I’ve been a men’s health advocate all my life. I also advocate for the health of women and children. Scientific studies over the years, and my own personal and professional experience, tell me that men are not doing well and their lack of wellbeing impacts the lives of their families, friends, and communities.
According to the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics,
“Men in the United States face many of the same health problems men in other developed countries face to a greater or lesser extent. In 2022, the life expectancy for men in the United States was 74.8 years, over 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 a combined 41 percent of all male deaths that year, and almost nine percent of deaths resulting from unintentional injuries.”
All indicators point to the fact that things have gotten worse since the last studies were published. The CDC goes on to note that,
“In addition to physical disease, mental health issues are common among men in the United States, with suicide ranking the eighth leading cause of death. Furthermore, men are often more likely than women to participate in behaviors that put their health at risk.”
I recently had the opportunity to interview Jason Snibbe, MD. Dr. Snibbe is one of the most globally recognized and trusted orthopedic surgeons. 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 trust their care to Dr. Snibbe. He also acts as the orthopedic consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Sparks, and Los Angeles Angels. Dr. Snibbe is transforming how we experience recovery, blending world-class surgical precision with a deeply holistic and human approach to care.
When I interviewed Dr. Snibbe, 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 gifted surgeon, he is a firm believer that surgery should be the last resort.
“In fact,” he told me, “most of the people who come to me for help don’t require surgery. Whether they who are suffering from problems such as arthritis, torn meniscus, ACL injury, rotator cuff injury, or joint pain; we try and find ways to help them without surgery.”
During our interview he described numerous “biological treatments” such as platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow concentrate injections.
That was music to my ears. After graduating from college at U.C. Santa Barbara, I was accepted at U.C. San Francisco school of medicine. From the time I was five years old I had a desire to go into the healing professions, and I felt drawn to medical practice.
However, I found that medicine was too limited for me and I later transferred to U.C. Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare where I graduated with a master’s degree. Later I returned to school and earned a PhD in international health, specializing in men’s mental, emotional, and relational health and wellbeing.
In connecting with Dr. Snibbe, I felt I had found a kindred spirit. He is also an expert in sports medicine, which is also a great interest of mine. I have been active 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 had been practicing Aikido for many years.
Carlin and I have been married for 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 numerous football teams during their long career, including their first team where they were drafted out of college, New England Patriots. I shared some of their experiences with Dr. Snibbe.
Dr. Snibbe completed his residency at the University of Rochester in New York and went on to complete a Sports Medicine fellowship at the world-renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles. I still consider myself an athlete, though at 82 years of age, I’m definitely an aging athlete. I was very interested in receiving any help and support Dr. Snibbe could offer.
I do a half-hour warm-up every day that includes fifty pushups. My main exercise is walking. I do an hour walk each morning which includes walking hills to keep my lungs strong. Keeping my feet in good shape is a must for my health and well-being. I told Dr. Snibbe about my foot pain and the recommendations of my podiatrist to wear an orthotic which helped a lot. Dr. Snibbe also shared some additional recommendations about ways to treat problems that didn’t require surgery and how to engage in activities than were both joyful and healthful.
My podiatrist recommended I wear “good shoes,” but was vague about how I could determine what was good and where to get shoes that allowed me to stay active throughout my life. I asked Dr. Snibbe about shoes and I was excited to hear that not only did Dr. Snibbe have specific recommendations about which shoes to wear, but he told me about a company he was involved with for people who work on their feet. It’s called Snibbs and it has an interesting “origin story.”
In 2015, Chef Daniel Shemtob noticed a significant problem in his field of work. His shoes kept falling apart and he would be in pain after being on his feet for long periods of time. In search of a robust new work shoe replacement, he soon noticed that many of the work shoes were either functional but ugly, or vise versa. Fed up after destroying pair after pair of shoes in the kitchen, Chef Daniel felt that there had to be a better footwear solution for the workplace. Soon after realizing that there wasn’t, he knew that something had to be created to fill that void.
Determined to fix the problem at its source, he teamed up with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe and restaurateur Haik Zadoyan. Together they combined medical know-how, hospitality grit, and relentless testing to build a shoe that grips when it’s wet, supports through double shifts, and lasts.
“Snibbs exists for the people who keep the world running,” says Dr. Snibbe.
Dr. Snibbe 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 launched MenAlive in 1972, I wanted to share the things I had been 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, book, and online courses to help men and their families. I have written 17 books in various aspects of men’s health, including international bestsellers, Male Menopause and Surviving Male Menopause that have now been translated into 17 foreign languages.
In addition to my work counseling individuals, couples, and families, I train other practitioners in the health field. I also interview experts in the field like Dr. Snibbe and share their expertise in articles that I publish at MenAlive and are available for free to my newsletter subscribers.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Jason Snibbe and his work, you can visit him at https://www.drjasonsnibbe.com/.
If you would like to watch the in-depth interview I did with Dr. Snibbe, you can watch it here.
You can learn more about Snibbs, the shoe company that Dr. Snibbe is connected with here: https://snibbs.co/
The post Dr. Jason Snibbe: Men’s Health From a Doctor Who Does It the Right Way appeared first on MenAlive.
and bring it to market and in addition, oversee the R&D efforts in other male birth control options NEXT Life Sciences is developing. You can read my article and interview with Dr. Walley here.