In this episode of Integrative Medicine with Dr. Leland Stillman, Dr. Stillman sits down with veterinarian Dr. Elena Shockman to explore her personal journey from burnout and chronic symptoms to recovery through integrative care. Dr. Shockman shares her experience navigating brain fog, joint pain, fatigue, neuropathy, and sleep disruption while practicing emergency veterinary medicine, and how mineral repletion and light-based therapies supported her return to function. The discussion highlights the physiological impact of depletion, stress, and nervous system dysregulation, reframing chronic symptoms not as personal failure but as signals of unmet biological needs.
The conversation emphasizes the clinical importance of foundational mineral balance in restoring cognitive clarity, sleep quality, and musculoskeletal comfort. Dr. Shockman describes measurable improvements in sleep latency, nervous system calm, exercise recovery, and daily resilience, underscoring how targeted nutritional support can influence parasympathetic tone and energy regulation. Rather than presenting a single intervention as a cure-all, the episode models a layered, systems-based approach that integrates nutrition, light signaling, recovery practices, and lifestyle context. This holistic framework mirrors modern functional and integrative medicine principles that prioritize physiology over symptom suppression.
The episode concludes with a forward-looking discussion about applying integrative principles to veterinary medicine through Dr. Shockman’s new platform aimed at improving supplement safety, education, and continuity of care for pets. The broader message extends beyond human or animal health: sustainable healing requires rest, repair, and strategic support, not relentless output. For listeners interested in energy optimization, nervous system recovery, and root-cause medicine, this episode offers a clinically grounded, hopeful perspective on how thoughtful integration of modern and traditional tools can restore vitality over time.
This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Learn more and connect with Dr. Elena Shockman…
Follow Elena on Instagram @paw_and_pestle
Visit www.pawandpestleblog.com
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