Why coffee might ease your pain (especially if you’re a sleepy mouse)
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling An intriguing new study caught my eye for two reasons. First, there are the fascinating findings of the researchers that could dramatically change our understanding...
View ArticleHere’s something completely different for low back pain
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling It’s a question that has challenged generations of patients and their doctors. The answer has changed over the years. When I was in medical school in the early 1980s,...
View ArticleHow to get people to eat more vegetables: Change how you describe them
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling We all know the drill by now: the healthiest diets are those with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats with an emphasis on high fiber, whole...
View ArticleThis just in: Exercise is good for you
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling The evidence continues to mount — physical activity can help you live longer. Of course, that raises some fundamental questions: Are certain activities better than...
View ArticleType 2 diabetes: Value of home blood sugar monitoring unclear
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling It’s a central tenet of diabetes treatment: monitor the blood sugar closely, then adjust your diet, exercise, and medications to keep it in a good range. And that...
View ArticleKeeping your smartphone nearby may not be so smart
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Imagine you were asked to complete a series of math problems, ones just hard enough to require your attention and focus, but nothing you couldn’t handle. Now, imagine...
View ArticleIs it safe to take ibuprofen for the aches and pains of exercise?
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Not long ago, I took ibuprofen after a dental procedure and was amazed at how well it worked. Millions of people have had similar experiences with ibuprofen and...
View ArticleYour brain on chocolate
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Did you know that places where chocolate consumption is highest have the most Nobel Prize recipients? It’s true, at least according to a 2012 study published in the...
View ArticleRight brain/left brain, right?
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling If you’re like me, you learned that about 90% of people are right-handed and much of the reason is genetic. And that’s true, although it remains a mystery why our...
View ArticleFish consumption and rheumatoid arthritis: Natural remedy or just another...
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling When I see patients with rheumatoid arthritis, I’m often asked about diet. Are there foods that can help? Should I avoid certain foods? The role of diet in arthritis...
View ArticleFor people with MS, can exercise change the brain?
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of unknown cause in which the covering lining of nerve fibers (called myelin) is damaged. Myelin is like insulation on a wire —...
View ArticleWhat’s up with hiccups?
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling If you do an Internet search on “hiccups” you’ll find lots of supposed cures for this annoying but usually fast-passing condition — one site lists 250 of them! One...
View ArticleWhy does hair turn gray?
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling If you look at photos of President Obama taken before he ran for president and since he left office, you’ll notice a distinct difference: where there used to be only...
View ArticleThe latest scoop on the health benefits of coffee
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling What a difference a few years can make. Not long ago, I was learning about the dangers of coffee — how it could raise your blood pressure, make your heart race,...
View ArticleThe mysterious rise in knee osteoarthritis
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling While there are more than 100 types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is by far the most common. Osteoarthritis is the form of joint disease that’s often called...
View ArticleGood news about the HPV vaccine
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Did you know certain viruses can cause cancer? Two common examples include hepatitis C (which is linked with liver cancer) and human papilloma virus (HPV, which...
View ArticleGenetic testing to predict medication side effects
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Medication side effects are a big problem. It’s estimated that about half of filled prescriptions are not taken as directed, and a major reason for this is side...
View ArticleActivity trackers: Can they really help you get fit?
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Lately, I’ve been checking the number of steps I take each day. It’s not hard to do. My phone tracks it without me even asking it to. It also tracks the number of...
View ArticleResearchers may have discovered a cause of multiple sclerosis
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that causes damage to the substance that covers nerve cells. This interrupts normal communication between nerves, leading to...
View ArticleThe Couric-Jolie effect: When celebrities share their medical experiences
Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling Some called it the Katie Couric effect. Soon after her husband died of colon cancer in 1998, the journalist and television personality had a televised colonoscopy to...
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