RECLAIMING BALANCE

Dr. Robert Bard’s Personal Mission Toward

Fall Prevention and Regeneration

For decades, Dr. Robert Bard has stood as a pioneer in diagnostic imaging—an innovator who saw beyond pathology to patterns of recovery. Yet, in recent years, his own body became the next frontier of exploration. Following years of living with the residual effects of post-polio syndrome, he began facing progressive symptoms: muscle weakness, neuropathic imbalance, and an increasing frequency of falls. What once seemed a slow, inevitable decline became his most personal research project—the challenge of applying his own science toward the pursuit of renewed vitality.

 

Turning Research Inward

For Dr. Bard, self-diagnosis was not enough. A lifetime of analyzing tissue elasticity, micro-vascular flow, and cellular repair through ultrasound imaging had taught him that the body speaks through measurable signs—posture, muscle tone, gait symmetry, circulation, and neural feedback. When those systems falter, recovery depends not only on treating disease, but on retraining the entire network of function. That principle guided him to assemble a team of multidisciplinary experts who would approach his condition from every angle.

Among these collaborators is Dr. Lisa Avila, an integrative kinesiologist and chiropractor whose expertise lies in neuromuscular re-education. Her work has focused on restoring lost reflexes and re-patterning the body’s balance systems through targeted movement therapy. Through her protocols, Dr. Bard began addressing the deeper neurological disconnects behind his imbalance—learning, as he describes it, “to teach the body what it once knew instinctively.”

Restoring the Chain of Function

Dr. Bard’s progress has been equally physical and philosophical. The series of photos documenting his journey show a visible realignment of his posture—once marked by compensatory lean and muscular asymmetry, now upright and balanced. This evolution mirrors the integration of treatments from his broader care team, including regenerative pain specialist Dr. Hal Blatman, whose biologic therapies target nerve inflammation, fascia restriction, and chronic pain. The synergy between regenerative medicine and kinetic retraining became, for Dr. Bard, a living model of integrative recovery.

 

The Science of Re-Training and Fall Prevention

Dr. Bard’s experience underscores a key truth for the aging community: deterioration is not destiny. With every decade, micro-injuries and neural fatigue accumulate, gradually disrupting the equilibrium between mind, muscle, and motion. The answer, he insists, lies in deliberate re-training—reawakening the neuromuscular patterns that sustain posture and stability. This approach forms the foundation of modern fall-prevention medicine, where motion mapping, balance testing, and real-time imaging guide personalized rehabilitation.

He frequently reminds his patients and colleagues that “fall prevention begins with awareness.” Small corrections—tracking hip alignment, retraining ocular reflexes, strengthening intrinsic foot muscles—create a cumulative effect on safety and confidence. The same diagnostic imaging technologies that once served his patients now illuminate his own progress, quantifying the physiological transformations that accompany functional recovery.

A New Model for Healthy Aging

Today, Dr. Bard’s personal campaign has evolved into a message for his peers: aging can be adaptive, even regenerative, when science meets self-care. The integration of kinesiology, regenerative medicine, neuro-optometric rehabilitation, and movement intelligence has given him not just a steadier gait, but renewed purpose.

What began as an effort to mitigate decline has become a study in resilience—the body’s ability to rewrite its limitations through persistence, data, and intelligent guidance. In his words, “If we can visualize disease, we can visualize recovery.”

Dr. Bard now stands, quite literally, as evidence of that belief: straighter, stronger, and balanced—not merely surviving his challenges, but transforming them into a roadmap for others seeking their own quality of life through motion, balance, and modern science.

 

 

Part 2

THE TOXIN CONNECTION:

Uncovering Another Hidden Culprit to Degeneration

As Dr. Robert Bard advanced in his personal recovery journey, another dimension of his condition began to reveal itself. While kinesiology and regenerative therapies addressed neuromuscular deficits, a deeper physiological disturbance remained—one not fully explained by post-polio syndrome alone. Both Dr. Jennifer Letitia, a functional medicine specialist with expertise in detoxification and endocrine balance, and Dr. Lisa Avila, his kinesiology collaborator, converged on a common hypothesis: toxins—specifically neurotoxins and heavy metals—might be silently undermining his progress.

How Neurotoxins Weaken the System

Neurotoxins are compounds that interfere with the body’s nervous system, often damaging nerve cells, altering neurotransmitter balance, and impairing muscle response. Over time, exposure to substances such as mercury, lead, aluminum, and arsenic can cause neuropathy, muscle weakness, and degenerative nerve changes. These toxins disrupt the mitochondria within muscle and nerve cells, diminishing cellular energy production. For a post-polio survivor like Dr. Bard—whose nervous system already operates under stress—these cumulative exposures can accelerate fatigue, imbalance, and muscle atrophy.

Environmental exposure to pollutants, decades of urban living, and even medical interventions involving metals (such as implants or dental alloys) all presented potential sources of toxicity. Dr. Letitia emphasized that “the body’s detoxification capacity diminishes with age, and when the liver and lymphatic systems are overburdened, toxins recirculate—often embedding themselves in neurological tissue.” Dr. Avila further explained that such biochemical interference can short-circuit the reflexes and proprioceptive systems responsible for balance and coordination.

 

Quantifying the Invisible: OligoScan and Blood Analysis

Driven by curiosity and clinical rigor, Dr. Bard began exploring ways to measure these hidden stressors. His search led him to OligoScan, a noninvasive spectrophotometric screening tool that analyzes trace minerals and heavy-metal concentrations through the skin. This quick and painless scan provided a dynamic snapshot of his intracellular mineral status and toxic load.

The results were eye-opening: elevated levels of mercury and other trace metals correlated with his symptoms of fatigue, muscle tension, and neuro-motor instability. To confirm these findings, he paired the OligoScan with comprehensive blood testing, establishing a clinical record of his toxic profile over time. These results not only validated the presence of heavy metals but also illuminated new therapeutic priorities—detoxification, chelation support, and mitochondrial repair.

 

From Data to Detox

Under the combined guidance of Dr. Letitia and Dr. Avila, Dr. Bard integrated detox protocols involving hydration therapy, antioxidant supplementation, infrared saunas, and lymphatic movement exercises. Each phase of treatment was monitored through follow-up OligoScan readings, showing measurable reductions in toxic burden.

This exploration reframed his understanding of chronic illness: toxins, once invisible, had become a quantifiable and correctable variable. For Dr. Bard, this marked another turning point in his self-directed mission—using imaging, data, and multidisciplinary insight to transform toxicity into measurable recovery.

 

The Metal Factor: Implants and Immune Response

As Dr. Bard delved deeper into his toxicology findings, another concern surfaced—metal hypersensitivity. Years earlier, he received titanium implants, once considered biologically inert. Emerging research, however, now links titanium and other metals to neurological and inflammatory reactions, including nerve pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness. For someone already navigating post-polio neuropathy, these subclinical metal reactions could further burden his nervous system.

Using OligoScan, Dr. Bard began tracking trace metal concentrations that might correlate with implant exposure. The technology’s intracellular mineral analysis helped reveal subtle elevations that traditional labs often miss. To complement this, he is now exploring the MELISA test (Memory Lymphocyte Immuno-Stimulation Assay), a blood-based diagnostic that measures immune reactivity to specific metals. Originally developed for dental and orthopedic screening, MELISA identifies delayed hypersensitivity—where the immune system mistakes implant metals for pathogens, triggering chronic inflammation.

For Dr. Bard, this line of inquiry represents the next frontier: merging imaging, immune testing, and toxicology to understand how metal-based medicine interacts with long-term physiology. By applying these investigative tools to his own case, he hopes to advance awareness for countless patients whose unexplained neurological or musculoskeletal symptoms may trace back to metal toxicity or reactivity.

 

[END OF PART 1]

 

OTHER ARTICLES IN THE SMARTER AGING SERIES:

-          Defining PAIN vs INFLAMMATION

-          Expanding on Neuropathy

-          Musculature 101

-          Hormone Replacement Therapy- a Restorative Paradigm

-          The Price of Falling

-          “Move! Move! Move!”

-          The “Rules” of Corrective Sleeping

-          Say YES to Nutrition