If you are in need of joint pain relief — whether from an injury or some form of arthritis — you know what a miserable experience it can be. Hobbling everywhere gets old quickly, as does taking pain relievers every | Read More…
Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “Living microorganisms that provide a health benefit to the host when ingested in adequate amounts.” That fairly boring description hardly does justice to these tiny organisms, though. In fact, the | Read More…
There is good evidence that many health conditions are linked to unresolved emotional issues, and back pain is no exception. So after our best efforts, a patient sometimes discovers that, until he or she tackles a difficult emotional situation, remedies | Read More…
How are you feeling about the upcoming Christmas holidays? Are you looking forward to the next few weeks of festivities? Or are you secretly dreading what should be a cherished time? Maybe, like many of us, you’re somewhere in the | Read More…
Diagnosing illness is a tricky business. Most doctors do their best to help patients, but certain conditions are very similar to others, and teasing them apart can be difficult. For many physicians, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is an ailment that | Read More…
Many of my patients have been to multiple doctors without getting good results. So it’s not at all unusual for me to see a patient who has been diagnosed and treated for several different illnesses and still is miserable. That | Read More…
If someone knocked on your door, saying your house was on fire, would you tell that person to go away? Of course not! But every time you pop a painkiller for a headache, that’s what you’re doing — telling the | Read More…
Whoever said that growing old isn’t for sissies had a point. Every day, I see patients struggling with aches, pains, limited mobility, and far worse. When our health declines, we tend to blame aging. But I’ve come to the conclusion | Read More…
“I hope you don’t expect me to join a gym and work out with a bunch of 20-year-olds,” Marty told me after I suggested he get more exercise. “Because I don’t think they make leotards in my size.” Marty had | Read More…
A patient I’ll call Ralph was having a difficult time with Alex, a woman he had been seeing for several years. It’s a familiar story. She didn’t want to make plans for a future together, and he felt frustrated and | Read More…
Poor Jake! Some patients have such good intentions but have a hard time acting on them. That was Jake. Not only was he obese at 345 pounds, but it seemed that no matter what he did, he just kept gaining. | Read More…
Often, patients assume that the doctor they see for one condition does not need to know about other health issues. I understand why an individual may think that, but whenever medication is involved, it’s best to be cautious. Ned, for | Read More…
It’s that time of year again — time to talk about weather-related health complications, like heat exhaustion and heatstroke. One look at the weather map shows that most of the country is baking, with heat records being shattered far and | Read More…
Today, I’d like to talk to you about a touchy subject — emotional health. Long ago, I lost track of how many patients I had treated whose physical health was affected by their emotions. In Western medicine, doctors are trained | Read More…
It’s that time of year again — when the mega-billion-dollar diet, fitness, and food industries tell us which miracle weight reduction products and “healthy” foods will make us slim and trim without any effort on our part. What a wonderful | Read More…
Of course, you’re already aware of the importance of breathing. It’s a basic necessity of life. But did you know that a simple change can turn ordinary breathing into a boon for your health? Here’s a good example: A patient | Read More…
Too often, symptoms like weight gain, carbohydrate and sweet cravings, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, high blood pressure, repeated colds, and memory problems are viewed as isolated issues. However, if you connect the dots, you might find that stress is the real | Read More…
The story I’m about to tell you may sound familiar. It involves a health issue I see every day, but one that is seldom addressed. That issue is stress. Bill and Sandy (whose names I’ve changed out of respect for | Read More…
Everyone wants to know how to get more energy to get through the day and, in fact, fatigue is one of the most common reasons patients come to see me. The fact that exhaustion is widespread should not be surprising. | Read More…
Everyone needs sleep. Unfortunately, most of my patients say they have problems sleeping well. In other words, quantity is not the issue; quality is.
