Welcome to holidays in the Desert where some of the best weather in the country can be found. We are the envy of our neighbors to the east and a frequent getaway for those to the west. While our lush green lawns and beautiful resorts speak endless vacation, the people of our community are still… Read more »
Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., with 47,055 lethal drug overdoses in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 18,893 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 10,574 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2014. In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is… Read more »
As 2016 comes to an end, we celebrate another year of progress when it comes to health care built for us, the consumer. As you will read in Health is a Choice, both doctors and our government are starting to realize that drugs aren’t always the answer and are encouraging integrative therapies. This is certainly… Read more »
A recent study by the National Small Business Association determined that 93 percent of small business owners recognized that the health of their workers impacts their business’s bottom line.1 However, when it comes to implementing an employee wellness program, most of them don’t know where to start. Fortunately for employers in the Coachella Valley, a… Read more »
November is Alzheimer’s disease awareness month, proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. Alzheimer’s disease currently afflicts more than 5 million persons in the United States, and 1 in 3 seniors will die with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. There were over 15 million caregivers treating dementia patients in 2015, representing more than 18 billion… Read more »
Cathedral City High School held its annual disaster drill on Thursday, October 20. The disaster drill is a simulated emergency response drill that instructs students and faculty alike in California on how to properly respond to an enormous earthquake if and when it happens. The San Andreas Fault, located in California, is long overdue for… Read more »
2016 was shaping up to be a very important year. I had just gotten an associate degree in journalism and was all set to transfer to a four-year university in the fall to pursue my B.A. On top of that, I turned 21 in February and was looking forward to savoring all the exciting things… Read more »
This time of year we welcome cooler weather, outdoor activities and many native inhabitants of the desert landscape, including rattlesnakes. If left alone, rattlesnakes will usually move on; however, about 1,000 venomous snake bites do occur in the U.S. each year. They are seldom fatal but can be extremely painful and lead to other complications.… Read more »
Throughout this cancer, I visualized running a marathon. I sat in my chemo chair listening to music and when I closed my eyes I ran up a mountain and down a hill. After the chemo was over, I began visualizing being on a roller coaster (by the way, I hate roller coasters); however, this roller… Read more »
Most men want to have an active sexual life. Unfortunately, as men age, erectile dysfunction (ED) can become a common occurrence. When men have difficulty achieving an erection, they can become anxious about their sexual performance and may avoid sexual activity. Often times, they just aren’t aware of treatment options available. I tell my patients… Read more »
Today we see many different types of alternative sugar sweeteners. Most of these sweeteners have been around a long time, yet still have unclear effects on the body. One of them, Xylitol, stands above the rest in its benefits. Unlike many sweeteners, Xylitol is a natural product, extracted from birch trees. It has many beneficial… Read more »
The incidence of myopia, the ability to only see short distances (nearsightedness), is increasing worldwide. In the United States, the incidence in ages 12-54 has doubled in the last 30 years to almost 40%.1 In some Asian countries the incidence is 80-90% by adulthood. By 2050, it is predicted that half of the world’s population… Read more »
In the last decade there’s been a great push toward the advancement of personalized medicine. Most of the focus has been on genetic studies to assist with selecting medications, personalized screening, and honing detection of disease. But this is only half the story. There must be more we can do above and beyond using someone’s… Read more »
It is important to remember that practitioners were successfully treating health conditions long before western medicine was developed. Fortunately, the medical community is now starting to recognize the value of many time-tested therapies including nutrition, body manipulation and acupuncture. Many of our forebears may have suffered from prostate issues and incontinence; Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)… Read more »
We have all experienced a headache at one time in our lives, but do we understand what causes it? The most severe type of headache can be a migraine or cluster headache which, as those who suffer know, can be very painful and disruptive. There are many factors that can contribute to headaches, but most… Read more »
A much needed shift is taking place in health care. Our health care delivery system is moving from an unsustainable fee-for-service model to a value- and outcome-based system of care. In the near future doctors will no longer be reimbursed for failed procedures and poor patient outcomes, but rather, they will be rewarded for getting… Read more »
Every moment of our lives, there is frailty in our health as we walk a fine line between a solid foundation of wellness and strength, and the fragility of impermanence and uncertainty. We can see the beauty of life in both of these extremes. This message unveils a profound truth learned about the life of… Read more »
The lymphatic system’s main function is to transport fluid throughout your body, and to detoxify and dispose of metabolic waste. This system is made up of lymph nodes, lymph vessels and lymph fluid, and includes the thymus, spleen, adenoids and tonsils. Lymph is the protein rich extracellular body fluid that accumulates when the lymphatic system… Read more »
This holiday season why not give yourself a precious gift and forgive those who have hurt you? When you forgive someone, you pardon the mistake or offense. Forgiveness is not a feeling, it is an act of the will – a decision to let go of negative emotions like anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge.… Read more »
When people choose to try acupuncture, most do not realize that there are various styles practiced originating from different countries and differing schools of thought. In the US most acupuncturists are trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which originated in China more than 5,000 years ago. In antiquity, needles were not used; in fact, what… Read more »