(Editor’s Note: This is part one of a profile feature on Dr. Irving Ramirez Avila)
Those who know me well have been hearing a growing number of complaints about my neck. Never ask me, “How are you feeling?” because I’ll tell you. At length.
The short story is I have very little cartilage left in my cervical spine, so any time I move my head, it causes pain. Sometimes breathtaking, short-lived but worse pain, but it is always there. So, what to do?
I began with the obvious first step – drugs! Nsaids; opiates; they all work for a minute. One of them gave me seven hours of no pain; that was bliss. The next time I took the same, it worked for four hours; the third time, an hour. Not a fix, for sure.
My lovely Imss doctor ordered X-Rays, which confirmed missing cartilage and that my spine was curved the wrong way. He also sent me to a traumatologist who said no to surgery and told me to gain some weight and to do push-ups against a wall instead of the floor. No fixes here either.
Several people I know have had stem cell procedures – most with roaring success- so I contacted my friend Mikel Alvarez, the owner of Thrive Iv & MedSpa. The consensus from that consult was that I was a good candidate for stem cells, but the doctor was away overseas until the end of September.
Minutes later, on the street, I bumped into an old friend and colleague, Loren Hayes, who is married to Dr. Irving Ramirez. Loren made the mistake of asking how I felt, then set up an appointment with Irving within minutes.
I hadn’t seen the good doctor in a few years, and we spent more than an hour talking about my neck problems. He asked related questions about my diet, exercise, sleep patterns, and what analgesics I was taking. It seemed, although he has a busy practice, as if I were his only patient.
I should add that Irving is a Mexican physician from Tepic, and also a Naturopath. The latter certification came from the social service all Mexican doctors must complete. Irving was sent to work in a drug rehab/addiction center and was shocked to find he was expected to switch one drug addiction to another, get them off heroin and on to methadone, with no cure in the offing. The nutrition was appalling, with patients consuming massive amounts of sugar. Within weeks, he found a now-defunct naturopathic school in Vallarta, and after the first class he knew he had finally found his path.
Irving employs many modalities in his wellness practice, including acupuncture, Reiki, Neural Therapy, Mesotherapy, Ozone Therapy, Platelet-Rich Plasma, and many more. He jumps at every chance to expand his knowledge of healing and wellness, often traveling to conferences in Mexico City. His mind is wide open, and his curiosity never wanes, the same as his degree of compassion.
My herbalist, Ricardo Mazcal, got me taking 10 grams of gelatin daily, about eight months ago. That has reduced the incredible racket in my head whenever I moved to a dull roar. I kept asking people if they could hear my neck bones and things cracking when they were nearby. No, they said. Impossible, said I. That was step one in recovery, that I will likely do forever, despite being vegetarian.
Step Two began with that first visit with Irving almost two weeks ago and coincided with my returning to Central Gym on Morelos. My sister Patrice politely pointed out that I had been going downhill steadily since I quit the gym 15 months ago.
Treatment with Irving began with a half-teaspoon of Hydrolyzed Collagen (Dr. Irving’s label) per day, ongoing, and a couple of god-awful shots of ozone, plus another syringe full of arnica, calendula, other herbs, and goodies.
In a nutshell, there’s no easy fix, but I believe I can make some inroads with Irving’s help. Week two is done, and I have noticed more mobility, like maybe two millimeters in either direction. Talk about baby steps!
To be continued!
Find Dr. Irving Ramirez, Naturopath, by appointment only, 322 167 7570, in two locations:
Francisco Villa 424, Edificio Lord Twigg, Colonia Lazaro Cardenas, Puerto Vallarta
Jacarandas 86, esquina con Invierno, Colonia Buenos Aires, Bucerias, Nayarit
