Medical

Spring is here.  Trees are in bloom and fields of wild flowers blanket the landscape.  This is nature at its finest… unless you suffer from allergies.
Due to rainfall during the winter, pollens are abundant.  Profuse runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezes, wheezes, itchy red eyes, and headaches make the victim feel miserable.

Many patients tell me they would love to have whiter teeth, however in the past, after a whitening procedure they experienced quite a bit of tooth sensitivity, which is the main reason why whitening is no longer an option for them.  The question then: “Is there a way to get whiter teeth without the sensitivity?”  The answer is easier than you would expect.  Most teeth whitening products have one ingredient in common: Peroxide, what is different is the concentration, higher amounts will typically yield faster results, however, it could also cause increased sensitivity. 

Most of us know that smoking is bad for our health, but did you know that smoking is also a major contributor to many dental problems? Cigarettes aren’t the only products only to blame.  All forms of tobacco, including cigars, smokeless tobacco and hookah water pipes, pose dental health concerns.

Since ancient times, people have designed ways to move teeth and straighten their smile.  Primitive forms of, what we now call “braces,” have been found on skulls of ancient mummies.  Even Hippocrates and Aristotle in 400 to 500 BC both pondered about ways to straighten teeth and fix various dental conditions.  Straight teeth have been on our minds a very long time!
The technology used today is obviously far more advanced than what the pioneers used to straighten teeth and keeps evolving day by day.  However, the basic principle remains the same: prolonged, gentle force applied to a tooth over time. 

Breast Center Offers Special Cash Price in May

What’s one good way to plan for your future? Take care of your health today. When asked why they don’t get annual mammograms, some patients respond that they are afraid of finding out they might have cancer. Ignoring breast cancer doesn’t make it go away…and discovering cancer in its early stages increases treatment options and allows a much greater chance of survival and positive outcomes.

Heel/Arch pain is one of the most common foot ailments affecting millions of people on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, this affliction is left untreated by a majority of the population, figuring that it will go away, or accepting that the pain is typical with excessive standing or walking.  Eventually, this ailment becomes chronic in nature, often manifesting with “First step pain” when getting out of bed or after a period of rest, usually dissipating after a few minutes of walking, then eventually returning later in the day.

Many injuries with the muscles and joints can begin with athletics.  High school, college, and professional athletes are sidelined with injuries that could be avoided.  Some athletes sit on the bench because their injury does not respond to ordinary treatment.  Still, others are playing, but with limitations, simply because their muscles and joints are not working properly.  Progressive coaches, athletes, and doctors are realizing that pain killing drugs are not the answer.  They merely cover up the symptoms, making the athlete at risk for further injury. 

Whiplash is a non-medical term used to describe injury caused by a rapid jerking of the neck either forward and backward or side-to-side. It is most often associated with motor vehicle accidents, but can also occur from falls, blows to the head, or sports accidents to name a few. The sudden, forceful movement with whiplash causes the neck to move beyond its normal range of motion. This can cause tearing in the muscles, tendons and ligaments, which support the neck and can lead to damage to the intervertebral disc, spinal nerves or even spinal cord.

What criteria do you use to determine if I am a candidate?  It is important to ask this question because there are very specific criteria to determine how effective the treatment will be.  If the doctor does not have an established system for the inclusion or exclusion of patients for treatment then you may want to re-think doing the procedure at that office.  There must be a comprehensive health history, examination, and a review of all diagnostic tests to determine if you are a candidate.  The doctor and patient should take this procedure as seriously as he or she would surgery.

If staying sharp is on your wish list of things you’d like to maintain as you gracefully grow older, Nola Aronson M.A., CEO and clinical audiologist of Audiology Associates in Santa Clarita recommends you consider a hearing exam before you invest in pricey mind strengthening exercises and gadgets.  Nola Aronson M.A. recently returned from a national conference of leading hearing care professionals in Phoenix that looked at the impact of hearing loss on cognitive ability. 

Q. What is Sleep Dentistry?
A. Sleep Dentistry lets you totally relax during your visit so years of dental treatment can be done in one or two appointments.
Q. Will I really be totally relaxed?

Computers.  To most of us, it’s hard to remember how we ever got our job done without them.  More than 143 million Americans use a computer at work every day.  And if you spend more than two hours a day in front of a computer, you could be among the estimated 125 million people suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome or CVS.

To understand spinal decompression, you must first understand the importance of your discs.  Located between each vertebra is a cartilage disc.  This disc is to act as a spacer to keep the vertebrae apart.  It also acts as a rubber bushing, providing a spinal shock absorber.  They also provide a specialized surface for each vertebra to mechanically move on.  This movement is necessary to nourish the discs.

The Brain & Spine Center of Santa Clarita is the region’s premier neurosurgery provider, serving the Santa Clarita, San Fernando, Bakersfield and Greater Los Angeles areas. Mark A. Liker, M.D., Sherwin E. Hua, M.D. and Brian R. Gantwerker are the leading neurosurgeons at the Brain & Spine Center, consistently providing high-quality surgical treatment for brain and spine disorders. This comprehensive practice also provides non-surgical pain management. John V. Watkins, M.D., is a Spine Specialist & Pain Management Physician that treats pain from all angles. Each physician brings extensive training, expertise, and state of the art techniques to their practice, optimizing each patient’s care.

Stroke-approved hospitals provide improved response, treatment for “brain attack”

Paramedics now have options when transporting stroke victims to the nearest certified stroke center in Los Angeles County.  Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital has been designated as an Approved Stroke Center (ASC) by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and Emergency Medical Services Agency, following the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ of the hospital as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center

Thanks to the commercials for Gardasil, the vaccination against HPV (human papillomavirus), more women of all ages know of its connection to cervical cancer.  But do they realize that eight out of 10 adults will have HPV at some point in their lives?  Or that cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer in women worldwide, despite the fact that the Pap test has been available for over 50 years? 

I have a question.  What would happen if you ate and digested the perfect diet created just for you?  Would you feel better or worse?  Do you think your weight would normalize and would your overall health and well-being begin to improve radically?
My experience is that chronic problems such as heartburn, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, arthritis, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and weight gain improve greatly.

Aging is a fact of life that we will all face during our lifetimes.  However, what is different about aging is that it is not something that we typically study and become proficient in.  Rather, aging often creeps up on us and, once apparent, requires immediate attention.  The issues of aging are also unique in that people usually only get one try.  In other words, we simply do not get the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and “do it better” or “try harder” the next time.