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Health Matters: Minimally invasive surgery wave of the present

ESCANABA — Modern medicine has made many advances benefitting our health and wellbeing. Our understanding of disease has progressed tremendously, more so in some fields than others. An examination of life expectancy is evidence of these advances. Prior to the development of antibiotics, before we knew about bacteria and hygiene, many infections were deadly. These days, more people succumb to the chronic diseases of lifestyle as opposed to trauma or infection, as was the case just a few decades ago. The improvements made in operative interventions, aka surgery, has similarly been ...

Health Matters: The lost art and science of the physical exam

By Dr. Conway McLean, FAPHWc, DABFAS ESCANABA — Remember some of the old doctor shows, there have been quite a few over the years. The patient would lie down on the exam table and the physician would place their hands on the individual’s belly to palpate their “insides,” amounting to feeling around. Of course, this was always followed with use of a stethoscope to listen to their breathing and heartbeat. At last, voila! The wise healer would provide the precise diagnosis. How did he do it? What magic spell was he weaving with “the laying on of hands?” Our TV doctor was ...

Health Matters: Fungal infections a common problem

ESCANABA — Did you know that “germs” are everywhere? A specific term is ubiquitous, meaning they are everywhere, a part of our environment. Certainly, germ is an antiquated term, referring to microscopic biological organisms. Most people automatically associate this with bacteria, but it can also refer to viral particles and fungal organisms. The variety of fungal species is tremendous, with estimates claiming there are over 5 million species. A “guesstimate” is an appropriate term since the vast majority of these have not been properly identified or classified by scientists. ...

Health Matters: Chronic inflammation endangers health

ESCANABA — Inflammation has gotten a bad rap. It gets trounced in the media, with arthritis sufferers nodding in agreement. Advertising presents inflammation as a terrible thing, causing pain and problems all over the body. Wherever you have pain, there must be inflammation. It should not be surprising when it is offered up as the cause of some illness, even when there is no definitive diagnosis. Is inflammation always a bad thing? Why does it occur if it’s harmful? In truth, inflammation is an essential part of healing. It is your body’s protective response to injury or ...

Health Matters: Weak evidence for benefits of stretching

By Dr. Conway McLean, FAPWHc, DABFAS ESCANABA — Medical myths abound in most cultures, beliefs that are grounded in history or arising from a neighbor’s experience. A large number of these have no scientific backing. This is not to say they aren’t accurate or don’t work, only that there isn’t good evidence either way. But it is a very human trait to draw conclusions. We do this routinely about many issues regarding our health, our illnesses, and the therapies we use. (How about the one where you can catch an upper respiratory infection because of an open window?) An oft ...

Health Matters: Lions club teams with local physician for diabetic education

By Dr. Conway McLean, DABFAS, FAPWHc ESCANABA — I went for a walk the other day. Which is not very exciting news, I’m sure you’ll agree. But it was the scenario which made it distinctive. The Lions Club of Marquette organized the Diabetes Awareness Walk in Tourist Park. Area residents with diabetes, or family members with, attended the event held last weekend. I spoke to the crowd on the topic of diabetic foot health since the event was intended to promote educational efforts for those with this ubiquitous disease which is, too often, debilitating and deadly. With all we have ...