Category: Bones, Joints & Muscles
Each prescription drug you take has a unique code that the government can use to track problems. But artificial hips and pacemakers? They are implanted without identification. In fact, the FDA doesn’t know how many devices are implanted into patients each year – it simply doesn’t track that data.
A study of nearly 5,000 women suggests that women with healthy bone density on their first bone desity test might safely wait 15 years before getting tested again.
Whether it’s music, lifestyles, or a refuse-to-age outlook, Baby Boomers think of themselves as trailblazers. Now, that generation born between 1946 and 1964 can claim credit for another “first”—a dramatic increase in knee replacement surgeries.
“We expected back pain to ease more with yoga than with stretching, so our findings surprised us.”
Learn about care and recovery from complicated spinal cord injuries–from vertebroplasty to disc replacement– from national and UW experts
Lower leg strains and sprains accounted for more than 30 percent of emergency room visits, but most are relatively minor and don’t require an ER visit.
“Although comparing costs and bills is tricky, by any measure my evening in the Canadian emergency department was a good deal.”
Tears in the rotator cuff are not a huge health setback. But they can limit movement and cause serious pain. There are several ways to treat rotator cuff tears, including surgery and non-surgical treatments. You’ll want to understand your options before you make a decision.
Concerns include bisphosphonate drugs such as Actonel, Actonel with Calcium, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D, and their generic forms.
Aggressive surgical approach no better than rehab-oriented path for recovery from knee injuries involving anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, study finds.
“Normal daily activity seems to be the best way for patients with low-back pain to get better,” says study author.
Reports of musty odor associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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