“Lore: traditional knowledge or belief”
Let me say at the outset that by lore I mean information whose validity is not confirmed. Lore is a version of “truthiness,” as Stephen Colbert would say. Most physicians are familiar with the concept of “chart lore.” Chart lore is information that somehow found its Continue reading
Running marathons has become a very popular activity in our country with over 540,000 people completing the 26.2 mile distance in 2013. The demographics of marathon runners have changed significantly over the past few decades. Whereas 90% of the 143,000 Continue reading
All prescribers are certainly aware of (and hopefully accept the reality of) increasing antibiotic resistance. While guidelines continue to be released encouraging less antibiotic use for sinusitis, bronchitis, and otitis media, there also continues to be use or, more Continue reading
OK, for those quasi-regular readers of this blog, and we know there are at least four of you out there, you’re already aware that many of our posts address how to effectively treat patients. What works. What doesn’t. What is known and what falls into the realm of the art Continue reading
Each individual who uses chronic opioids was at some point started for the first time on a prescription opioid. Often the problem was an episode of acute pain, such as a twisted ankle. Opioids may also have been newly started for a chronic pain problem, such as Continue reading
Valentine’s Day looms on the near horizon. A day for chocolate, roses, and smarmy greeting cards. A time to express undying affection for those we love. But you already know where this is headed, don’t you? While people everywhere prepare to give voice to Continue reading
Throughout my forty years as a practicing psychologist, I witnessed many shifts in opinion around assessing alcoholism, both in the therapy setting and in medicine in general. Back in the earliest days of my career in the 1970s, issues around alcoholism were rarely if Continue reading
I love telomeres! And just what are they? They are repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that undergo attrition (shortening) with division of somatic cells. Why is this important? Well, telomeres protect the integrity of the DNA and shortening of Continue reading
When I was the medical director of the Sonoma County Public Health outpatient clinics, which included the Family Planning and STD clinics, I would commonly discuss the lack of need for a bimanual exam of the, typically, young women who used our services if they Continue reading
Though we’re already well into 2015, we just came across the following New Year tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They are certainly appropriate for year round use. Many of the tips are relevant even for people who have graduated from the Continue reading