For anyone who has experienced shingles, or been around someone who has, you know this can be an incredibly painful condition. Symptoms include rash, hives, and nerve pain. Shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. This virus tends to hide, or almost hibernate, in nerve cells long after someone has recovered from chickenpox, and can re-emerge as shingles down the line. In this episode, Dr. Hyman sits down with Dr. George Papaicolaou to discuss why supporting the immune system is so critical when it comes to preventing and treating shingles, and much more.
George Papanicolaou is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Abington Memorial Hospital. He is also an Institute for Functional Medicine Practitioner. Upon graduation from his residency, he joined the Indian Health Service. He worked on the Navajo reservation for 4 years at the Chinle Comprehensive Medical Facility where he served as the Outpatient Department Coordinator. In 2000, he founded Cornerstone Family Practice in Rowley, MA. He practiced with a philosophy centered on personal relationships and treating the whole person, not just not the disease. He called that philosophy “Whole Life Wellness”. Over time as the healthcare system made it harder for patients to receive this kind of personal care, Dr. Papanicolaou decided a change was needed. He began training in Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional Medicine. In 2015, he established Cornerstone Personal Health – a practice dedicated entirely to Functional Medicine. Dr. Papanicolaou joined The UltraWellness Center in 2017.
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First to comment. I’m just recovering from shingles, and still in so much pain. Just in time, thank you❤️
From having shingles so many times I now have neuralgia
I had it. Now, I thank you for your functional intervention.
I’m 30 now but I had shingles when I was 24. I lost a lot of family/friends growing up, had a lot of other traumas throughout school ages, and at the time of the shingles had just lost my best friend and a 1st cousin. At the same time, I was heavily in debt, just dropped out of college reluctantly, and just went through a rough break up. The shingles were painful enough to where I couldn’t even hardly wear a T-Shirt or sleep with a blanket.
Doctor told me I was the youngest person he’d seen with shingles and told me that it was due to stress.
Yes I agree it’s all down to stress, my life is been very stressful the last 9 years, I need to try and handle my stress levels so the neuralgia stays dormant but it’s not that easy when dealing with certain family members.
@Susan Colclough I understand the family aspect well! I’m sorry that you’re having to have stress with family when they’re supposed to be a shoulder to lean on. I lost my dad when I was 7 and my own mom was such a cause of my stress since then that finally at 24/25 I realized that we just couldn’t communicate any longer or have a relationship (after opening up to her, trying to get her to seek therapy, etc).
It’s not my ideal life not having her in it, especially since she’s still alive, but my life is so much more stress free now after blocking her from my phone, email, socials, and just becoming as stoic as I can about the situation.
I hope things turn around for you! Healthy diet, exercise, proper hydration, and reducing stress levels goes a long way.
Good luck! You got this!
Thank you for your commitment to help us!!
Now that fresh Aloe Vera is locally available I blend a juice of 1 whole organic lemon, 2×2 fresh aloe gel, ginger, a handful of parsley, stevia, and 6-8 ounces of water. It’s very alkalizing and refreshing. I drink it every day and have the aloe vera on hand in case of a herpes simplex 1 outbreak. So far, so good! (no shingles this year)
We went to those ChickenPox party~ So that All 5 of us would get it at one time, so Mom wouldn’t have to miss work for 5 weeks with all different times.
☼ Shingles type SKIN pain – but with NO RASH — from a spinal adjustment ..??..
I was wondering this as well. I had the sensitive skin but no rash and not the severe nerve pain. I had shingles a few years ago and this new pain was all post spinal adjustment recently. I now have deep muscular pain in the same area of my upper back. I thought my shingles came back but no rash or nerve pain.
@Michelle Hernandez Oh wow … so you know what I’m talking about! I’ve had this same SKIN pain happen twice now .. both after a spinal adjustment. No rash but the way they describe the shingles skin pain symptoms is what I experience. I didn’t get a rash either of the two times I’ve experienced it. The skin pain eventually goes away — like 3-4 wks — so not terribly worried about it… just wanted to find a clear explanation as to WHY it happens.
Just getting over the shingles. Started on my neck and moved up my jawline and lower jaw. The rash was minimal but the pain was pretty intense. Radiated to chin, back of neck and in the ear. Oh gosh, was that ever painful! Have been doing Keto for 2 1/2 years. I think that really helped with it only lasting a few days. Still have the funky looking rash on my neck buts it is slowly getting better. Thank you so much for this valuable information!
Is the shingles vaccine recommended? I received the first dose about five months ago. I am in good heath, and had chicken pox as a child.
The day before the shingles rash started, I woke up with the word “ashwagandha” repeating in my mind. It took me a few days to realize the rash was shingles. I then had a dream showing me killing the shingles virus (symbolized by a spider) with repeated stabs of vitamin C over 3 days. I took liposomal C 3 times a day for 3 days and the rash stopped progressing. I also took ashwagandha for several months afterwards.
Of course, just like the case study example in this video, I had underlying gut issues, including H-pylori, SIBO and candida overgrowth to address too.
I had shingles a few years ago at age 32. I hope to keep it suppressed forever. It was so painful. I was under a lot of stress at the time. I am always looking for natural ways to prevent it from returning.
Just got over shingles.
Just getting over Shingles. Frightened Dr when he first saw how bad it was. I used fresh aloe on skin with great results.