Author - The Durango Herald

Pain keeps us alive and helps doctors diagnose

Pain is a condition familiar to all and in no need of definition. Pain sensation is one sensory perception experienced through our nervous system. Others are touch, vibration, pr...

DATE: Jul 28, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Risks, benefits of medication must be weighed

Patients commonly come to me with their “bag of pills” wondering what they are all about. The fact is that medications as a form of treatment can be confusing for many people. T...

DATE: Jul 21, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Playing it safe at your child’s playground

I was at the park recently with my friend, The Safety Geek. The kids were taking advantage of the new playground equipment. The Safety Geek was pointing out some of the safety fe...

DATE: Jul 14, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Primary-care physicians are in demand

This time of year, recent high school graduates are shopping for supplies, packing their bags and perusing brochures and course listings from their selected college or university. ...

DATE: Jun 30, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Distraction from pain can help or hurt

A dictionary definition of “distraction” is the “act of distracting or the condition of being distracted.” It appears that distraction is active or passive. Pain distraction or distracting p...

DATE: Jun 23, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Diabetics must be vigilant in caring for their feet

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the leading chronic health conditions among adults in the United States. It results from developing resistance in the bodyâ€™s tissues to the effects of in...

DATE: Jun 16, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Cervical cancer screening â€“ how often is it needed?

I find that there is considerable confusion these days about cervical cancer screening. I hear many questions about when to start Pap smear testing, how often to have a Pap smear, and at wha...

DATE: Jun 2, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Not much alcohol is needed to be in fatal car accident

I vividly remember an emergency room encounter in summer 1980. Imagine four lanes of a main street, plus two parking lanes – a total of six. One early a.m., there was zero traffi...

DATE: May 26, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Safety Geek not much fun, but it’s time for a visit

I paid a visit to my old friend, The Safety Geek, a couple of weeks ago. He was very busy working through his “honey do” list for Mother’s Day. The Safety Geek was feeling a litt...

DATE: May 18, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Sometimes the thyroid does too much, or too little

Disorders of the thyroid gland are among the most common hormonal disorders which cause disease. The thyroid is a gland located in the front of the neck made up of soft tissue wh...

DATE: May 5, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

This juice may be hazardous to your health, well-being

Emergency responders encounter one quintessential fact: the unpredictability of problems they encounter. Most often, all they may know is that someone needs help. Such was the ca...

DATE: Apr 28, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch

Plantar fasciitis issues? Think about Achilles

On a recent spring break trip to Disney World in Florida, my kids enjoyed a new Chevrolet Test Track ride at Epcot. Having spent many years in Florida as a kid myself, I was remi...

DATE: Apr 21, 2013 | CATEGORY: La Plata Health Watch