Aaron Hernandez's brain was severely damaged by disease, researcher says

Dr. Ann McKee said CTE had significantly impacted key parts of Hernandez's brain, including the hippocampus and the frontal lobe

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-hernandez-cte-brain-was-severely-damaged-researcher-says/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Rise in Type 2 diabetes in young people

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epMc_H1eqkg

USDA Helps Veterans Find a Place in Agriculture

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYCVgThPpYI

Can you overdose from fentanyl left on shopping carts?

A warning about the dangers of drug residue on shopping carts went viral — but experts were quick to cast doubt on the claim

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-check-can-you-overdose-from-fentanyl-left-on-shopping-carts/

ADA continues to lobby tax reform bill for dentists

As Congress endeavors to pass legislation to overhaul the U.S. tax code, the Association continues to advocate on Capitol Hill for tax issues affecting dentists.

From: By Jennifer Garvin http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/november/ada-continues-to-lobby-tax-reform-bill-for-dentists

Risk for breast cancer's return can linger for decades

A new, large study finds that women treated for early stage breast cancer still face a substantial risk of recurrence up to 20 years later

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/risk-for-breast-cancers-return-can-linger-for-decades/

Infectious Diseases A-Z: World Antibiotic Resistance Week

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nSsCeeJYTw

Christmas music may take mental toll, psychologist says

Feel like a Grinch because you hate Christmas music? You may be on to something, one psychologist says

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/christmas-music-can-harm-mental-health-cause-stress-psychologist-finds/

Gene-Tweaked Skin Grafts Save Boy's Life

Experimental genetically-corrected skin grafts used on 80 percent of a boy's body saved his life, doctors say.

From: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20171109/health-highlights-nov-9-2017?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA resolution calls for peer to peer Medicaid audits

Dentists willing to serve patients who are eligible for Medicaid benefits should have fewer bureaucratic hurdles.

From: By Michelle Manchir http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/november/ada-resolution-calls-for-peer-to-peer-medicaid-audits

Doctors' advice for what could be a bad flu season

The flu vaccine is the best protection against illness – and now is the time to get yours, experts advise

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctors-brace-for-what-could-be-a-rough-flu-season/

DOJ, DEA on flow of Fentanyl into U.S., rise in opioid-related deaths

The new actions come after the president's declaration that the nation's opioid crisis is a public health emergency

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-dea-on-action-to-disrupt-flow-of-fentanyl-into-u-s-rise-in-opioid-related-deaths/

USDA and Veterans

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAeLqXHUU3w

Innovative Brain Mapping Device Helps Epilepsy Patients Become Seizure-Free

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCp0YhexBIQ

Secretary Sonny Perdue Announces USDA Veterans Initiative

From: USDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK0Tk2hpOB8

Boy with rare disease gets new skin with gene therapy

"We were forced to do something dramatic because this kid was dying," his doctor said

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boy-with-rare-disease-gets-brand-new-skin-with-gene-therapy/

I love my kids but they’ve ruined my neck

I recently wrote about how my oldest son learned how to ride a bike. His excitement got me to buy a used one, mostly because running after him down the street wasn’t going to be a solid long-range plan. Now, Milo and I get to explore on two wheels. We discovered a pond with ducks not far from the house and we’ve met a lot more people in the neighborhood, mostly ones who own dogs.

It’s also been a great way to show him what I want him to do on the bike — stay to the side of the road, wait until cars stop before you cross, and look behind you to see …

Maybe not that one. I once had that easy range of motion, but it’s gone, and I blame Milo and his younger brother Levi. I love them, but they’ve destroyed my neck. They’ve also destroyed my lower back, sleep rhythms, and knowledge of current events. But right now, it’s about the neck, and they’re not going to smile their way out of it. For six years, I’ve been constantly looking down, to read to them, to answer their questions, to hold them until I fall asleep in chairs with them.

Again, all their fault. Or maybe not completely.

Vijay Dayanani is a physical therapist at Harvard Medical School-affiliated Spaulding Outpatient Center and says the main culprit is technology. Laptops, iPads, and cell phones have created a looking-down culture, bringing the neck out of its ideal neutral position and perpetually stressing the muscles to where they eventually lock up. Parenting just compounds the problem by offering no break from the bad mechanics. More than that, Dayanani predicts that he’ll be treating a lot more neck arthritis in the future. Same goes for the fingers, particularly thumbs, from the incessant texting.

So what’s needed is some adapting, wherever it can be found. Here’s how, he says:

Awareness. It’s basic, but it’s easy to not think about how you’re holding your body. With parenting, it’s even easier to forget to simply look up every once in a while. Ultimately, the more that can be done at eye level, the better. Having any kind of screen at a comfortable height will help; adjusting your work computer will help even more. When you’re standing, check in to where your pelvis is. You want to make sure to slightly rotate it forward, which will maintain the curve in your lower spine and automatically bring up the top of your body.

Give your eyes a target. Put any picture that you love on the wall opposite your desk. It might be a little gimmicky, but anything that will cause you to look straight ahead for a few seconds will give the neck muscles a chance to rest and unwind. Along with that …

Keep a bottle of water on your desk. And drink it. It’s good to get up and move around once every hour. You could set a reminder on your phone, but you also have to remember to do that. Even if you did, deadlines can cause tunnel vision, but having to go to the bathroom is a hard one to ignore.

Check your pillow support. It should fill the space from your shoulder to your ear to keep your neck properly aligned. A simple test: while lying on your side, open your eyes. You should be looking straight ahead and your head should be level.

Work your mid-back. They’re key postural muscles. Do lat pulldowns or seated rows — a pull versus a push exercise will make it less likely to round your back.

Use hot and cold. Ice and heat are classics for a reason: they help. For anything acute and severe, ice every hour for 10 minutes for up to 72 hours. For anything else, it’s whichever temperature you prefer, once in the morning, at noon, and at night for 15 minutes each time.

The post I love my kids but they’ve ruined my neck appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Steve Calechman https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/kids-cause-neck-pain-2017110912681

HPV Vaccine May Prevent Rare Childhood Disease

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, first developed to help guard against cervical cancer, also seems to protect against a rare, chronic childhood respiratory disease.

From: https://www.webmd.com/sex/news/20171109/hpv-vaccine-linked-to-drop-in-cases-of-rare-childhood-disease?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Preview period for Physician Compare extended to Dec. 1

Maxillofacial and oral surgeons enrolled in Medicare are able to preview their 2016 performance data as it will appear on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Physician Compare on profile pages in December.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/november/preview-period-for-physician-compare-extended-to-dec-1

Meet The Researcher: Mark McNiven, Ph.D.

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBim0d5SI-Y

Why you should get the flu shot

Up to 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu every year, and there are signs this flu season could be rough. The best protection is a vaccine, but over the past decade effectiveness has been as high as 60 percent and as low as 19 percent. Dr. Tara Narula joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss this year's effectiveness and how to tell the difference between the flu and a cold.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/why-you-should-get-the-flu-shot/

Breast Cancer's Return Risk Can Linger for Decades

Women treated for early stage breast cancer still face a substantial risk of recurrence up to 20 years later, a large, new study shows.

From: https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20171108/risk-of-breast-cancers-return-can-linger-for-decades?src=RSS_PUBLIC

An Aging Heart May Weaken Memory

A decline in the pumping ability of an older person's heart can lower blood flow to their brain's memory center, new research has found.

From: https://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20171108/an-aging-heart-may-weaken-memory?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Maine governor says voters wrong to approve Medicaid expansion

Gov. Paul LePage has vetoed five different attempts by the state Legislature to expand the program

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/maine-governor-says-voters-wrong-to-approve-medicaid-expansion/