Arthritis Life
How can Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine Help People with Rheumatic Diseases? With Dr. Yu
Episode Summary
Dr. Micah Yu shares his journey with gout and spondyloarthritis, and explains how lifestyle changes (such as diet) and integrative medicine can help people with rheumatic diseases. This episode includes in depth discussions about the benefits of a plant-based diet, ways to reduce fatigue, the importance of collaboration between patients and providers, and how Dr. Yu helps determine the best path for his patients (medicines and/or natural alternatives).
Episode Notes
Speaker biographies:
Dr. Micah Yu is double board-certified in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine. He obtained his MD from Chicago Medical School and holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration and Biomedical sciences. He completed his internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at Loma Linda University in Southern California. He has been accepted with a full scholarship to the Andrew Weil Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona. Dr. Yu has a very unique perspective on autoimmune disease and arthritis as he is both a patient with arthritis and a physician.
Cheryl Crow is an occupational therapist who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for seventeen years. Her life passion is helping others with rheumatoid arthritis figure out how to live a full life despite arthritis, by developing tools to navigate physical, emotional and social challenges. She formed the educational company Arthritis Life in 2019 after seeing a huge need for more engaging, accessible, and (dare I say) FUN patient education and self-management resources.
Medical disclaimer: All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Links to things discussed in the episode:
- Dr Micah Yu website /socials
- Dr Yu’s Recommended reading / viewing:
- Arthritis Foundation episode on CBD
- Cheryl’s Arthritis Life freebies:
- Cheryl’s Arthritis Life social media pages:
- Cheryl’s free Facebook group: Arthritis Life Podcast, Practical Tips & Positive, Realistic Support
- This episode is brought to you by the Rheumatoid Arthritis Roadmap, an intensive online education and support program Cheryl created to empower people with the tools to confidently manage their social, emotional and physical life with rheumatoid arthritis.
Here's the show breakdown:
- 01:15 - Rheumatologist Dr. Yu’s journey first with gout, then diffuse joint pain while in medical school, then a diagnosis of spondyloarthritis during his fellowship.
- 4:30 - What made Dr. Yu want to pursue Rheumatology.
- 6:00 - Dr. Yu pursues Integrative Medicine and the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine with the help of his wife, also a physician. He adopts a whole food, plant based vegan diet and experiences huge improvements shown in lab work, pain levels and overall weight within 2-3 months.
- 8:28 - Dr. Yu explains what “Integrative Medicine” is and explains the process he’s going through to get board certified in it, including learning about Chinese medicine, ayurveda, herbal medicine and more.
- 9:51 - Dr. Yu explains what the newer field of “Lifestyle Medicine” is, and the overlap between the two.
- 10:30 - How can an appointment with an integrative medicine Rheumatologist differ from an appointment with a typical Rheumatologist? Discussions of nutrition, sleep, stress and whether medications are necessary.
- 12:00 - Cheryl and Dr. Yu discuss the importance of each patient’s treatment plan being individualized and customized to them, and how it can be a source of confusion for newly diagnosed patients when they see that someone else with their “same” diagnosis has a different treatment plan. For example, one person with severe disease who is afraid of medication might be confused why another patient (with more mild disease) was told they could avoid meds.
- 15:08 - Dr. Yu answers some of the most frequently asked questions about diet and rheumatic disease (vegan diet, plant based, Mediterranean, Paleo and more). Explanation of the influence of the gut microbiome on autoimmune disease
- 18:50 - Dr. Yu explains which supplements can help with rheumatic diseases and inflammation.
- 20:15- Dr. Yu shares tips for fatigue.
- 21:30- Definition of “Functional Medicine” and his recommendations on finding a provider with valid credentials.
- 23:35 - Cheryl and Dr. Yu discuss the importance of sleep, ruling out a sleep disorder and how poor sleep contributes to fatigue and inflammation.
- 24:45 - Dr. Yu discusses evidence for THC and CBD for it’s anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties.
- 26:00 - Is it hard being a patient and provider in Rheumatology? How Dr. Yu’s passion pushes him through the long hours!
- 28:45 - If Dr. Yu could change anything about Medical School, what would he do?
- 30:00 - Reflections on how the gray areas in between Integrative / Natural medicine and Western Medicine can be difficult for patients who have anxiety about their condition. How Dr. Yu finds a middle ground with his patients - combining medicines and natural alternatives.
- 31:30 - Dr. Yu’s message to patients who are afraid of medications.
- 33:25 - How do you find a Rheumatologist who also has an Integrative Medicine board certification?
- 34:45 - Where can people find Dr. Yu online?