Medical

Orthodontics is the first and oldest specialty in dentistry and is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions, or improper bites.  Creating beautiful smiles and establishing a proper bite is what orthodontists do.  Picking the right orthodontist can be a difficult task because patients don’t always know what to look for.  The first factor to consider when choosing an orthodontist is whether the doctor is a true orthodontist or just a dentist doing orthodontics. 

The concept of removing fat from one part of the body and injecting it into another part is one of the most exciting concepts to be added to the field of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.  While fat transplantation has been done in various ways for some time (first recorded in the late 1800’s), the concept of fat transplantation by microinjection is relatively new.

When we think of the holidays most people think of family, fun, and food!  But what most people don’t realize is that even during the holidays it is important to take care of your health.  After all, we all want to start the New Year off right.  But often times our choices at the holidays make this difficult.  Here are some tips to stay healthy during the holidays.
Decrease the extra calories in your cooking!

In a recent study published by Harvard Medical School, 80 percent of Americans at some point in their lives experience lower back pain.  It’s the fifth most common reason for visiting a doctor, one of the top reasons people miss work, and the most common cause of work-related disability in people under age 45.  Outside of trauma, research suggests that more than half of those suffering are caused by improper biomechanics of the feet.  This is also true with knee and hip pain.

Currently strength and conditioning is an integral part of professional golf.  In the past the amateur golfer was unaware of the physical conditioning requirements needed to support the golf swing.  The Titleist Performance Institute Golf Fitness Program is now providing the amateur golfer with the same opportunity as the professional golfer.

Headaches occur in nearly all ages and walks of life.  There are many types of headaches from sinus to migraines to toxic to the most common type, the tension or “stress” headache, which accounts for about 90 percent of all headaches.  Headaches are one of the most common complaints people have—some estimates suggest 25 percent of the population have one right now!

The Cause of Back Pain—The discs in your spine provide space between each vertebrae and act as shock absorbers to give you the ability to bend and twist.  These shock absorbers undergo a significant amount of stress.  When the stress in the disc gets to high it begins to fail.  These failures are often called herniated discs and degenerative disc disease.  These changes often pinch or irritate the nerves ultimately causing pain.

Progressive lenses or no line bifocals are the most advanced lens design of today.  A progressive lens is a lens designed to allow the patient to have clear vision far away, intermediate (computer) and reading distances without any lines.  With modern lens technology, progressives have little distortion and high adaptation rates.  Today’s progressives are much different than those of yesteryear. 

If you’ve never done it, the process can seem daunting.  But even if you’ve been purchasing hearing aids for some time, there may be pertinent questions you haven’t asked in a long time, or perhaps never thought to ask at all.
For example, when you go to your audiologist to purchase a hearing aid, do you ask to see a hearing aid that includes a telecoil program or know how many microphones the hearing aid has?

When it comes to tooth replacement, we live in a good time.  Whether a single tooth has been lost, or a slippery denture is causing trouble, dental implant technology has the problem covered.

For some, holidays are a source of joy, gratitude and celebration.  For others, this time of year means additional stress and feelings of loss and isolation.  weSPARK is here to support our cancer patients, their families and friends in whatever mood they find themselves.  Our Support groups provide a safe environment to share feelings and find a sense of community with people on a similar journey.

Between a slow economy and the challenges of everyday life, stress is at an all time high.  You may have noticed that despite your best efforts, you are gaining weight or have hit a complete plateau in your results.  Could stress be to blame?  The answer is yes.  So how exactly does stress affect our weight and sabotage our goals?  When you are under stress, your body automatically sends your “fight or flight response” into full swing. 

Nearly every day I speak to a new patient who is complaining of chronic health concerns.  Maybe it’s constipation, headaches, acid reflux, leg pain or numb fingers.  I begin by questioning the patient about old injuries, car wrecks, falls, sports…all the usual events in life that cause physical stress on the body. 

Hippocrates once said, “The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.”
Detoxification/cleansing is the process of addressing the toxins in the body.  The liver, digestive tract, kidneys, bladder, lymphatic system, lungs, and skin are the major systems/organs that are involved in the neutralization and elimination of toxins. 

One day your shoulder tenses up and it’s hard to move it side-to-side or up-and-down.  Soon you cannot reach your back and moving your arm seems impossible.  Even worse, you wake up in the middle of the night in agonizing pain in your shoulder.  All of these symptoms show that you may be a victim of the frozen shoulder.  Twenty to 30 years ago these symptoms used to be prevalent only in the older age group of the 50s.

Cancer patients taking certain bone drugs called bisphosphonates may develop a severe form of bone damage in the jaw if they get major dental work during their therapy, the FDA and a drug company said this week. Novartis Oncology said patients taking certain drugs called bisphosphonates should avoid invasive dental work, if possible.

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.