Ever wonder why insurance companies make healthcare so frustrating? Join us on this episode of the Berman Method Podcast as Jake and Jenni uncover the inefficiencies and denials that plague the insurance system, particularly in physical therapy. Discover why our PT business opts out of insurance, and learn about the heavy administrative burdens and financial costs that come with it. We also break down how insurance-based physical therapy often pigeonholes treatment to a specific area, ignoring the interconnectedness of the body, and how this compromised approach can impact patient outcomes. Plus, we drop hints about some exciting family news coming this November.
Switching gears, we tackle the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatments, shedding light on the subjects of intimacy and stress. Find out how addressing gut health through food sensitivity testing and eliminating problematic foods like gluten, dairy, eggs, and certain nuts played a pivotal role in naturally restoring menstrual cycles and boosting fertility. Reflecting on our commitment to holistic health, we highlight how these natural dietary changes offered a more sustainable path to fertility compared to synthetic medications. Join us for an eye-opening conversation that underscores the importance of a holistic approach to health and wellness.
Check Us Out On Social Media - Facebook: @bermanwellness , @physicaltherapynaples, @Berman Golf Instagram: @berman_wellness, @bermanphysicaltherapy , @Berman Golf Youtube: Berman Golf, Berman Physical Therapy TikTok: Bermangolf, Bermanwellness
Email us - drberman@bermanpt.com jenni@bermanwellness.com
Check out our website - www.bermanpt.com www.bermanpt.com/wellness www.bermangolf.com
Ever wonder why insurance companies make healthcare so frustrating? Join us on this episode of the Berman Method Podcast as Jake and Jenni uncover the inefficiencies and denials that plague the insurance system, particularly in physical therapy. Discover why our PT business opts out of insurance, and learn about the heavy administrative burdens and financial costs that come with it. We also break down how insurance-based physical therapy often pigeonholes treatment to a specific area, ignoring the interconnectedness of the body, and how this compromised approach can impact patient outcomes. Plus, we drop hints about some exciting family news coming this November.
Switching gears, we tackle the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatments, shedding light on the subjects of intimacy and stress. Find out how addressing gut health through food sensitivity testing and eliminating problematic foods like gluten, dairy, eggs, and certain nuts played a pivotal role in naturally restoring menstrual cycles and boosting fertility. Reflecting on our commitment to holistic health, we highlight how these natural dietary changes offered a more sustainable path to fertility compared to synthetic medications. Join us for an eye-opening conversation that underscores the importance of a holistic approach to health and wellness.
Check Us Out On Social Media - Facebook: @bermanwellness , @physicaltherapynaples, @Berman Golf Instagram: @berman_wellness, @bermanphysicaltherapy , @Berman Golf Youtube: Berman Golf, Berman Physical Therapy TikTok: Bermangolf, Bermanwellness
Email us - drberman@bermanpt.com jenni@bermanwellness.com
Check out our website - www.bermanpt.com www.bermanpt.com/wellness www.bermangolf.com
Speaker 1:
This is the Berman Method podcast, featuring Dr Jake Berman and physician assistant Jenny Berman. We are here to treat problems and not symptoms. Disclaimer this podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not to treat anyone or to give medical advice. If you are interested in any information that we are giving and would like to use this for yourself, we recommend that you contact your primary care physician or reach out to us and ask us questions about yourself specifically. Enjoy.
Speaker 2:
And we're rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling for the Berman Method podcast, focused on treating problems and not symptoms. Dr Jake Berman, here with my beautiful co-host.
Speaker 1:
Jenny Berman, physician assistant.
Speaker 2:
Here we are again, baby. We're focused on clarity, right, getting clarity on what's actually causing this problem. We're, david, going against Goliath, where Goliath is the corporate medical system, the insurance companies. They are focused on profits over patient outcomes. Every single time I see it at least on a weekly basis, if not a daily basis, where somebody's procedure gets denied, it's like what Well, they got denied because it wasn't medically necessary. Are you freaking, kidding me? What wasn't medically necessary about this?
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
And it's just this giant game where the insurance companies are trained to deny everything on the first go around. It is one of the number one reasons why I don't personally take insurance in my PT business, because if I were, I would have to literally hire a minimum of two full-time employees who only did the arguing on the phone. Their only job is to argue with health insurance companies on the phone to get paid for the services. So all you people out there that are frustrated with me not taking your freaking crappy insurance, go to the physical therapy clinic that does take your insurance and ask them how many people do you have on staff to deal with reimbursement from your insurance companies? Then you do the math. You do the math on what it costs to employ those people Total employee benefit package, not just salary.
Speaker 2:
I'm going on a rant right now because I'm all jacked up and then you think about that with me and tell me there's only two ways that you can do that. You either skyrocket the prices, the cost to you, so that I can pay for it, or you decrease the service that you're going to get so that I can see multiple of you an hour. And that's what's happening. We just had one last week and it's funny. It doesn't make me mad or anything, I just laugh because it's only a matter of time before she comes back.
Speaker 2:
I met this lady last week, lives three blocks away from the office. There is nothing, nothing that she couldn't afford to pay for if she truly wanted to. She's got no money issues at all and she comes in. We have a great first session. I'm 100% confident I can help her and she just wasn't sold. She's like no, I'm going to go somewhere else because they take my insurance and I'm going. Okay, I'll see you in six months because it's not going to be better. This lady is a high performer and she's going to go to the cookie cutters R Us and they're going to give her a list of stretches and exercises that she could get off of Google if she wanted to, and she's going to go through the gauntlet and she's like all right, yeah, insurance paid for it. I did physical therapy and she's not going to be any better.
Speaker 1:
Right because they're not spending the time to treat the problem, and we've said this many, many times before. But with insurance-based, specifically physical therapy, they are tied to what your referral says you're treating. So if you're coming in with ankle pain, they have to treat your ankle. They can't go up the ladder and see what's going on at the knee, at the hip, at the back, to really identify the problem. They can't even look at the foot to see if the foot's causing it. They have to look at the ankle and 99% of the time that's not where the problem is coming from often.
Speaker 2:
And when people come in and I ask them, why did you come here? Because they were at the cookie cutters they said, well, I had a knee issue, but the prescription only said knee. And I also had a back issue and they couldn't help me with my back because the prescription only said knee and I want help with both and I'm going. That's so odd to me Because that's what we do. We treat the whole entire body. You've got a neck issue and it could. So odd to me, yeah, because that's what we do. We treat the whole entire body. You've got a neck issue and it could quite possibly be because your ankle is not doing what it's supposed to be doing, right Like that's not an exaggeration, it's happened in the past. So, anyways, now that I'm off this rant, what did we really want to talk about today? It was something exciting and important, wasn't it? I don't even remember what was it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I think it was some exciting news.
Speaker 2:
And it was important right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I would classify as important. Not everybody would, but I think I would and you would, and it's exciting. It is exciting, like how exciting On a scale of zero to 10?.
Speaker 2:
Yes 12. So I'm so excited that I just can't hide it, you can't hide it. What does it have to do with? What's the topic?
Speaker 1:
Jenny and Jake.
Speaker 2:
It has to do with Jenny and Jake.
Speaker 1:
The Bermans, actually Just the Bermans.
Speaker 2:
Has to do with the Bermans.
Speaker 1:
Uh-huh.
Speaker 2:
Okay, can you give me a little more information on what it? Another hint what else does it have to do with?
Speaker 1:
November.
Speaker 2:
Okay, it has to do with the Bermans, it has to do with November. Is it Thanksgiving Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1:
We could be thankful for it. Oh, or we will be thankful for it, or we are thankful for it.
Speaker 2:
We are thankful for it, so it's about the Bermans. It's about November, which is approximately how many months away.
Speaker 1:
Less than six.
Speaker 2:
Okay. So we've got an exciting announcement that's coming out right in the next couple of seconds. That is something really cool happening six months from now, in the month of November.
Speaker 1:
Less than six months, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Less than six months from now.
Speaker 1:
And it has nothing to do with hunting season.
Speaker 2:
Oh, I was so excited. It has nothing to do with hunting season Okay, I'm not excited anymore. What is it season? Okay, I'm not excited anymore. What is it?
Speaker 1:
Are you going to give me a drumroll, or what?
Speaker 2:
The anticipation is killing me, drumroll. Can you hear this on the microphone?
Speaker 1:
I don't know, alright.
Speaker 2:
What is it?
Speaker 1:
Berman number three joining the. Berman family Number three, november 2024.
Speaker 2:
There's a baby in your belly.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, according to Stella, my belly's getting big. Mommy. Why that big old belly? That's what she said to me one morning and I was like, well, I guess we're not hiding this anymore, are we? Mommy, why that big old belly?
Speaker 2:
It was popping. It was almost like it happened overnight it did. It's like wait a second Now we're popping.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, can't hide that anymore.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so we're super excited. Baby number three is coming your way in november. This was planned for the. I know that there's some people out there going. Was this planned? Yes it was planned. We are married. This was the goal. This wasn't just like, oh shit, we partied too hard last night. The timing wasn't planned. We weren't expecting it to happen this soon, because historically, we've really struggled to make this happen, right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and I think you know we can be a little bit more vulnerable and tell why we weren't really expecting the timing of this, but we had tried after Vera was born and she was well over a year old. She was about well, no, she wasn't quite a year old yet, she was like nine months old and we had decided that, okay, we are going to want a third one and, knowing my history, we decided that we better start moving forward with the process now, as opposed to waiting another six months or so and not knowing you know when when we were going to be able to make it happen move forward with the process, like well, it's a little more with me and you, rather than just the action of making it happen Like I have to usually have some assistance to get myself re-regulated Used to yes.
Speaker 1:
So typically I'm talking about typically right.
Speaker 1:
That's why we had the conversation. Nine months after she was born, nine months after Sol was born, I was like no way not ready, need more time, like not even in the cards. But nine months after Vera, I was like, okay, we can start thinking about this and, knowing that I typically need some assistance to get the process going again, we started talking about it. We went back to the OB, we, you know, we're making some adjustments in our lifestyle so that we can start heading that direction. And we, that time got very quickly pregnant very fast and actually lost that baby at Christmas of this past year, 2023. So move forward the next couple of months. And I again was not regulated well coming off of a miscarriage, which is where the timing kind of surprised us.
Speaker 2:
So let's be a little more explicit for the guys listening out there, because I don't know that the guys completely comprehend or understand what you're saying. Regulated mean like regular menstrual cycles, and having regular menstrual cycles is essentially how you can get pregnant is. I know that my last cycle was this, so 22 days from that is our window three day.
Speaker 2:
There's a three day window typically for ovulation so this is the typical traditional, quote-unquote, normal path to pregnancy, and because you are not having regular cycles, it was like I have no idea right what's going on right now. So are we covering the spread or not? Are we doing it every single day, or do we know which three days we're doing it?
Speaker 2:
right right kind of thing. And then the icing on the cake was my sister's getting married in september. So we're going out to montana, we're in the wedding and we're like, okay, we can't. We've got to revolve this pregnancy around this big, non-negotiable trip. So that's when we were saying, okay, we lost the one in December because the plan was to have that one out healthy living so that we could take it to the wedding in September. Now we're going to just take a break, we're going to just skip and hopefully do it literally make it happen, or try to make it happen in June or July so that we don't have to worry about any of this stuff. Well, there were other plans in the card.
Speaker 1:
Somebody else had other plans for us and again it was just challenging for us to be able to time everything with having irregular cycles and not being able to figure out exactly the ovulatory window. So now that we've gotten real vulnerable about my personal health, we are excited. We were planning the third one. We're not exactly planning the timing of a November baby, but we are excited nonetheless. Stella's really excited.
Speaker 2:
And why weren't we planning a November baby? Why is that so faux pas?
Speaker 1:
Well, it's prime hunting season, and here Jake is still trying to figure out when he's going to be able to go hunting in November. And I'm all, oh, good luck, you might be missing the delivery of your last baby, but whatever so one of our employees.
Speaker 2:
We broke the news to them, to the staff and one of our employees. We were talking about how this really is making hunting season challenging and she goes. Well, just do what my dad did for the first few years of my life. My birthday was in December. She was born in November, but because of hunting season, they just did her birthday in December and she goes. I never knew the difference.
Speaker 1:
Right, until she was six and figured out how to read a calendar and figured out her birthday was not actually in December.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
But we can certainly use that for for a little while. So but yeah, you know we're, we're definitely excited. We've had quite the fertility journey which most of you guys know about, and that's what has gotten me so into helping others with their fertility and infertility journey. Why I was certified as a fertility specialist through the Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine or a functional medicine group is so that we can really help people get through this journey of again. It's vulnerable, it's emotional.
Speaker 2:
Stressful.
Speaker 1:
Stressful. Yes, it's been quite a journey for us. I think we initially started trying to get pregnant with our first seven years ago. You know, eight years ago. It took us about four years to be able to have stella, but this is. We've had many pregnancies. We're hopeful that this will be number three coming to join us, but this is our seventh pregnancy total, so we've definitely been through it and know what it's like to go through the process but also have a much better understanding now of the areas that are helpful to be able to do it on our own. So you know, leading up to Stella, I was on so many medications and seeing specialists and taking injections and going for ultrasound after ultrasound until really figuring out my own gut health and that's where I was actually able to ovulate by myself for the first time was just prior to having Stella.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and that doesn't even mention the thousands and thousands of dollars that we spent on that process. But, more importantly, the thing that so many people don't talk about is the intimacy was just completely taken out of it, and I used to laugh when, before all of this happened with us. Personally, I used to laugh when people when my guy friends, when guys I knew said that they struggled having sex with their wife because they were going through this process and it was this timed process, and I was like, oh you, poor guy, you had to bang your wife. But I get it. I mean, when there is so much stress placed on the scenario and it's like, okay, we have to do it right here, right now.
Speaker 1:
Right the pressure, the timing, yeah.
Speaker 2:
And that's great when you're dating and it's spontaneous, but when it's planned and the stakes are so high and you're going there's literally $3,000 on this session right now it just sucks, Sucks, so bad. And as we've been going through this process years ago, I don't think that we were able to say black and white. The reason why we're able to get pregnant you're able to get pregnant on your own is 100% due to gut health.
Speaker 1:
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:
Now we can say it black and white right.
Speaker 1:
Right, and I still tell the story. I for years didn't ovulate on my own, didn't have my own menstrual cycles, took so many medications and injections and I actually got my first cycle, my first period since I was, like I don't know, 20 years old, three months after we did my food sensitivity testing and I actually eliminated the foods that my body was sensitive to three months later. And so, again, that shows you that your gut's not fixed a month later. And so again, that shows you that your gut's not fixed a month later. It's going to take a little bit more time, but that was the first time that I was like, oh wow, this has such a big impact on it. So if you're struggling with fertility or menstrual cycles in general, hormone imbalance, imbalances even if you're post-childbearing age and post-menopausal and feel that you're having a real issue with hormone imbalances and you can't take hormone replacement or you don't want to, which I understand look at your gut health. It's such a big part of it such a big part of it.
Speaker 2:
It's huge. And to go down the road, we got a whole podcast where we we told all the details on this fertility, infertility and fertility journey that we went through, so we'll have to link to that episode. I don't remember what it was.
Speaker 1:
Off the top of my head it was probably, I think, back in the fifties, but we'll find out. It was probably, I think, back in the 50s, but we'll find out.
Speaker 2:
In the 50s? Aren't we in like the 300s now, or 250s? Anyways, the important thing to note is it takes time to do it the right way. So the first thing that happened was Jenny cut out gluten and three months later she got her first cycle naturally. Prior to that, we had been taking medications and shots and injections from synthetically composed pharmaceuticals and putting all these fake drugs to fake her body into a menstrual cycle and into ovulation. And it was a trick, it's. All it was was tricking the body into doing something that it didn't want to do. It didn't want to do it naturally because it was in a state of fight or flight. It was in a state of inflammation, it was in a protective mode where the brain knew that the body was not capable of childbearing.
Speaker 1:
Right Wouldn't be a healthy pregnancy.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, or baby yeah. It wasn't a healthy environment to build a life.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Grow a person. Grow a person inside your body, so it didn't allow you to do it. So, three months after gluten-free, started getting your own cycle, but we didn't allow you to do it. So, three months after gluten-free, started getting your own cycle, but we didn't get pregnant then and dairy-free well then, later was the dairy. It wasn't at the same time, right? What is my timing off you're giving? Me these looks where you're like. No, I don't remember the story that way.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's okay, the point you're getting to the point of it, go ahead.
Speaker 2:
Well, it wasn't until so. You had been gluten-free for a while and then all of a sudden, it's like okay, this isn't good enough. Then you went dairy-free and it's like, okay, get in a cycle. And we got pregnant.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
There's the cliff notes.
Speaker 1:
Right, right, yes, so it was. Once we fully eliminated the sensitivities and not just the gluten, we kind of figured out through a guessing game initially, and then that's when I finally did my full sensitivity panel and found out about the dairy and the egg. And almond was a big one for me. Brazil nut, which I had been eating, because in the infertility world they tell you to pound Brazil nuts, that's what's going to increase, or help increase, fertility, along with pineapple. But these things were showing up on my sensitivity list and so it wasn't until I did my full sensitivity panel and elimination that we were actually again able to get a more reoccurring cycle and actually get pregnant off of it.
Speaker 2:
Yes, and I'm saying it was. I'm almost insinuating that it was instantaneous. It wasn't.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
You had to implement the changes and then months later, after the body actually healed, then it happened.
Speaker 1:
Right, right, correct.
Speaker 2:
No drugs, no IVF, none of this other stuff, just the natural way. And that's just our. We're not that's our way. We're not saying it's the right way. We just revolved our, we still revolve our entire lives around doing things the natural way. That I don't know how else to say it. I mean, it's just.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, the more holistic approach than the natural approach. And that's not to say that we still don't have our I don't want to say issues, but things that arise, like I've still had miscarriages since improving our gut health and being able to get pregnant. That was the first issue is I couldn't even get pregnant. Now I was able to get pregnant and I've still had miscarriages along the way. So we're still fine tuning and figuring out what is triggering that aspect of it, but we're given more opportunity and more ability, which is the big part.
Speaker 2:
Yes. So the big thing that I would like to wrap things up with on this particular episode is just spread the word Every time we talk about this subject. Spread the word because it's so common and it's easy for the older generation people in their 60s, 70s and 80s to look on our generation or people in their 20s and 30s and say why is it so frequent now? It's the same thing with gluten. I've never had a problem with gluten. Why is it so prevalent now? Well, because the diet has changed. Our food has changed, with all the pesticides and the GMOs. Things have changed and we are now seeing the effects of it versus people in their 60s, 70s and 80s. They were eating a much more healthy, basic, unaltered food.
Speaker 2:
So we're now dealing with it now, and the thing that everybody needs to know is that the answer might not be Western medicine with IUI and IVF and all of these Clomid drugs to try to trick your body into doing it. It might have to be done the old-fashioned way, which is more work. You can't just swipe a credit card and get a result. You have to actually put in the time and effort, and it could easily take six months, 12 months, two years, three years, in our case four years. I mean we had to figure it out, so hopefully it wouldn't take somebody else that long, because we've already done the hard work and the mistakes so that we can help other people learn from our mistakes. But doing it the right way is not always the fastest way.
Speaker 1:
Right and we've had a lot of success with our own clients coming in and, knowing my history and now that I am a certified fertility specialist, coming to us for help and I, the first thing I tell them when they come in is you have to be all in If we're going to do this sensitivity test. You have to be all in to go on this journey with me to be successful. If you're only you know 60% in, if you're only 80% in, you're not going to be as successful as quickly as you would be if you were a hundred percent all in. So, when it comes to the food elimination, to the different type of meal plan, to the supplements, we're going to make it as simple as possible for you. Again, this is what we do on a daily basis is figuring out meal plans that are going to work for you and your family and your lifestyle. But you have to be ready to trust the process with us and allow us to help you.
Speaker 2:
Exactly.
Speaker 1:
There we are, so baby Berman number three arriving in November. By the way, we went on the boat this weekend and we had friends with us and there was a little boy with us that is almost two and I picked him up to carry him to the boat and Vera just lost her mind. She was not happy about it and I was like, oh no, you're in for a rude awakening little girl Super jealous.
Speaker 2:
Did not like mama picking up somebody else.
Speaker 1:
So if you have any babies I can borrow for the next five months to get her used to. It might be helpful.
Speaker 2:
And stay tuned as we get closer. We will be having a competition, just like we did with vera, where we'll have some really good prizes for whoever wins, and it'll be something along the lines of guess the gender, because we're not finding out on this one, either boy or girl, so not finding that out. So guess the gender. Weight, length, due date, hair color, eye color name.
Speaker 1:
Can't really do eye color because they're all born with blue. But anyways, yeah, and the name yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so guessing as much as whoever gets the most right answers will win, and we'll have way more details on that competition as we get closer.
Speaker 1:
Perfect. So, by the way, those fertility podcasts where we went way more in depth with our story, podcast number 66 and podcast number 87. We talked about it on both of those.
Speaker 2:
So 66 and 87, refer back to those, because I know that if you yourself are not struggling with this, you know somebody that is struggling. It is so common right now we need to talk about it more Good.
Speaker 1:
Yes, ciao for now.
Speaker 2:
See you.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for subscribing on your social media and podcast platforms to the Berman Method Dr Jake Berman with Berman Physical Therapy and Jenny Berman, physician Assistant, with Berman Health and Wellness. You can find more information on our website wwwbermanptcom for physical therapy, bermanptcom forward slash wellness for the health and wellness. You can also find us on social media, facebook, instagram, and on your podcast platform, so be sure to follow us, like us, subscribe to us and, if you would like any further information, definitely visit our website and reach out to us. You may also find our free reports on the websites as well, where you can download this free information for yourself. Have a great day.
