Everyone experiences acute or short term pain during their life. 80% of the U.S. population experiences low- to mid-back pain while others experience persistent pain without relief. Why do some patients with acute pain overcome their pain while other patients develop long-term, debilitating pain? The answer lies in how the pain is perceived by the… Read more »
Holiday traditions are a treasured part of the season. They create warmth, wonder and closeness with family and friends. But often the special memories we grew up with are no longer compatible with our new, healthier lifestyle and can leave us feeling far from healthy. What if we take the time to create new holiday… Read more »
If you’ve just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may need some help adjusting your grocery list. By working with a dietitian, you can find foods that are healthy for you and taste good, too. However, to get you started on the right nutritional path, here are some points to keep in mind the… Read more »
Taking a lead role in the community, a group of students joined together with American Heart Association professionals to help spread awareness of cardiovascular health. Five students from Cathedral City High School’s Health Environmental Academy of Learning (HEAL) Medical Health Academy and three students from Palm Desert High School’s Health Academy have teamed up to… Read more »
The holiday season is supposed to be a joyous and fun-filled time surrounded by beloved family and friends who gather to reminisce, catch up the last year’s events and pass on childhood traditions that are held dear. This is the idealistic view held by many, yet there are many people who wish they could sleep… Read more »
We previously published Understanding Clinical Trials (July/Aug 2014) featuring an interview with Don Anderson, MD, principal investigator at Desert Valley Research. As a follow-up to that story, Desert Medical Imaging presented a client, Ed Dykstra, who wanted to share his story from the perspective of a clinical trial subject. Following is our interview with Ed:… Read more »
I hear the same story over and over again in my clinic. A distraught patient comes in for an evaluation and feels there is nothing that can ease their pain because they have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. One in three people have osteoarthritis of the knee, yet only one in eight have symptoms or… Read more »
It is not often that the top executives from each of our valley hospitals come together for a night of smiles and socializing, but on a beautiful night in October, they did. Recognizing their common goal of increasing access to health care, each was honored for the contributions of their organizations to the valley’s only… Read more »
As a certified telemedicine diabetic reader, I participate in a program that is run through UC Berkeley called Eyepacs, a web-based non-proprietary application for exchanging eye-related clinical information. The bulk of Eyepacs communications involves bringing diabetic retinal assessments into the primary care physicians’ offices. The program works without regard to physical location, is validated, and… Read more »
You may have seen the odd acronym “PrEP” among the alphabet soup of medical terms so prevalent today. It stands for “pre-exposure prophylaxis” against HIV infection and is a very simple therapy: a daily dose of Truvada, the highly effective antiviral medication used since 2004 to treat patients who are already HIV-positive. Actually, Truvada is… Read more »
“I developed allergies after moving to the desert” is a common sentiment which I shared. Or so I thought. Shortly after my arrival from Northern California, I developed this chronic phlegm in the back of my throat. Claritin seemed to help, so I thought it was safe to assume that I had developed a seasonal… Read more »
If you have diabetes, heart disease can be a serious concern. In fact, cardiovascular disease leading to heart attack or stroke is by far the leading cause of death in both men and women with diabetes, says Dr. Om P. Ganda, a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Clinical Nutrition, a Senior… Read more »
The Desert Healthcare District (DHCD) has been named the 2014 Healthcare District of the Year by the Association of California Healthcare Districts. The top honor is awarded annually in recognition of a healthcare district’s noteworthy success in improving the health and well-being of its community. Director Kay Hazen and DHCD’s Executive Staff accepted the award… Read more »
Making a decision to be screened for certain medical conditions can be difficult, especially when the recommendations and guidelines are constantly changing. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so it is timely to review the recommendations of various organizations for both of these conditions. What is a screening… Read more »
Riverside County’s only free medical and dental clinic was awarded a $25,000 Coachella Valley Spotlight grant from the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation. Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine (CVVIM) will use the funds to upgrade its electronic medical records system as well as pay for critical medicines, laboratory tests and imaging services for patients… Read more »
Over the last year approximately 20% of my patients came in with a primary complaint of low back pain. The patient can often pinpoint a moment when he lifted an object or moved a certain way, and all of a sudden had onset of pain that ultimately sent him to our clinic. Alternatively, other patients… Read more »
Let’s say you are at a baseball game and 30 days into sobriety. Everyone around you is enjoying beer and the temptation starts to wear on you. Or, say you are traveling; you check into your hotel room and that old pattern of heading to the lobby bar is the only thing on your mind.… Read more »
Sjogren’s (SHOW-grins) syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease in which an individual’s white blood cells attack their moisture-producing glands. Although the hallmark symptoms are dry eyes and dry mouth, Sjogren’s also causes serious complications throughout the entire body which can include dysfunction of the kidneys, gastrointestinal system, blood vessels, lungs, liver, pancreas and the central… Read more »
When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, it is often overwhelming. There is so much you need to know and do. Often, the pills or insulin the doctor prescribes are the easiest part of the “self-management” regimen. The American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) has condensed all the things someone with diabetes needs to do… Read more »
The length and quality of your sleep are extremely important to your physical health. During sleep, your body creates hormones and vital nutrients that balance the systems and support homeostasis. Sleep also allows your body to rejuvenate and relax. Most experts note that the average person needs a minimum of 5 sleep cycles per night… Read more »