Chronic pain is the medical term for pain that lasts more than about three months. The word “chronic” means “long-lasting.” Researchers estimate that more than 100 million American adults have chronic pain, so you are not alone. Chronic pain is one of the leading reasons we visit the doctor and take medication. It is extremely […]
Inevitably in life, we or a family member will get sick or hurt at some point. Sometimes it will build slowly, and other times it pops up out of nowhere. That is why understanding the role of a patient advocate will help make a stressful time more manageable. Thankfully, we now have more resources to […]
Patients with chronic diseases—6 out of 10 adults in the United States[i]—need help to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors. “Most clinicians have a really hard time talking to patients about healthy behavior change. We either beg or threaten them to make changes. This doesn’t work very well,” says Thomas Bodenheimer, MD, MPH, a professor in […]
When you break your leg, undergo surgery, or burn your hand, you experience pain—acute pain. With treatment and time, the pain usually disappears. But chronic pain is different. It hangs around even after the original illness or injury has improved, reminding you every day that it has no plans to vacate the premises. Technically, chronic […]
The COVID-19 bomb just blew apart America’s healthcare system. It has poked holes in all our weaknesses and laid to waste many who work in health care, both on the front line and outside of it. For hospitals, frontline medical staff, private practitioners, and patients, the physical, psychological, and financial toll of the pandemic is […]
Being healthy during a pandemic is more than about making good food choices. Sure, buying or ordering the right food during this unique crisis is an important element to maintaining your health—both mental and physical—but it is your relationship with food that is so crucial in the era of COVID. As with other relationships in […]
Isolation is not our normal state. That fact has become abundantly clear these past few months as we have been relegated to socializing less frequently and using virtual means when we do. And while these are certainly necessary precautions during our current health crisis, the effects of isolation can be all too damaging. As we’ve […]
Mind-body practices . . . focus on the interactions of mind, body, and behavior, with the intent to use the mind to affect physical functioning and promote health. –National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH If you have children, chances are good that when they get sick or injured you put on a favorite […]
You are a social being. Your relationships with others and your role within your community provide a sense of belonging, care, and support. And right now, when most of us are struggling to remain as social as we once were, often fighting to stave off loneliness, we need to make a real effort to connect […]
Our physical and emotional presence impacts the healing of other human beings—it’s a phenomenon that is as fascinating as it is beautiful. As we continue our focus on isolation and loneliness, I wanted to provide more insight into how we can all help each other heal. The following excerpt is from my book, How Healing […]
