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
Lower back pain is one of the most common sources of discomfort, often severe enough to hamper normal daily activities. Family life, job performance, and social activities start to slip. It may be short-lived, e.g. due to injury, and manageable with over-the-counter pain relievers and home treatment so it soon eases off. However, other conditions […] CONTINUE
If cancer spreads from the primary tumor (e.g. breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc.) to the bone, it can do a lot of damage. Metastasis to the bone—or bone mets—can weaken the bone, making it vulnerable to a fracture that’s difficult to repair. Even more frightening, bone mets cause fierce pain for 50-75% of patients. For […] CONTINUE
The Riddle of the Sphinx: “What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?” If you’re not familiar with the Riddle of the Sphinx, it was a trap posed by this mythical creature in order to devour travelers. If you couldn’t answer the […] CONTINUE
“…let’s see if we can’t prevent being ill by trying to offer a love of prevention before illness.”– MAYA ANGELOU Do you remember your first car? Once you had the means to afford one, whether new or used, it was exciting to shop the ads or the car lots, and do some research on gas […] CONTINUE
Do you suffer from lower back pain? Regardless of how often and how much it hurts, you’re in the company of millions of others affected by an aching lower back. The lower back is called the lumbar region or lumbar spine. At some time or another, four out of five adults report they have had […] CONTINUE
Have you had the experience of bending slightly backward, and suddenly your lower back yells “OUCH”? Or you’re looking up at the cobweb in the corner, and pain shoots into your right shoulder? These could be symptoms of a condition called osteoarthritis of the spine, also known as facet joint arthritis. Osteoarthritis most often begins […] CONTINUE
One of the delights of traveling outside the U.S. is touring marvels of the ancient world. We moderns are amazed at structures like the Pyramids, Chichen Itza, Stonehenge, the Acropolis and many more. They evoke not only wonder but also curiosity: how were such structures erected without the aid of heavy machinery? Part of the […] CONTINUE
Lower back pain can become crippling. Not only does it affect work and relationships, it is frustrating and demoralizing when the cause cannot be readily identified. The World Health Organization says, “Though several risk factors have been identified (including occupational posture, depressive moods, obesity, body height and age), the causes of the onset of low […] CONTINUE
Your spine is a flexible stack of backbones (vertebrae) that literally take a mild pounding every day. As you move through the day – walking, climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, pushing a lawnmower, carrying something heavy, etc. – your spine bears and helps distribute the pressure. If each vertebra rested directly on the […] CONTINUE
You probably don’t think often of your back and spine. Most of us take our back for granted unless there’s pain. Yet we often use expressions that mention the area that’s hard to see in a mirror: Get off my back! She’s totally spineless. I’ve got your back, pal. He did it when my back […] CONTINUE
