Effective Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
July 6, 2009 by drhusbands · 2 Comments
Can type 2 diabetes be cured or resolved? Absolutely, with the right treatment program and consistent patient compliance. With these two combined, I’ve had very successful outcomes.
The principle of my diabetes treatment program is based on the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) suggested by the NIH. TLC is a set of lifestyle changes that includes diet, intensive nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, proper sleep routine and weight control.
The treatment goal is disease reversal by normalizing the underlying processes that caused the diabetes. With patient compliance, the typical outcome is stopping the disease progression, and very often, the diabetes is reversed.
Most diabetics are getting the conventional medical treatment. The goal of most conventional medical treatment for diabetes is disease management. The treatment primarily involves prescription medication. Dietary and lifestyle changes are often not emphasized, and when they are, the program given is ineffective. This very often results in prescribing progressively more drugs and higher dosages over time. What are the outcomes? Most become diabetics for life with increased propensity for heart attack and stroke. Some develop other diseases from the long term toxic effect of the medications. The worst cases progress to small blood vessel damage in the eyes, feet and fingers, and amputation of gangrenous extremities.
The patients I’ve helped with their diabetes have had the conventional medical treatment before seeing me. Thus, they are the best source for comparing the two treatment methods. I will share a concrete patient case here. Of course, each patient case is unique, thus, outcomes vary. Nevertheless, this will give you an idea of the effectiveness of my treatment method.
This patient from Redwood City was a diabetic for 25 years. He was prescribed medications and as he grew older, he was given higher doses of medication to control his daily blood glucose levels. He had to switch some of the medications to other ones due to undesirables side effects. He heard about me through his daughter who I successfully treated for cysts on her ovaries without surgery. About 3 months before he first came to see me, he had the following lab test results:
- HGBA1C: 8%
- Triglycerides: 310
- LDL: 106
- HDL: 36
- Cholesterol: 204
- Weight: 196 lbs
His goal was to drastically reduce or eliminate his dependence on glucose control medications and their side effects. I put him in a therapeutic lifestyle program, and after 2 1/2 months his lab tests showed the following improvements:
- HGBA1C went from 8% to 7.1%
- Triglycerides dropped from 310 to 91
- LDL dropped from 106 to 92
- HDL went up from 36 to 55
- Cholesterol dropped from 204 to 165
- Weight dropped from 196 to 178 lbs
Much of the weight loss was in his waist and we know he lost fat, not muscle through body composition tests before and after. He reached his goal and he wrote:
“I feel very well and energetic. Dr. Husbands also performed a chiropractic adjustment on my back in a very comfortable manner. I am continuing with the diet and the supplements and have not had a problem with hunger pangs. But here is the best news. I have been able to eliminate entirely one diabetic medication (Actos) and am currently taking only ¼ the daily dose of the other medication (Glipizide). I have reviewed this with my medical provider (at Kaiser) and he is extremely pleased with the results. My daily glucose readings are routinely in the 90 – 110 range. Oh yes, as a kicker, my blood pressure is 119/60. This program is succeeding, and I am most pleased with the results to date. Thank you Dr. Husbands I could not be accomplishing these goals without your help.”
For assistance with your type 2 diabetes, call me at 650-593-4447 or contact me here.
Dr Husbands is a Chiropractor, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, an Anti-Aging Healthcare Practitioner and a Functional Medicine Doctor. For more information, visit http://www.drhusbands.com.
Copyright © 2009; Douglas Husbands, DC, CCN, ABAAHP. All rights reserved
Type 2 diabetes was also referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), or adult onset diabetes mellitus (AODM). In type 2 diabetes, patients can still produce insulin, but do so relatively inadequately for their body’s needs, particularly in the face of insulin resistance as discussed above. In many cases this actually means the pancreas produces larger than normal quantities of insulin. A major feature of type 2 diabetes is a lack of sensitivity to insulin by the cells of the body (particularly fat and muscle cells).
In addition to the problems with an increase in insulin resistance, the release of insulin by the pancreas may also be defective and suboptimal. In fact, there is a known steady decline in beta cell production of insulin in type 2 diabetes that contributes to worsening glucose control. (This is a major factor for many patients with type 2 diabetes who ultimately require insulin therapy.) Finally, the liver in these patients continues to produce glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis despite elevated glucose levels. The control of gluconeogenesis becomes compromised.
Yes Dentist Downey. However it has been my clinical experience that in all the type 2 diabetics that I have worked with who have stayed with the dietary and lifestyle modifications we have recommended, that none of them have progressed to require insulin therapy. Commitment and compliance with making the dietary changes a way of life and proper use of supplementation, along with lifestyle modifications have consistently resulted in resolution of type 2 diabetes.