I sometimes wonder, as I wait for yet another prescription to be filled, how my life would have been different if I didn’t take that first Zoloft 12 years ago. How would the last decade have played out had I, say, taken some herbs, enrolled in daily yoga classes, or visited a holistic doctor instead of visiting the local psychiatrist? I realize that this line of thought is fruitless but, there are times when I can’t quite resist the dangerous “what-if thinking.” Read more →

Physicians must choose among numerous treatment options for pain. Many pain syndromes would benefit from more effective approaches. Migraine headaches are a prime example of a painful condition in need of a better solution. Recent insights provided by research investigating the mechanisms causing migraines are beginning to generate new approaches to an old problem. Read more →

In this era of declining reimbursements, I’ve been thinking a lot about socialized medicine and how physicians can stop the bleeding. It’s clear that reimbursements cannot go lower for many physicians. If they go lower lots of docs simply won’t be able to run their offices anymore.

While the cost of healthcare continues to increase and insurance companies want to cut costs, the total cost of care needs to be looked at. If an insurance carrier has X dollars to spend on a surgery or on an office visit, the each piece of that procedure or visit must be looked at. Read more →

Scientists have recently pinpointed genes that can predict who is more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease, meaning the body attacks itself, and to date it affects approximately 400,000 Americans. Every week about 200 people are diagnosed with this potentially debilitating disease in the US alone. Although the most common image of MS is an elderly individual in a wheelchair, the first signs of disease (periods of dizziness, double vision) often appear in the late teens or early twenties, and twice as often in women. The patient may recover completely, partially, or not at all after this first “relapse” episode, and it is a lifelong disease. Most MS patients will get some permanent disability later on in their lives. Read more →

You know the scenario. You are standing at a family get together lost in thought about a stressful situation in your life when a family member approaches and with a worried tone asks, “What’s wrong?” Did you know that subconsciously they are reading the facial signals you are displaying? Why don’t they have the same reaction when your mood is happy? Well, there is an evolutionary reason. A study looking at this phenomenon showed that we recognize fear on others’ faces faster than we notice happiness. Read more →

The old adage, “Don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach” has more validity than you may think. Researches have discovered at least some situations that trigger impulse buying — and not just at the grocery store. Since consumers are the virtual “dead animals on the street” to marketing vultures, it pays to be one step ahead of the game. The ScienceDaily article, “Aroma Of Chocolate Chip Cookies Prompts Splurging On Expensive Sweaters,” provides information that may keep you from the poor house. Read more →