John Roberts

Someone told me the other day that they thought “restless leg syndrome” (RLS) was a condition cooked up by pharmaceutical companies to sell medications. You may have seen commercials for Requip and Mirapex, both drugs used to treat this condition. People have described symptoms suggestive of restless legs since the 17th Century. The Swedish neurologist…

“All parts of the body if used in moderation and exercised in labors to which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy and well developed, and age slowly; but if unused and left idle, they become liable to disease, defective in growth, and age quickly.” Hippocrates Few things benefit the body more than maintaining physical fitness…

I have often seen patients who presented with problems getting their fingers to move. They all described pain with “catching” or “popping” when trying to flex or extend a finger. They were suffering from trigger finger, a condition also known as trigger digit, or by the medical term stenosing tenovaginitis. The condition is very common.…

Stomach flu has been making the rounds lately. I have to start by dispelling a common misconception people have that all types of “flu” are the same. “Stomach flu” is not caused by the same viruses that cause respiratory illnesses. Flu shots, given this time of year to help prevent respiratory influenza, will not protect…

There is no doubt that antibiotics have saved millions of lives. But, is it all good news? I suspect you have been noting the increasing number of news stories related to problems with overprescribing antibiotics that can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, warned of this inevitability in his Nobel Prize speech…

I recently had to remove some toenails. This was a last ditch effort to help someone get rid of their toenails that were infected with fungus. The medical term for a fungal infection of the toenails or fingernails is tinea unguium, also known as onychomycosis (OM). This condition is generally more of a nuisance than…

The joy of summer and fall sports as well as yard work has caused many people to complain of sore shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. Most of these folks are suffering from bursitis. Most of you have probably heard the term, but what is it exactly? Any time a medical term ends in the suffix…

I saw a patient with a rather large “cold sore” on his upper lip the other day and he asked me to write a column on this unsightly condition. People use the term “cold sore” to describe different types of lesions that occur on the lips or inside the mouth. I have not been able…

This week I want to focus on basic prevention and treatments for insomnia. If the cause of insomnia is not readily identifiable it’s helpful to keep a sleep diary for 2-4 weeks to share with your doctor. It should include sleep and wake times, naps, and actual time spent sleeping. You can download a blank…

Insomnia is a huge problem in the United States. We spend over $10 billion a year on sleep-related treatments and it’s estimated we lose over $40 billion in lost worker productivity due to sleeplessness. Insomnia is a very complex subject that I can address only briefly in this column. I’ll focus on some causes of…