A Landmark Study on Palliation of Bone Mets PainWhen a primary cancer such as cancer of the breast, prostate or lung spreads to the bone (bone mets), treatment strategies become complex. In today’s world of oncology, better systemic chemotherapies can add months and even years to a patient’s life; in addition, local cancer control of […] KEEP READING
What You Should Know About CartilageOne of the most fascinating components of the human body is cartilage, an incredibly versatile material. Trying to describe cartilage is like the six blind men who try to figure out what an elephant is: “The elephant is like a pillar,” said the man who touched his leg. “Oh no! […] KEEP READING
How Stress Makes Essential Tremor WorseEssential tremor (ET) is the most common form of uncontrollable rhythmic shaking, though it is sometimes misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. The involuntary trembling results from abnormal communication between certain areas of the brain (cerebellum, thalamus, and brain stem). It is estimated that 10 million Americans suffer from ET, though many […] KEEP READING
Essential Tremor and CAM, Part I: Acupuncture and Pharmacopuncture I thought it would be interesting to do a small series of blogs on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments for essential tremor (ET). Standard medicine (also called Western, allopathic, mainstream or conventional medicine) was slow to embrace CAM until roughly the last four decades, and […] CONTINUE
First Center to Treat Two ET Patients with MRgFUS on the Same Day The Sperling Medical Group is the first U.S. center to have treated two essential tremor (ET) patients on the same day using MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS). What was truly remarkable was the immediate improvement experienced by each of the patients. In one […] CONTINUE
Do Steroid Injections Damage Facet Cartilage? When patients have back pain that is not responding to noninvasive interventions (oral anti-inflammatories, heat/cold applications, exercise, posture improvement, physical therapy, etc.) the cause may be arthritis of the spine’s facet joints. The standard “definitive” diagnosis is a nerve block (numbing anesthetic) injected into the joint to interrupt pain […] CONTINUE
5 Important Needs of Bone Mets Patients Great health care is not just about taking care of the body. “Comprehensive cancer care” is a phrase that has gained wide use. In large part, cancer patients are living longer with their disease than was possible even two or three decades ago. Clinicians now recognize that quality […] CONTINUE
Facet Joint Injection Benefits are Hard to Prove Those who live in developed nations enjoy many benefits that are easily taken for granted. There is enough food to go around, dwellings are climate-controlled, transportation and travel are expedited by conveyances capable of both speed and safety, technology brings efficiency and imagination to both work and […] CONTINUE
Multidisciplinary Teamwork Makes Life Better for Bone Mets Patients A diagnosis of metastatic cancer from one location into the bone (e.g. from breast, prostate, kidney, etc.) is called bone mets. It is different from primary bone cancer that originates in the bone, and is particularly discouraging because the patient has already been dealing with cancer […] CONTINUE
Essential Tremor and CAM, Part II: Vitamins As I wrote in Part I of this series, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) developed a large following during the last three or four decades. There is considerable interest in the preventive or therapeutic properties of substances such as herbs or mushrooms that occur naturally, and healing practices […] CONTINUE
Can the Mediterranean Diet Reduce Tremor Risk? “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” The first known use of this adage occurred in Wales in the 1860s, but apples have a respectable history of being recognized as a support for healthful living. While some foods can […] CONTINUE
Three Invasive Facet Pain Procedures You Can Avoid With MRgFUS When a patient is diagnosed with facet joint disease (osteoarthritis) it can be a relief to finally have an explanation for sporadic or chronic back pain. What is not relieved, however, is the pain itself. For that, the doctor generally begins with conservative treatments. This […] CONTINUE
Have You Ever Measured Your Own Tremor? NOTE: The following is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any product. Describing essential tremor (ET) is either objective or subjective. What’s the difference? Well, objective means based in fact, so it’s able to be measured or quantified. Subjective means more open to interpretation, often based […] CONTINUE
