My favorite instructor in both my Masters and Doctorate level education was Dr. Joe Coletto, a naturopathic physician/acupuncturist for 30 years in Portland, Oregon. The pearls of wisdom below come from him.
I’ve given this to my own patients over the years and it’s amazing the feedback I get from them who all say that when they go back for their post-op appointment, the surgeon says the same thing: “I’ve never seen anyone heal this quickly.” To which my patient always replies that it must be all the supplements their acupuncturist recommended. To which, without fail, no matter who the surgeon is, the surgeon replies, “Nah, must be a coincidence.” Literally, like every time, I hear this same exact experience. It always makes me laugh.
Here is a list of supplements, none of them unusual or expensive and all are easily found on Amazon.
Pre- & Post-Surgery Treatments:
- Start 7-10 days prior to surgery and maintain 7-10 post-surgery
- Also, don’t eat potatoes the week before surgery as nightshades may block anesthesia.
1. Bromelain (An anti-inflammatory agent from pineapples)
- 500mg 3xday btw meals (3xday is very important for Bromelain, not just 2xday)
- 1800mcu potency
2. Vitamin C (another anti-inflammatory)
- 1000mg 3xday
3. Zinc (Helps wound healing)
- 15 mg 3xday or 50mg once a day
4. Copper (Used to balance the zinc above because zinc can drive down HDL and drive up LDL levels with dosage above RDA for over a week)
- 1-2mg once a day
5. Bilberry (Strengthens vessels, increases blood circulation)
- 120-160mg 3xday
6. Gotu Kola (Increases collagen strength in body)
- 75-250mg 1-3x/day depending on what you can find
7. Vitamin A (Helps wound healing)
- 50-100,000 IU/day for 3-5 days (unlike the rest above which you take 7-10 days pre- and 7-10 day post-surgery.
- Note: Vitamin A can be hepato-toxic, do not use this if you have liver problems. Dr. Coletto uses this only for facial surgery in order for it to heal as smoothly as possible. Shouldn’t be a problem for 3-5 days.
