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Health Matters: Remote patient monitoring: The future of health technology

ESCANABA — The future is now: the technologies of today were the stuff of sci-fi novels a few years ago. Artificial limbs controlled with a thought, genetically modified pigs bred for organ transplantation into humans, and self-driving cars, all these amazing advances, and many others, are part of our world (although perhaps not yet everyday items). To many Americans, owning a cell phone, a necessity to most, is not an option. But cell phones have been an early predictor of personal technology, an area of great interest in the technology sector. Medicine became interested when ...

Health Matters: Ultra processed foods lead to weighty problems

ESCANABA — How well do you eat? An associated question, how important is it to your health? Many would agree nutrition is a topic on which we have much to learn. Theories abound on how best to eat, and the plethora of diets developed in recent years is testament to this. How much do scientists know about the influence of nutrition on health? And then compare this to how much the general public knows about it! A recent study in the prestigious British Medical Journal stated that sixty percent of the calories consumed by the average American comes from processed foods that are largely ...

Eating ultra processed foods leads to weighty problems

ESCANABA — How well do you eat? An associated question, how important is it to your health? Many would agree nutrition is a topic on which we have much to learn. Theories abound on how best to eat, and the plethora of diets developed in recent years is testament to this. How much do scientists know about the influence of nutrition on health? And then compare this to how much the general public knows about it! A recent study in the prestigious British Medical Journal stated that sixty percent of the calories consumed by the average American comes from processed foods that are largely ...

Health Matters: Bone spurs common in lower extremity

ESCANABA — What follows is a common scenario: an individual experiences pain from the bottom of their heel. They mention it to their primary care provider who sends them for x-rays, an effective means of evaluating osseous tissue, i.e. bone. Examining the radiographs, the PCP finds a large spike of bone exactly where the patient is experiencing their pain. The obvious conclusion is the spur is causing the individual’s pain. Bone is an interesting tissue, at least in part because of how it responds to stress. Obviously, bone must be produced for growth and repair. And many things ...

Health Matters: Advantage plans for seniors come under fire

ESCANABA — American healthcare is a system in crisis. Many Americans have no health insurance and are one injury away from homelessness. Debts resulting from medical care too often lead to bankruptcy or worse. And though there are a multitude of factors at play, many experts believe it is due in part to our profit-driven healthcare system. For over 50 years, we have provided our senior citizens with healthcare, referred to as Medicare. This program has provided healthcare to millions of Americans. Although many problems exist with this system, our seniors, who typically are no longer ...

Health Matters: Chronic joint pain caused by bad biomechanics

  ESCANABA — The complexity of the human body is unparalleled, from top to bottom, inside and out, science has learned much about how we function, how we think, and how we move. Still, many mysteries remain. One example would be our gut biome: what do all those bacteria do and what is the interaction with our general health. One topic on which we have progressed tremendously in our understanding concerns the musculoskeletal system. The functions of the structures composing this system should be obvious; they allow us to walk and stand, to carry things, even run and jump (at ...