Working with the community... for a healthier community.

Awake Spine Surgery: A Promising Option for Relieving Back Pain

By Becky Wiese Back surgery has a bad stigma for a good reason. It is often the last resort for patients who have chronic back pain and have tried a variety of non-surgical options in hopes of getting relief. Traditional “open” back surgery, used since the 1960s, involves gaining access to the spine to fix […]

Is Assisted Living for Me?

By Allison Fisher, Community Relations Director, Welbrook at Bloomington Making the decision to move into an assisted living community can be a challenging family experience. You may ask yourself, “When is the right time?” or think, “I do not need any assistance right now, but I am not comfortable staying at home any longer.” People […]

Flip-Flop Fans: The Hard, Cold Facts

Submitted by Melissa J. Lockwood, DPM, Heartland Foot and Ankle Associates, P.C. It’s easy to understand why we all love flip-flops: They’re cute and comfy, keep your feet cool in warm weather, and are great for showing off that fab pedicure you just got. No matter how much you adore your flip-flops, it’s important to […]

Be Proactive About Your Health

Submitted by Elizabeth Madlem, APN, The Bone Health Clinic at Millennium Pain Center It’s important to be proactive about your own health. This includes being informed by getting health information from reliable sources and asking your healthcare provider thoughtful questions that relate to your specific situation. The best way to stay healthy is to prevent […]

Return to Play

By Alexander Germanis There are numerous terms indicating a return to a normal state of things after a setback: to rebound, bounce back, pick up, recover. Is it any coincidence that these are all sports terms as well? The athletic mentality of regaining a positive position is the exact same school of thought physical therapists […]

Prostate Cancer What You Need to Know When Making Decisions About Treatment

By Shermian Woodhouse, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director of Community Cancer Center As a radiation oncologist for the Community Cancer Center, I often get questions from patients about how to make the right decision regarding treatment after a prostate cancer diagnosis. The advice I often give is that it’s important to consider all your options before […]

Summer Dos and Don’ts for Hearing Aid Wearers

Submitted by Sound Choice Hearing Clinic While many of us had our doubts, summer is finally here! We look forward to this season because it gives us the opportunity to indulge in activities requiring warm, sunny days, like boating, swimming, hiking, and traveling. Wearing hearing aids shouldn’t keep you from enjoying yourself, but it is […]

Cravings 101

By Michelle May, M.D.­ Hunger and cravings are different; hunger is the need for fuel while cravings are an intense desire for a specific food — with or without hunger. Learning strategies for handling cravings is essential! What causes cravings? Hunger — Whenever you feel like eating, pause to ask, “Am I hungry?” You can […]

Fat Injections Fill in or Fill out!

Submitted by Twin City Plastic Surgery It is not uncommon to overhear women talking about how they wish they could move fat from their waist or thighs and put it somewhere else. Truth is…it’s possible! Fat injection, or lipofilling, diminishes wrinkles and creases and plumps up areas that have lost fullness as a result of […]

The Latest Buzz in Health and Beauty

By Amy Kennard While hemp oil may be somewhat new to the health and beauty scene, its roots run deep. Originating in Central Asia, hemp was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber as early as 8000 BC. Hemp is obtained from the cannabis sativa plants. You’ve probably heard of cannabis […]