Medical

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder that causes frequent, urgent and painful urination.  The natural lining of the bladder is protected from the urine toxins by a coating of enzymes.  In IC this protective layer is defective, allowing the toxins to penetrate into the interstitial layers of the bladder wall where the nerve endings are located, which then causes severe irritation with urination and bladder pain.

As a support group facilitator at weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Santa Clarita, guests frequently describe their initial feelings of shock, numbness, fear and disbelief when diagnosed with cancer.  “It’s like a whirlwind of information I am trying to decipher.”  Initially, patients are bombarded with a lot of information.  It is often too much to grasp all at once, not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well.  With limited time to research and have questions answered, cancer patients eventually make decisions regarding their course of treatment.  Sometimes this includes chemotherapy, radiation, alternative treatments, hospice care and/or no treatment at all.  Many must also make decisions regarding changes in treatment at various stages in their journey.

With all the bells and whistles and hundreds of toothbrushes on the market, you’ve got to wonder, which is really the best toothbrush to buy—manual or electric?

Wellness doctors across America are working together to help their communities choose better health through better living.  Discover how staying healthy can make you rich by following the seven simple steps to dramatically improving your life.  By working with your wellness doctor, you can learn more about how to improve your alignment, exercise, nutrition, healthy thinking, healthy habits, what wellness essentials are best for you and how to create a wellness team of professionals committed to helping you reach your goals.

Each winter, we all are warned about the influenza virus.  However, there is another common virus that presents itself at this time as well: respiratory syncitial virus or RSV.

The vertebrae of the spinal column are separated by disks made of cartilage.  Each disk has a strong outer layer and a softer inner part that acts as a shock absorber to cushion the vertebrae during movement.  If the disk degenerates, for example following an injury or with aging, the inner part of the disk can bulge or rupture through the outer layer, herniated disk. The ruptured inner part of the disk can compress or irritate a nerve root and may even injure it.

Have you ever thought about why you can’t resist chocolate layer cake or your favorite candy bar?  Even when you aren’t hungry, are there foods that seem to find their way into your mouth?  Your attitude toward food is determined by your early programming.  We draw positive or negative associations with smells, tastes, feelings and food, and this is how our relationship with food is formed.

It may be best to remove a toenail if it is infected, deformed or has a tendency to ingrow.  The toenail will eventually regrow if it is partially or entirely removed.  This, however, may take from six months to more than a year.  If the nail was deformed, it is likely to regrow deformed again.  However, it is possible to partially or completely remove the toenail so that regrowth of a deformed nail is prevented. 

Silver filling and mercury-colored tooth filling has been used for decades but it has a totally different color from the teeth.  Composite bonding, or white filling, is a tooth-colored plastic mixture filled with glass.  Composite bonding is not only used to restore decayed areas but is also used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.

If it’s meant to be, it will be.  That’s a common belief of most people.  If a relationship were good, it would require no effort.  This is untrue.  All relationships need to be nurtured and energized indefinitely, unless you’re just waiting for the battery to go dead.

Low back pain means pain in the lower lumbar, lumbosacral, or sacroiliac regions possibly accompanied by pain radiating down one or both buttocks and legs.  Low back pain is one of the most common complaints. It is present in at least 50 percent of all persons 60 years of age or older and accounts for millions of hours lost from work as well as millions of dollars spent on treatment and medication.  Low back pain can be acute or chronic.  It can be simply annoying and irritating, or it can produce unbearable physical and emotional suffering. 

Here are 26 pieces of solid, back-to-school skincare advice.  You may want to cut out the article and refer to it often.

Question: As my parents age and their health deteriorates, I am faced with major decisions.  First, there were the subtle signs that mom had Alzheimer’s disease, the growing forgetfulness, placing a coffee cup in the oven, or she’d go for a walk and not know how to get back.  Dad carries the burden of care by managing things on the home front, but his health is deteriorating as well.  I work fulltime and worry about them while I am at work.  What can I do?

As millions of kids get ready to go back to school, many will pull out old backpacks or purchase new ones.  While the books, homework assignments, lunches and other school gear those bags carry may be important for success in school, some experts point to backpack use as the leading cause of a growing trend in back pain among youngsters.  In fact, a recent study conducted in Italy found that nearly 60 percent of children carrying heavy backpacks experienced back pain as a result.

Playing sports can build character, muscle and self-esteem in our kids, but these activities also lead to injuries that, if not treated properly, can last well into adult life.

It is perfectly normal to be nervous about your first colonic, but there is nothing to be nervous about.  People often have misconceptions about what’s going to happen and how they will feel afterward.

Today, there is a growing understanding of the importance of exercise in our daily lives.  As a result more adults, children, and seniors are committing themselves to a life of fitness. They are choosing to use fitness to improve their health as well as prevent further deterioration of their well-being.  But, this has resulted in an increase in sports-related injuries. 

The mild case of dizziness can be relived by closing one’s eyes, while the serious case has an illusion of bodily movement with rotator sensation like sitting in a sailing boat or moving car, and even accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sweating.