I have been an advocate for men’s health my whole life. I also support women’s and children’s health. Scientific studies over the years, and my personal and professional experience, tell me that men are not doing well, and their lack of well-being affects the lives of their families, friends and communities.
According to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics,
“Men in the United States face many of the same health problems that men face to a greater or lesser degree in other developed countries. In 2022, life expectancy for men in the United States was 74.8 years, more than five years less than that of women. The leading causes of death for men in 2022 were heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries, with heart disease and cancer accounting for almost all of the rates. 4. Nine percent of of deaths resulting from unintentional injury’.
All indicators show that things have gotten worse since the last studies were published. The CDC goes on to note that,
“In addition to physical illness, mental health problems are common among men in the United States, with suicide ranking as the eighth leading cause of death. In addition, men are often more likely than women to engage in health-threatening behaviors.”
I recently had the opportunity interview Jason Snibbe, MD. Dr. Snibbe is one of the most recognized and trusted orthopedic surgeons worldwide. He is the go-to doctor for athletes, celebrities, and anyone who refuses to be sidelined by pain and inactivity. His patients include members of the Los Angeles Clippers and thousands of others who entrust their care to Dr. Schnibb. He also serves as the orthopedic consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Sparks and Los Angeles Angels. Dr. Snibbe is transforming the way we experience rehabilitation by combining world-class surgical precision with a deeply holistic and humane approach to care.
When I interviewed Dr. Schneebe, I learned that he has performed over 8,000 surgeries and has been lauded as the surgeon with the lowest complication rate at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where his practice is located. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that although he is obviously a talented surgeon, strongly believes that surgery should be a last resort.
“Actually,” he told me, “most of the people who come to me for help don’t need surgery. Whether they’re suffering from issues like arthritis, a torn meniscus, an ACL injury, a rotator cuff injury or joint pain, we’re trying to find ways to help them without surgery.”
During our interview he described several “biologic treatments,” such as injections of platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow concentrate.
That was music to my ears. After graduating from college at UC Santa Barbara, I was accepted to medical school at UC San Francisco. From the age of five I had a desire to enter the healing professions and felt drawn to medical practice.
However, I found that medicine was too narrow for me and later transferred to UC Berkeley’s School of Social Work, where I graduated with a master’s degree. I later went back to school and earned a PhD in international health, specializing in men’s mental, emotional and relational health and wellness.
When I connected with Dr. Snib, I felt I had found a kindred spirit. He is also a specialist in sports medicine, which I am also very interested in. I have been involved in sports my whole life playing baseball, football and basketball. My wife, Carlin, has also been active in sports. We met at the Aikido dojo in Mill Valley. She was on vacation from her home in Oregon where she practiced Aikido for many years.
Carlin and I have been married 46 years and have six grown children and seventeen grandchildren. Two of our grandsons fulfilled their dream of being in the National Football League and played for many football teams during their long careers, including their first team out of college, the New England Patriots. I shared some of their experiences with Dr. Snibbe.
Dr. Snibbe completed his studies at the University of Rochester in New York and went on to a Sports Medicine fellowship at the world-renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles. I still consider myself an athlete, although at 82 I am definitely an old athlete. I was very interested in receiving any help and support Dr. Schnibb could provide.
I do a half hour warm up every day which includes fifty pushups. My main exercise is walking. I do an hour walk every morning which includes walking up hills to keep my lungs strong. Keeping my feet in good shape is essential to my health and well-being. I told Dr. Snibbe about my foot pain and my podiatrist’s recommendations to wear an orthotic which helped a lot. Dr. Snibbe also shared some additional recommendations on ways to treat problems that didn’t require surgery and how to participate in activities that were both joyful and healthy.
My podiatrist recommended that I wear “good shoes” but was vague about how I could determine what they were good and where to find shoes that allowed me to stay active throughout my life. I asked Dr. Snibbe about the shoes and was thrilled to hear that not only did Dr. Snibbe had specific recommendations about what shoes to wear, but he told me about a company he worked with for people who work on their feet. It’s called Snibbs and has an interesting “origin story”.
In 2015, chef Daniel Shemtob noticed a major problem in his line of work. His shoes kept falling apart and it would hurt after being on his feet for long periods of time. Looking for a strong new work shoe replacement, he soon noticed that many of the work shoes were either functional but ugly, or the other way around. Tired of ruining pair after pair of shoes in the kitchen, Chef Daniel felt there had to be a better footwear solution for the workplace. Soon after realizing it didn’t exist, he knew something had to be created to fill that void.
Determined to correct the problem at its source, he teamed up with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe and restaurateur Haik Zadoyan. Together they combined medical expertise, hospitality and non-stop testing to craft a shoe that holds up when wet, supports double shifts and lasts.
“Snibbs exists for the people who keep the world going,” says Dr. Snibbe.
Dr. Schnibb says. “I don’t just fix joints – I restore confidence, mobility and quality of life.” This is the kind of doctor we all need. He is definitely the kind of doctor who does it the right way!
When I started MenAlive in 1972, I wanted to share what I was learning about how men and their families could live long and well. Since then, MenAlive has become my window to the world where I have articles, books and online courses to help men and their families. I have written 17 books on various aspects of men’s health, including international bestsellers, Male menopause and Surviving male menopause which have now been translated into 17 foreign languages.
In addition to my work counseling individuals, couples and families, I train other health professionals. I also interview experts in the field, such as Dr. Snibbe and I share their expertise in articles that I publish on MenAlive and are available for free to my newsletter subscribers.
If you would like to know more about Dr. Jason Snibbe and his work, you can visit him at https://www.drjasonsnibbe.com/.
If you want to watch the in-depth interview I did with Dr. Schnibb, you can watch it here.
You can learn more about Snibbs, the shoe company with which Dr. Snibbe here:
