Medical

I have worked in physical therapy for over 20 years, and I have seen thousands of patients over this span.  I became a physical therapist for many reasons, but most importantly I became a physical therapist because I wanted a job where I could work with and help people.

With all the economic pressure affecting millions of Americans, dentists have noticed a big rise in the number of teeth grinding. In fact, we have seen 20 to 25 percent more patients with teeth grinding symptoms in the last year. This usually occurs during sleep or situations that make you feel tense or anxious. People are not just unaware of this habit but they are also unaware of the consequences.

As more women enter peri-menopause and because more menopausal women are living longer, many questions exist about hormone balance and hormone replacement.  The first of these questions is whether or not to take hormones at all.  Certainly much information has been in the media limelight due to the WHI study that was halted due to an increase in breast cancer, strokes and heart attacks in the participants receiving the medication under study. 

Back pain is notoriously difficult to treat.  Chronic spine pain is one of the most common reasons a person will seek a physicians evaluation.  Frequently symptoms do not correlate with the severity of the disease, nor do clinical manifestations reflect the cause or the severity of the disorder.  Because of the complexity of the spine, pathophysiology is poorly understood.  However the severity of pain indicates changes in the musculoskeletal structures of the spine. 

Many of my patients have diabetes, some undiagnosed.  My clinical experience and studies have shown that diabetics are more susceptible to the development of periodontal (gum) disease.  This can be cyclical because infectious gum disease will have the potential to affect blood sugar and contribute to the diabetic condition. 

Indoors and outdoors, youth athletes stay active year-round in competitive sports, and for many of them heel pain has become “just another part of the game.”  Foot and ankle surgeons, Leslie G. Levy, DPM and Dana Lavian, DPM, FACFAS, advise that when a child complains of heel pain, it should be diagnosed promptly because it may be a warning sign of a serious foot problem.

In 1991, the FDA pulled silicone breast implants off the market for further study of their safety.  Over the next 14 years, the implants would become the subjects of intense research, clinical trials, and fierce controversy.  In 2006, the FDA approved them for use, and plastic surgeons across the country have experienced an uptick in procedures involving silicone breast implants, as opposed to their saline counterparts.

How many times have you found yourself arriving home not knowing how you got there?  It seems that when we do things routinely, we tend to allow ourselves to daydream while the autopilot in our brain takes over to do the task.  This, unfortunately, can be very dangerous, particularly when driving.  We tend to think that we can drive as well as eat, drink, put on our makeup, talk on the cell phone and, yes, some even think they can read or send and receive texts while driving. 

Many patients have recently been asking which type of Botulinum Toxin Type A is right for me.  Some patients believe that Dysport® is a new type of Botulinum Toxin Type A (produced by Medicis Corporation in the UK), however it is just a different formulation/mixture that has been available overseas for many years.  Botox Cosmetic® produced by Allergan Corporation, based in Irvine, California- is the most widely recognized and researched formulation in the United States and demonstrates wonderful efficacy and reproducibility.

Dr. Fellows, a native of Illinois, studied in both the Midwest and Southern California. He graduated magna cum laude with a psychobiology major from the University of Southern California. He then earned his medical degree from the prestigious Northwestern University in Chicago.

One of the most common reasons prompting a visit to an opthalmologist is eye pain. There are many causes for eye pain.  Contrary to popular belief, wearing an eyeglass prescription that is incorrect or needing glasses is not a common cause of eye pain. The most common complaint we hear is feeling a dull ache or pressure behind both eyes.

Did you know that men are less likely than women to take care of their physical health and, according to research; their oral health is equally ignored?  Good oral health has been linked to longevity, yet one of the most common factors associated with infrequent dental checkups is just being male.  Men are less likely than women to seek preventive dental care and often neglect their oral health for years, visiting a dentist only when a problem arises.

Researchers found that seven weeks of acupuncture treatment reduced the severity of nighttime hot flashes by 28 percent among menopausal women compared with a six percent decrease among women who had a sham acupuncture treatment.
The effects of acupuncture versus a sham acupuncture (placebo) treatment on the severity and frequency of nighttime hot flashes were compared.  Taking part in the study were 29 menopausal women experiencing at least seven moderate-to-severe hot flashes per day.

When microdermabrasion, chemical peels, or photofacials aren’t giving you the results you want, your answer may be fractional laser treatment.  What is fractional laser?  Years ago the gold standard of treatment was traditional laser resurfacing done with a Carbon Dioxide (C02) laser.  While this laser provided outstanding results, it also had a long period of recovery that included bandages, crusting, prolonged redness, and swelling. 

For many people, the best treatment for wisdom teeth is to remove them.  This treatment helps prevent future dental problems and maintains a healthy mouth and smile.
Your last molars, called the third molars or wisdom teeth, typically begin to come in during the late teens or early 20s.  When they don’t have room to grow in properly, they are considered impacted. 

We all know that we need that twice per year “teeth cleaning.”  It is so refreshing to have smooth shiny teeth.  But we need to keep in mind that it is more than a “teeth cleaning.”  This appointment helps maintain your periodontal health, identify oral cancer, screen for high blood pressure and diagnose dental disease at its inception.

When we listen to people addressing issues, negativity seems to be the preferred approach.  Is it truly the most effective approach, or do we just mimic the approach of others?  Are you more likely to hear the other person when they present a negative or a positive approach?  Do you present what you are most receptive to or stick to familiar ineffective patterns?

The City of Santa Clarita and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will host a free, walk-in H1N1 vaccination clinic on Friday, December 4 at the City’s Sports Complex Activities Center. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until the vaccination supply is depleted.