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How chronic pain affects your mood

Q&A with Dr. Edward Lubin on the link between mental illness and pain that lasts longer than six months Chronic pain, which is defined as pain that lasts longer than six months, can be so much more impactful on a patient’s daily life than a seven-word description. The type of pain can vary in frequency…
Pop Quiz: Is your child at risk for cyberbullying?

Quiz your knowledge so you can recognize the warning signs and help prevent the worst from happening A mean text message… a social media profile filled with vicious rumors… an embarrassing photo posted online and shared throughout the school… These are just a few ways in which a child or teen can be cyberbullied. Cyberbullying…
Good vs. bad stress at work

How to recognize and change patterns that effect your physical and mental health Eustress (a.k.a., Good Stress) Promotion/increased responsibilities: Everyone enjoys being recognized for his/her accomplishments, and when a promotion or additional tasks are given to employees, there can be a mixture of emotions depending on the person’s current workload and personal/professional attitude. In most…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…