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This Northern Cheyenne doula was about to start getting paid -- then Medicaid cuts hit
LAME DEER, Mont. — Misty Pipe had about an hour before her shift began at the post office. She used that time to check in on a new mom who lives a few miles outside this town at the heart of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
A mom of seven, Pipe is a doula on the reservation who supports new and expectant parents. She does that work ...Read more
Breaking news! Fiber is a pain killer
Knee osteoarthritis affects at least 20 million American adults age 50-plus, causing chronic pain and disability for many of them. Treatment may call for constant use of over-the-counter pain killers, repeated steroid shots, or surgery. There are more than 1.2 million total-knee replacement surgeries done annually. But what if you could reduce ...Read more
Weighing Whether A Nerve Block Is Right For A Case Of Arthritis
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have bad knee arthritis. My doctor is suggesting a genicular nerve block. Is this a good idea? Will it fix the problem? -- P.O.V.
ANSWER: Chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis is a common problem in middle-aged and older adults. Before a person receives treatment, the diagnosis should be confirmed by an X-ray. First-line ...Read more
Recent studies prove the ancient practice of nasal irrigation is effective at fighting the common cold
It starts with a slight scratchiness at the back of your throat.
Then, a sneeze.
Then coughing, sniffling and full-on congestion, with or without fever, for a few insufferable days.
Viral upper respiratory tract infections – also known as the healthandspirit/health/healthtips/s-4067748">Read more
Tobacco is still one of the world’s top killers – here are the key obstacles to enacting generational smoking bans
Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one’s health. But most people don’t know just how bad it is.
More people in the United States die every year from smoking than from alcohol, illegal drug use, car accidents, suicides and murders combined. Cigarette smoking costs an ...Read more
What declining vaccination rates mean for your family – and what you can do
As the risk of measles remains an ongoing concern, herd immunity in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is already slipping. According to data obtained via The Washington Post in January 2026, 1 in 3 Allegheny County kindergartners were in a classroom too far below adequate vaccination coverage to stop a measles outbreak during the 2023-24 school...Read more
Doctors can refuse to treat LGBTQ+ patients in several states – these religious exemption laws lead to drops in HIV testing
An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal or religious beliefs. While these conscientious objection laws have long existed for issues such as abortion, their effects on LGBTQ+ people have not been ...Read more
'The Pitt' dramatizes the very real burnout that threatens medical care workers and patients
In between patients at my oncology clinic, I couldn’t catch my breath. I asked my nurse to check my oxygen level and pulse. My chest felt heavy, as if something were pressing on it.
I sat in the same examination chair my patients use, watching the monitor and running through possible diagnoses. But I knew what this was.
A panic attack.
My ...Read more
Nipple Soreness From Phone Could Be Due To Odd Placement
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 75-year-old man. I keep my cellphone in my left shirt pocket every day. Recently, my left nipple has become very sore. I asked my general physician about it, and he wasn't concerned. I'm concerned that the electromagnetic field from the phone may be an issue. Is there any research on this, and should I have this checked ...Read more
Hot spots of inflammation fuel aging
Scientists from Rockefeller University created an atlas showing the location of 7 million cells in 21 kinds of tissue in lab mice at three different ages -- all with the aim of identifying what routes aging takes throughout the body. What they observed was around 300,000 age-related changes in the genome (readable portions of your DNA) that were...Read more
FDA withdraws GSK's approval of drug touted as autism treatment
U.S. regulators have withdrawn their approval of a GSK Plc drug that the Trump administration had promoted as a treatment for autism, adding another twist to the unusual story of a decades-old drug.
The Food and Drug Administration is pulling its approval of Wellcovorin, a branded version of leucovorin from GSK Plc, according to a post Thursday...Read more
Psilocybin mushrooms are going mainstream, but scientific research and regulation lag behind
Amid a renaissance in the science of psychedelics, public interest in psilocybin – or magic mushrooms, as they’ve long been known – is surging.
One study found that rates of psilocybin use increased 44% among adults ages 18-29 from 2019 to 2023, and 188% among those over age 30. This amounts to more than 5 million adults using ...Read more
Immigrant seniors lose Medicare coverage despite paying for it
OAKLAND, Calif. — Rosa María Carranza leaned forward to hold a 3-year-old’s back as the girl climbed a rock in the forested hills of northeast Oakland.
Dressed in hiking gear and beaded necklaces, Carranza, 67, maneuvered between trees and children on a sunny morning in December. “Hold on to that branch,” she said in Spanish. “You ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: How liver transplant is transforming care for patients with advanced colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. One in 5 patients is diagnosed with metastatic disease, meaning the colorectal cancer has spread beyond the colon, often to the liver.
When surgery isn't an option, a liver transplant may be a lifesaving alternative. Mayo Clinic leads in this approach, combining ...Read more
Mayo Clinic Minute: Physical therapist-recommended golf exercises
As golf season approaches, preparation should start before your first tee time. Building strength off the course can improve performance and help reduce injury risk.
"Play the long game by building strength off the course," says John Zajac, D.P.T., a physical therapist certified in golf-specific rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. "...Read more
Getting Vaccinated Is Most Effective To 'Scare Away' Viruses
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 82 years old and in very good health. I have no major medical issues so far, but I work on my health as I believe in prevention. During the past eight months, I've had three colds, plus COVID-19 for the first time this past November. I remember the old days when we used to wear camphor necklaces every winter in order to "...Read more
Countering chemo side effects
Every year, around 2 million folks are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. and at least 25% of them receive some form of chemotherapy. While the benefits are clear -- less cancer progression, longer life, and even cancer cure -- the side effects range from nausea, gastro problems, fatigue, hair loss, nerve pain, and mood swings to chemo brain.
...Read more
Ancient flea-borne disease makes comeback in California. What's typhus?
Cases of flea-borne typhus have hit an “all-time high” in a California county, according to public health officials.
A record 220 cases of the disease were identified in 2025 in Los Angeles County, the county public health agency reported April 2.
“Alarmingly, nearly 9 out of 10 people identified as infected with typhus required ...Read more
Trump's personnel agency is asking for federal workers' medical records
The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families.
A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains, giving it the power to see prescriptions ...Read more
From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it
Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe.
From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has sown distrust in scientific experts. The results are already visible through the return of diseases once thought...Read more
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