#323 Chronic pain, depression, and sleep issues with Dr. Gary Kaplan

This week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Gary Kaplan who is a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO). Dr. Kaplan is dual trained in osteopathic and allopathic medicine, as well as acupuncture. In this episode, Dr. Kaplan talks about inflammation from the standpoint of the cause of pain and depression and how the immune system can drive the inflammatory responses. We deep dive into everything from depression to fibromyalgia, give you insight into how these chronic problems manifest, and how to potentially heal them. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:Causes of pain and depressionWhat drives the inflammatory process?Innate immune system - body's first line of defense against germs & foreign substancesMicroglia - the resident immune cell of the brainWhat is neuroinflammation?What products can you use for pain, depression, & sleep?What are strategies for down-regulating microglial activation?Unhealthy gut equals unhealthy brainWhat is long COVID?Surprising facts of social isolationWhy it's important to look at adverse events during childhoodSleep + its effect on the brainABOUT GUEST:

Gary Kaplan, DO a clinical associate professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, founder and medical director of the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Why You Are Still Sick: How Infections Can Break Your Immune System and How You Can Recover. A pioneer and leader in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Kaplan is one of only 19 physicians in the country to be board-certified in both Family Medicine and Pain Medicine. In November, Dr Kaplan will co-chair an international conference on New Developments in Understanding Chronic Illness: The Role of the Immune Dysfunction and Infections.  WHERE TO FIND:

Website: https://kaplanclinic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaplan_clinic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaplanCenterforIntegrativeMedicine

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjBaguhq1VYTBHMYlvKCMIw

WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:

Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/

Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionist

Podcast Instagram: @lessstressedlife

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlife

Leave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: https://www.christabiegler.com/links