Articles

This new number was derived from a survey of seven national laboratories, a national patient survey, and a review of insurance information. It is the CDC's most comprehensive attempt at a better estimate. But the numbers are estimated to be much higher when you include the vast number of patients who are told they don't […]

If Lyme disease is not diagnosed and treated early, the Lyme spirochete can spread, and can go into hiding in the body, causing health problems months or even years after the infection occurs. Perhaps this is why there is so much confusion and difficulty in getting proper treatment for Lyme disease. It Starts With an […]

This new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is as much as ten times greater than the number of cases reported to the CDC annually, at 30,000. With such large numbers, you might think that diagnosing Lyme disease is fairly simple. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Why is […]

Contrary to popular belief, Lyme disease is not limited to the northeastern United States, but is seen in every state across the country. It is often called "the great imitator" because Lyme can mimic virtually any disease, including multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou […]

For many, seeing is believing, and this 10 to 15 minute thyroid exam sees what is otherwise hidden and can measure and detect issues that do not reveal themselves anywhere else. Lab work can indicate key thyroid related hormone levels, such as T4, T3, Reverse T3, Free T4 and Free T3, but do not indicate […]

Don't blame yourself for failure. Sometimes there's a medical reason for weight gain or the inability to lose weight! Here is a list of key tests that can determine if there's a physiological cause for your weight problems. Thyroid hormone imbalance An imbalance of thyroid hormones, specifically hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone conversion disorders, can make […]

Thyroid hormone plays an important role in metabolic function. While many patients are familiar with the thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH, most are not aware that there are a number of thyroid hormones. TSH, created by the pituitary gland, tells the thyroid to make thyroxine. Thyroxine, or T4, is an inactive thyroid hormone that must […]

The "set point" is the brain's target weight for a person's body. Just as the body works to maintain a fairly standard temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, it also works to maintain a body weight that is physiologically comfortable. The set point is maintained by the hypothalamus, and is often genetically influenced. However, a number […]

Obesity has become a major health crisis in the United States. In the last two decades, obesity rates have doubled among adults. As many as 60 million people, or 30% of the adult population, are now obese. Youth are at risk too. Since 1980, obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents. And […]

Senate bill S.959, now being called the "FDA Power Grab Bill," would widen the powers of the FDA and allow it to disallow entire categories of compounding drugs in "complex dosage forms," including time-released and transdermal patches. It would give the FDA authority to ban bioidentical hormones and restrict access to compounded medications, even when […]

Fibromyalgia can cause pain anywhere in the body, but the most common sites include the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms and legs. Optimal treatment of fibromyalgia requires a multi-system approach that can include addressing underlying viral infections, hormone imbalances, and nutritional deficiencies. Now, two new studies show that supplementing with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may help […]

For patients with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can be extremely debilitating and can interfere with the basic activities of daily life, even bringing psychological distress and social isolation. A Relatively New Diagnosis Fibromyalgia is not a new syndrome, but it is surprisingly not well recognized in medical practice, even though it is […]