Getting the Best Treatment for Your Fibromyalgia
Imagine being in pain and none of your doctors can find a clear reason for it. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience for many of the 4 million Americans living with fibromyalgia, a chronic, painful condition. People with fibromyalgia experience widespread pain, aches, and stiffness in muscles and joints throughout the body, as well […]
How Do Doctors Unwind?
Being a physician is demanding. With long days, grueling surgeries and complex patient care, physician stress and burnout are off the charts. We asked Chicago doctors about their favorite ways to find balance and relax. Here’s what they told us. “I started figure skating at the age of 9, did competitive singles skating through college […]
5 Things Doctors Would Never Do
Ever wonder where your physician draws the line when it comes to their health or the health of their family? We asked around to find out what things doctors in Chicago would never do. Here’s what they said. “I would never let my kids ride on my lap while driving a riding lawn mower. Over […]
What Doctors Know: Reluctance to see doctor among key men’s health issues
Source: University of Mississippi Medical Center whatdoctorsknow.com Men have higher morbidity rates in almost every one of the leading causes of death in the United States, a factor leading to a renewed focus on men’s health issues. Some of the problem stems from basic machismo, a sense that men don’t need to see a physician […]
Doctor-rating websites offer helpful but limited advice
By Julie Corliss, Harvard Health Letters If you’ve ever used the Internet to find a health care provider, chances are you’ve run across doctor-rating sites like Healthgrades.com or RateMDs.com. In addition, websites that offer reviews of everything from restaurants to repairmen (such as Yelp and Angie’s List) also feature critiques of doctors, dentists, and other […]
Indie Docs Versus the Networks
The pros and cons of hospital groups and independent physicians comes down to groups of independent patients By Tom Mullaney Roughly 30 years ago, choosing a doctor was fairly simple. It was either the family doctor, one recommended by a friend or the physician closest to home. Today, it seems that patients now confront a […]
The Primary Problem
As the population grows, so does the need for effective primary care. Yet the number of family doctors has dwindled, and the trend isn’t expected to change course By Patrick Kenney The modern healthcare industry faces an array of challenges, some more vexing than others. One particularly confounding problem; we have a shortage of primary […]
A Hazy Shade of Healthcare
What does tort reform mean for local doctors, insurance companies and you? By Morgan Lord Many of us have a vague idea of what the phrase “tort reform” means. But it’s just that—vague. Tort reform is defined as setting limits for awards of noneconomic damages such as pain, suffering and mental anguish. Meaning, if a […]
For the Love of Lipitor
Lipitor’s hold on the cholesterol drug market keeps you from saving money, but not much According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. In 2008, the illness accounted for nearly 25 percent of all fatalities. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that one […]
Bringing Healthcare Up to Speed
How electronic medical records are improving an outdated system Once upon a time, to find a book at the library you had to shuffle through drawers of alphabetically listed cards. To check out at the grocery store, the clerk entered every price manually. Identification wristbands at the hospital had your name written on them in pen […]
The Price of Prevention
Dr. Mark Rosenbloom is trying to keep us healthier earlier, but can we afford it? At first glance, LIFEFORCE Medical Institute eludes categorization. The Evanston-based practice provides an array of healthcare services including hormone replacement therapy, heart disease detection and a special needs division that offers holistic support to patients grappling with multiple sclerosis. Its […]
Brain Tumors: Critical Questions to Ask Your Doctor
1. What kind of tumor do I have? 2. Where is it located? 3. What are the best treatment options? 4. If surgery is recommended: Please describe the surgery. What are the risks and benefits? Will you be able to remove the entire tumor? How will the surgery affect my cognitive and motor abilities? Will I […]
Questions to Ask Your Vitreoretinal Specialist
1. Are you board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology? 2. Did you do a two-year accredited fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery? 3. Did you train in both medical and surgical retina in your fellowship? 4. What are my treatment options for the condition I have? 5. If treatment is available, what are the most common risks of the treatment […]
Age of the Machines
How the da Vinci robot is changing the face of surgery. The idea of machines conducting procedures on human beings has been a stronghold in science fiction for a while. We’ve seen the imagery countless times in books, on television and in movies. But only in the last decade has this futuristic vision become a day-to-day reality. […]
Brain Power
More noninvasive technology really getting at brain tumors The brain is the home for so much of our central being: It’s the place that houses our thoughts and emotions, stores our dearest memories and controls all of our behavior. So what happens when this home is invaded by the likes of a cancerous tumor? According […]
A New Frontier
How a molecule in the cornea could help fight blindness—and maybe cancer This is how scientific discovery begins; a question that doesn’t have an answer meets intelligent people who won’t rest until they find one. “Why is it that the cornea is clear?” Dr. Dimitri Azar, interim dean, College of Medicine professor and head of […]
Where is all the Medicine?
Rampant drug shortages demand the attention of everyone—from patients to Obama Every year, there are periods during which certain drugs are in short supply. Hospitals and pharmacies scramble to make up the difference, and patients are sometimes forced to make sacrifices. The problem is a constant in healthcare, and the causes are difficult to understand. […]
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Reducing the inflammation and painful, swollen, tender joints in rheumatoid arthritis not only gives much greater comfort but also reduces progression of the disease. On the other hand, patients need to be fairly certain that they do have active rheumatoid arthritis and not some other condition that resembles it including lupus, fibromyalgia and others. Many […]
