersomnia, and OSA risk higher than previously reported, and imply sleep disorders in mTBI may be underdiagnosed or exacerbated by comorbid PTSD.