Residency training is an intense time for young doctors. The sheer amount of technical, pharmaceutical and physiology information you are expected to learn is overwhelming. It is not just numbers and equations that weigh heavy, but the interpersonal aspects of the training. The so-called “art of medicine.” Integral to this training is the “giving of bad news.” Some conditions are worse than others, but regardless of what you are about to disclose, telling someone they have a condition that will alter the course of their life, like lupus, is never easy.
[Read more…] about What you need to know about Lupus – Pt. 1General Rheumatology
Chronic Pain & The Nervous System
Chronic Pain. Fibromyalgia. Arthritis. So many have to deal with the accusation that it is “all in your head.” Even if said with the best intentions, this statement is gaslighting at it’s finest. It is telling those with pain, that what they feel and experience isn’t real. Which, of course, we know it is.
[Read more…] about Chronic Pain & The Nervous SystemArthritis & the Heart Disease
Heart disease. We all know about it, we all want to prevent it and sadly, we all know someone with it. When we think of heart disease, our minds naturally think of heart attacks or maybe heart failure. We think of an overweight man with high blood pressure and diabetes, although we know women are just as affected. But did you know that inflammatory arthritis can be associated with heart disease? In fact, most autoimmune or inflammatory arthritis types can lead to disease of every part of the heart. Watch the video above or keep reading to learn more!
[Read more…] about Arthritis & the Heart DiseaseWhat is a Rheumatologist?
Have you ever been told you should see a Rheumatologist? And when you were told, did you know what they were talking about? I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. Rheumatology is a somewhat obscure field, even though there are close to 5000 of us in the United States. Rheumatologists are specialists who complete 4 years of medical school (after college), either an Internal Medicine or Pediatrics residency (3-4 years) and then a Rheumatology Fellowship (2-3 years). Keep reading or watch the video to learn more about what a Rheumatologist does!
[Read more…] about What is a Rheumatologist?Why Meditation is the best medication
We all hear how great meditation is. And at some point we may have been advised that we should be doing it. To start a new meditation practice sounds easy, but I know first hand, it is not. It can be hard to start something so out of our norm when the benefits aren’t easily apparent. If we have chronic medical conditions, especially if they are rheumatologic, inflammatory or autoimmune, it can seem as if meditation isn’t for us. That perhaps we are too far down the “sick road” to get any benefit. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! EVERYONE benefits from a meditation or mindfulness practice – but what does it do exactly and how can it benefit you?
[Read more…] about Why Meditation is the best medication