1-2 minute quick reads for healthier living!
Back pain is a symptom or complaint associated with over 60 different illnesses. Most of these illnesses are treated with nonsurgical therapy. Rheumatologists are expert in nonsurgical therapy for the spine. The vast majority of back pain is caused by mechanical problems. Mechanical problems come about...
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Summer time vacations are almost over. Labor Day has come and gone and people will be traveling to New York for the Fall and Winter seasons. A few travelers will find New York warm. Most visitors will find the weather cooler. They will be going from short sleeves to long sleeves and sweaters. A major...
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Before I leave the registration desk when I check into my hotel, I always ask about the exercise room. Almost every hotel has one, but it helps to know where it is because sometimes they may almost be hidden. It is not because they are hiding the room from the guests, but it is the only place they can put it...
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Happy Baby is a pose in yoga. You are on your back, grabbing shins, rolling on your back without a care in the world. That should be the condition of all babies and young children. But all children are not happy. A significant proportion over 350,000 in the USA suffer from juvenile inflammatory arthritis (JIA)...
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June is National Scleroderma Awareness month and while scleroderma is another one of those diseases with a funny name, actor, comedian, and scleroderma activist Robin Williams will tell you, "You can make up a joke about almost anything, but to tell you the truth, there isn't even one tiny aspect of...
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All around the country this month, the Arthritis Foundation Walks for Arthritis are taking place. On June 8th, In Washington, DC, I plan to walk with many of my patients to support research to find a cure for arthritis. I am looking forward to the Walk this year to see all those individuals in my community who believe...
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May is Lupus Awareness Month. On Speaking of Health With Dr. B, I have been concentrating on issues important to the diagnosis and treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Patient advocacy is an important component to finding a cure for this illness. Patients experience the illness and can tell doctors...
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May is Lupus Awareness Month. It seems as good as any other month of the year. People start emerging from their homes after winter. They start getting more sun exposure. Sun exposure can cause the onset of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, an autoimmune disease where your own body's defense...
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Arthritis is a serious problem that affects a significant proportion of people in our country. There are a number of misconceptions that are repeated by patients who first come to my office. Only old people get arthritis – FALSE. I am afraid that we have to tell the 300,000 children that have arthritis that they...
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The story usually goes something like this. It usually happens after returning from a honeymoon from a warm climate like the Caribbean. The honeymooners have had a wonderful time being on the beach swimming, lounging, baking in the sun. They have returned with a nice suntan...
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I have patients who come to my office with all forms of arthritis. They make the trip because their joints are painful and limit their function. They find it hard to do simple tasks around the house because they hurt. They are surprised when I mention moving as an important part of their therapy...
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Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of arthritis usually associated with older adults. An article in Arthritis and Rheumatism in 2011 identified a much younger population at risk of developing this disabling illness, the members of the Armed Forces. Compared to same age civilian population...
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Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting billions of people around the world. It is the most common form of disability in the United States. A misconception is the idea that this form of arthritis is only caused by growing older. Once you get old enough, this problem shows up...
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A number of years ago I received a call from my worried mother who thought I might be out of a job. She had heard that a new book was released that was going to change my career. The book was The Arthritis Cure. It was the medical miracle that can halt, reverse, and may even cure arthritis. That was 1997...
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On March 9, 2014 we "spring forward" for daylight savings time. While the time change means longer days and sunlight into the evening hours, this positive brings with it a negative -- we lose an hour of sleep. For those who have difficulty sleeping because of back pain, from general back pain...
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Aren't stiffness and aches in the morning just part of growing older? As we grow older, we may have a little stiffness or backache in the morning, but this should not last more than 15 to 30 minutes. Stiffness lasting for hours may a sign of a more serious illness, such as an inflammatory arthritis of the spine...
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