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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…

Medical Advice: Back-to-school tips and the 5-2-1-0 program

AS STUDENTS and families prepare to return to school, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (FDOH-Polk) would like to take this opportunity to remind them to take the proper steps to stay healthy this school year. Good health is important for students in order to maintain regular school attendance and be ready to…
Hospice Help: Hospice myth busting

WHEN MOST PEOPLE hear the word “hospice,” they immediately associate the provided care as being intimately tied to hours, or if lucky, days before death. Then there is also the supposition that hospice is only for cancer patients. These are just two myths that need to be busted when it comes to understanding hospice.
First impressions of our daughter’s new specialist

WE HEARD IT growing up from our mothers all the time, but we didn’t quite understand the true significance of it. As adults, we begin to see the value in making a good first impression. Whether it’s for a job interview, that first parent-teacher meeting, or sitting down with a new doctor, first impressions play…