Dr. Mikiko Murakami

At Spine & Sports Medical Group, we have been doing our best to keep up with these unprecedented times. I am currently doing a hybrid practice of Video Telemedicine and in-person clinic visits. The OR is fully opened for all procedures. The regional hospitals have announced that the hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have decreased. This is great news, but I want you to remain cautious. As we head into winter, we don’t know how this virus will spread, and Influenza will ma...ke its annual guest appearance. There is no need to live in fear. Just be prepared. In the meantime, here are things you can try at home: https://www.myyogaworks.com/ - I love this yoga website. For $15/month, you get unlimited classes, you can filter by type of class, duration, body part, etc. For beginners, I recommend Yin, Restorative or Ayengar. If you want more of a workout, try Vinyasa. Parents - there are also classes for kids! It’s a great way to workout with your children. 14-day free trial. https://www.curablehealth.com/ - I learned about this site from a patient a few years ago. She had neck and arm pains, migraines and limited abilities to hold her baby. She reported no pain after using this app. For those in chronic pain, you can train your brain to work around your pains. Try it out. It has great modules for mood and sleep issues, too. Free pain science lessons and sample exercises. https://sciatica.org/?page_id=964 Dr. Loren Fishman, physiatrist in NYC, has been teaching yoga for specific injuries. This physician is a master. He studied with Iyengar in India in the 60’s before becoming a physician. Free! We are all riding these times through together. Now is the time for you to reach out if you need help, or to reach out if you can offer help.

Regarding the WHO’s Immunity Passport Article - with Video interview below (7 min) On April 24, 2020, the WHO announced in an article titled Immunity Passports in the Context of Covid-19 that there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection. This statement by the WHO may create questions, and I’m hoping to clarify Covid-19 testing by reviewing PCR and Covid-19 antibody testing. ...Continue reading

LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER: ANTIBODY TESTING ROLL-OUT Does anyone have any specific leads to people that are planning for the Covid-19 antibody test roll-out? I am in Santa Clara County and am looking to help locally first. I have tried reaching out to the CDC, Santa Clara County, Stanford REDCap but I don't know anyone personally.... This is a very important first step before we loosen our reigns on Shelter In Place. There are countries that are battling the 2nd wave of Coronavirus and we certainly don't want to repeat this. Please let me know if you know of any direct leads.

MEET OBI LIVE and MAY CLINIC/OR TIME Since most of you have heard about Obi, our bearded dragon, I thought I would show you an interview he did with me. He is a very famous and popular dragon so I was honored to get some air time Also, although I will continue to do Telemedicine for now, there will be some days open in May for injections in the OR and in-person clinic appointments. ... Please call 408.364.1616 to schedule Thank you all so much for your patience while we all continue to Shelter in Place!

TELEMEDICINE DURING CORONAVIRUS Dear Patients: I have setup Telemedicine capabilities so we can see one another virtually while honoring the "Shelter In Place" protocol. For now, the CDC is allowing physicians to do all prescription refills after a video chat via phone or computer. You will not need any special software for this.... The steps for setting up a Telemedicine visit are easy: 1) Call our office 408-364-1616 to make an appointment. 2) Be prepared with your updated email address and pharmacy information. 3) You will be emailed a link you can open up on your smart phone or your computer, to do a video chat. 4) All prescriptions will be filled electronically for you to pick-up at your pharmacy. 5) After we are done, my staff will call you to set a follow-up appointment. I will not be accepting new patients during this time so I can take care of all of you. In addition, all hands-on osteopathy, acupuncture, and clinic injections will be cancelled. I thank you in advance for understanding. Our surgery center will remain open but in a restricted manner. I can still follow through with injections, depending on your age, health status, etc. You will be contacted individually regarding this. Your health and safety are #1. Call 408-364-1616 with any questions, and my staff will direct you. Please cozy-up and stay well!

Here is a visual representation of Social Distancing: https://www.washingtonpost.com//2/world/corona-simulator/ IMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS With this infection rate that is beyond containment, the best you can do is be prepared! ... - Things to consider in your medicine cabinet: Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin B Complex, ALA. (NAD, Magnesium, Calcium, Ashwaganda, Echinacea, Omega 3, are also some on our list). - Exercise, sleep, eat healthy. Worried about food supply? Remember that intermittent fasting has been shown to be beneficial for your health. MEDICINE CABINET My personal philosophy is not to immediately suppress my fever so my immune system has a chance to fight any virus but call your doctor if you are not sure! Please do call your doctor if you have (Temperature > 102F, shortness of breath, a dry cough). For symptom control, it is handy to have: Elderberry syrup (cough), Tylenol, Ibuprofen, sleep aid and a humidifier for your bedroom. We, here, at our residence have very high-end COVID-19 Security to make sure nobody enters our house. He will give you the silent treatment if you come 6 feet within proximity of us.

CORONA VIRUS UPDATE (3/12/20) - WHAT TO DO IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY FOR PATIENTS AND DOCTORS PATIENTS Call Santa Clara County Public Health. * Tel: 408-885-3980... If you call in, and have one of the following symptoms: high fever > 102F, respiratory symptoms (shortness of breath, not your usual asthma or allergies), or a dry cough, you will be asked to go to see a physician in Urgent Care (not the ED) to further assess. From there, your physician will call the County's physician hotline based on certain criteria. If you don't have these symptoms, stay at home and self monitor! You are also more susceptible to get other bugs when you are sick, and will be also sharing yours with our community, so please stay home! Remember, most otherwise healthy individuals that get COVID-19 will be fine. Social distancing is super cool right now. PHYSICIANS If you call the number above, they will give you a direct physician hotline (or transfer you). If your patient is: hospitalized, elderly, immune compromised, or a symptomatic health care worker with exposure to COVID-19, then they *may* be eligible for testing and the County will work with the provider to get the specimen. Current County's lab turn around is at least 48h. To note, Labcorp and Quest are now offering testing but I don't know what the turnaround time is. Some regional hospitals will give you the wrong information if you call their ED and you will go around in circles. The County is working to clarify this mis-information. Call the County first! STATUS Good Samaritan Hospital and Stanford are at full ICU capacity. Unlike UCSF, no plans of expanding capacity was relayed to me. Good Samaritan has no testing kits. Stanford has the ability to test the severely ill. FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY Sorry - I don't have any information. Physician colleagues, please take the time to do a practice drill so you can test the system and understand what the working protocol is. This is a 3/12/20 (9:45AM) update. Please note that things are changing daily.

*Latest news: Per Santa Clara Public Health - Staring 3/11/20 for 3 weeks, no mass gatherings* March 8, 2020 Corona Virus Update: Facts and Preparedness Please copy and paste the References and Links if sharing! ...Continue reading

Happy holidays to all of you. Thank you for being my patient, my friend, my supporter. I am wishing you a fabulous 2020 as this year comes to an end. I am currently traveling in Cambodia with my partner, and have ventured through Phenom Penh, Kampot, Koh Ta Kiev and now Siem Reap (city, town, island jungle, ruins). Many beautiful things in life are shared and free: a sunset, a smile, laughter, the ocean, the wind, a kitten in the jungle adopting us for the night. There ar...e spirit houses (alters) everywhere, birds singing complicated songs, delicious fruit, affordable massages, miles and miles of peaceful rice patty fields, a plethora of street vendors. I swam with bioilluminscent plankton of the night ocean, glittering stars on my skin, with galaxies of stars beaming brightly from above. Behind the beauty and the serenity I am privileged enough to experience, I am reminded every day of the inequality that prevails. How was I lucky enough to be born with a head start and end up loving what I do? There are so many people who are working much harder, just to be able to get education, have clean water, have clothing. I have been watching how people truly live off the land, having children and elders work because they have no other choice. People travel to Thailand just to get medical care. Not so long ago, the elite and educated were killed and/or tortured, and survivors still carry these physical and emotional scars. Despite all of this, I see families and friends having time to laugh together - the people here have beautiful smiles and twinkles in their eyes. Laughter is something I notice the most. I have travelled to many countries but this particular trip is leaving a deeper impression on me. It is making me re-think what happiness is, and how to balance evolution with the preservation of our planet. The space for gratitude in my heart has also expanded exponentially. Setting intentions for the new year. See you in 2020!

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS Happy autumn! I love the summer but also the cool energy that the fall brings as we settle into our hearts. I’m bringing up earthquakes this month because the likelihood we will have a big earthquake is very high. Some days, I live in denial, as if it won’t happen. This weekend, we finally got really prepared! I thought it would be useful to share what we did so you don’t to have to recreate the wheel. ...Continue reading

Regenerative Medicine: Facts versus Myths + Now Affordable! There has been a growing interest and research to support regenerative medicine. Steroid injections are currently used to reduce inflammation, with the downside of breaking down muscle, bone, cartilage and tissue if used repeatedly. The good news is that there is literature to support long-term benefits (compared to steroid) for conditions such as lateral epicondylitis, knee osteoarthritis or spinal disc degeneration...Continue reading

NEVER TOO LATE I recently attended a regenerative medicine conference to learn more about the science and current applications for healing pain in the spine and joints. PRP, stem cell therapy, exosomes -- it's new & exciting, requiring continued research, but promising! I love seeing the different generations teaching one another at conferences. It is so wonderful to see some of my older mentors continuing to learn, not be afraid of being a beginner. I've even witnessed s...ome of the wiser ones go from novice to teacher in a matter of years! The first time I felt too old to do something, I was 26. I watched a fire dancer and thought, I am too old to learn this. I then became a fire performer with some of my favorite people: Rachel Thomas, Wendy Golden, Sarah Jean, Carlos Bohike Taíno, Jezza C Sanders, David Sundy, Bosso Niña, Tracy Windisch, Treasure De La Cruz, Austin Cable, Gustavo Alcantar -- too many to list. This was the first memorable adult moment of realizing that we all start as beginners, at everything we do. When I was 27, I had a rather early mid-life crisis. I was doing IT work at high-tech companies and not loving it. I turned to a friend, Dan Mapes, and asked about the heart in relation to the mind and he said, Let your heart decide what to do, and your brain will figure out to do it. I started an integrative medicine company shortly after that. I learned an important lesson - when you follow your heart and you are doing a good thing, the universe truly provides. The next time I wondered if I was too old was in my 30’s. When I proclaimed to my friend, Lynne Sandler, If I apply to medical school now, I’m going to be THIRTY SEVEN by the time I am doctor! Her response was priceless, You will be 37 anyway. (Major person to thank in my life for enabling me to become a physician: Sasha Robinson. Lesson: always be grateful for your angels.) As I approached 37, I realized I forgot to pre-calculate on the additional years for residency training. Sometimes, ignorance can be bliss.

CREATE LASTING CHANGE It’s so hard to create lasting change. Here are some tips for this 2019. There is still time to fulfill your new year's resolutions! 1. Reality Check: No regrets; embrace your past. Take a snapshot of where you are at today, whether it be your health, your weight, your career goals, your financial goals, your daily pains. You may want to keep a log. ... 2. Open up about your challenges: You will be happily surprised to communicate what you are going through. Most people have a soft spot for being empathic and by speaking up, you are acknowledging where you are at. 3. No more To Do lists: Schedule things into your calendar. This way, you have a task assigned to moment in time and don’t have to be overwhelmed by a looking at a list of things you haven’t done. 4. Under-commit and over-deliver: why set yourself up for disappointment? Set a goal, half it and write it down. If you do more than half, then awesome! It’s so easy to say, I’m going to exercise every day. If you aren’t exercising at all, why not say you will exercise 2x/week and be stoked if you exercise more? 5. Accountability buddy: if you have specific goals you want to achieve, get an accountability buddy. Texting can be a great thing. Be honest there will be weeks you are great at achieving your goals and other weeks you can do better. 6. Physical chart on your fridge: this may sound very kindergarten but it will help you be accountable. We have one on our fridge with columns for each person. We get to cross of the items we accomplished during the day. It feels great to cross things off with an old-school pen. 7. If you fall, get back up: we all have this thing called life. If you fall, cry and release, but don’t stay down. Pick yourself up, get help if you need it, and keep moving forward because that's the only way you can go. There is no such thing as failure if you try. Failures are a part of your success. On my daily fridge chart: drink more water, exercise, read, plant-based diet. I'm going to work more on my fitness, aches and pains. Check in with me next year!