Tag Archives: #GutHealth

The Hidden Reasons Injured Workers Don’t Fully Recover

By Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LEHP, LNC, BC-FMP
Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant

If you’ve ever heard an injured worker say, “The doctor cleared me, but I’m still in pain,” you’re not alone. In fact, this is one of the most common frustrations I hear in my practice. Despite surgeries, physical therapy, and even medications, many individuals never return to how they felt before the injury. Why? Because traditional care often stops at the surface, and that’s where Functional Medicine steps in.

As a Functional Medicine Nurse and Case Manager, I’ve worked with countless injured workers who were told their injury had healed, yet they still couldn’t sleep, concentrate, or move without pain. When we looked deeper, we found the real reasons behind their lingering symptoms:

  1. Chronic Inflammation That Was Never Addressed
    Injuries trigger inflammation—your body’s natural defense system. But when inflammation becomes chronic due to poor diet, stress, or gut dysfunction, it delays tissue repair and amplifies pain. While medication can dull the symptoms, it doesn’t correct the cause. Functional Medicine looks at what you’re eating, how your gut is functioning, and whether you’re getting the nutrients needed for recovery.
  2. Hormonal Imbalances from Stress and Trauma
    An accident—especially one that involves surgery or disability—can be a traumatic event. It sends stress signals to the brain and disrupts your body’s natural hormone cycles. Elevated cortisol levels can cause fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and even weight gain. Functional lab testing helps us detect adrenal dysfunction and hormone imbalances that traditional providers often overlook.
  3. Underlying Gut Dysfunction
    Pain meds, antibiotics, and stress can wreak havoc on the gut lining. This leads to leaky gut, poor nutrient absorption, and immune imbalances—all of which delay healing. A compromised gut also impacts brain function and mood, which many injured workers struggle with silently. In Functional Medicine, we focus on rebuilding the gut so that the whole body can function better.
  4. Nervous System Dysregulation After Trauma
    The body stores trauma—not just physically, but neurologically. Even if your X-rays or MRIs are clear, your nervous system may still be in a state of fight-or-flight. This leads to ongoing tension, poor sleep, and heightened pain sensitivity. Through nervous system support and targeted calming protocols, we help clients reset the healing response.
  5. Lack of a Personalized Recovery Plan
    Cookie-cutter advice like “rest and take this pill” doesn’t work for complex recoveries. Every injured worker has a unique health history, lifestyle, and set of challenges. Functional Medicine offers a personalized, whole-person plan to help the body heal from the inside out. This includes nutrition, lifestyle, stress management, supplementation, and coaching.

You Don’t Have to Settle for “Living With It”
If you or a loved one has been told you’re fine—but you still feel broken—there is hope. We help injured workers uncover the real reasons they aren’t healing and walk with them toward lasting recovery.

Initial Functional Health Consultation: $25.00
Click here to book your session

Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LEHP, LNC, BC-FMP
Doctor of Nursing Practice | Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant
Serving Orlando and surrounding areas
407-760-1662 | rosie@jrmnurseconsultants.com
jrmnurseconsultants.com

The Gut-Brain Connection: How Healing Your Gut Can Lift the Fog

By Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LEHP, LNC, BC-FMP
Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant

Do you ever feel like you’re living in a fog? Trouble focusing, frequent mood swings, low energy, anxiety—or just feeling “off”? You’re not imagining it. And you’re definitely not alone.

As a Functional Health Nurse, I work with individuals every week who’ve been told their symptoms are “just stress” or “all in their head.” But in many cases, those vague but frustrating symptoms are actually connected to something deeper: your gut health.

What Does Your Gut Have to Do with Your Brain?

It turns out, a lot.
Your gut and brain are in constant communication via the gut-brain axis—a powerful two-way highway that links your enteric nervous system (in the gut) with your central nervous system (in the brain).

Think of your gut as your body’s second brain. It houses over 100 million nerve cells and is home to trillions of microbes that influence not only digestion but also mood, memory, focus, and behavior.

When your gut is healthy and balanced, neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA flow more easily—helping you feel calmer, clearer, and more emotionally stable. In fact, about 90% of your body’s serotonin is produced in the gut!

When the Gut-Brain Connection Gets Disrupted

Here’s where things can go off track.
When your gut microbiome becomes imbalanced—due to factors like:

  • Processed food or sugar-heavy diets
  • Frequent antibiotic use
  • Chronic stress or trauma
  • Environmental toxins
  • Food sensitivities

… it can lead to leaky gut, inflammation, poor nutrient absorption, and an overloaded immune system. And that often translates into:

  • Brain fog
  • Mood swings or irritability
  • Fatigue
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Trouble concentrating

You might feel like your brain is “glitching” or that your emotions are on a rollercoaster—but really, your gut is sending distress signals.

The Good News: Your Body Wants to Heal

The best part? Your gut is resilient.
When we start working to heal the gut, many clients are amazed at how quickly their brain fog lifts, energy returns, and mood becomes more balanced. Even small steps like:

  • Adding probiotic-rich foods (fermented veggies, kefir, yogurt)
  • Reducing sugar and processed foods
  • Getting better sleep
  • Managing stress with calming techniques
  • Taking targeted supplements or healing herbs

… can help restore harmony between your brain and your belly.

How I Can Help

If you’re tired of feeling off and ready to uncover the root cause of your symptoms, I invite you to schedule a Functional Health Session with me.
We’ll take a personalized, whole-person approach—looking at your lifestyle, labs, nutrition, gut health, hormones, and emotional stressors—to design a plan that helps you finally feel like yourself again.

🩺 Initial Discovery Session: just $25
👉 Click here to book now

Let’s listen to what your gut has been trying to tell you—and start your healing journey from the inside out.

Dr. Rosie Moore, DNP, RN, LEHP, LNC, BC-FMP
Functional Medicine Nurse Consultant
📍 Serving Central Florida & Nationwide (Virtual Options Available)
📞 407-760-1662
📧 rosie@jrmnurseconsultants.com
🔗 www.jrmnurseconsultants.com