Endometriosis, Women's Health

Endometriosis: It’s time to change the pattern of pain, stigma and barriers to diagnosis and treatment

One of the significant challenges faced by people with endometriosis is receiving a diagnosis. Patients experience an average delay of 5.4 years from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. The symptoms are similar to other reproductive health issues (such as polycystic ovary syndrome) or severe period pain, which can be confusing for non-specialist health-care professionals.

Autoimmune Diseases, Blood and Hematology, Immunology, Infectious Disease

Immune health is all about balance – an immunologist explains why both too strong and too weak an immune response can lead to illness

Many social media posts push supplements and other life hacks that “boost your immune system” to keep you healthy and fend off illness. However, these claims are not based on science and what is known about immune function. Healthy immune systems don’t need to be “boosted.” Instead, the immune system works best when it is perfectly balanced.

Doctors, Healthcare Providers, Nurses

The ‘doctor of nursing practice’ will see you now

Amid a shortage of doctors and an explosion in the number of nurse practitioners with doctorates, many nursing groups are pushing to expand what nurses can do without physicians’ supervision. Physicians, meanwhile, are pushing to keep nurse practitioners and physician assistants under their oversight, arguing that giving more autonomy to providers with less rigorous training could put patients at risk.

Brain and Nervous System, Mental Health, Wellness

Meditation Is Big Business. The Science Isn’t So Clear.

For more than two decades, various studies have suggested that meditation and mindfulness — that is, being aware of the present moment — can help reduce and improve pain management, lending some credence to the notion that the brain can affect the body. Such results have helped the field grow into a multibillion-dollar industry, populated by meditation apps, guided workshops, and upscale retreats.
Yet the field has also faced sharp criticism from psychologists and researchers who say the health benefits are overstated and some of the research methodologically flawed.

Illustration of a man leaning over and grimacing from low back pain.
Brain and Nervous System, Musculoskeletal, Pain Medicine, Painkillers

Most people with chronic back pain naturally think their pain is caused by injuries or other problems in the body such as arthritis or bulging disks. But our research team has found that thinking about the root cause of pain as a process that’s occurring in the brain can help promote recovery.