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According to a recent report in JAMA, lower back pain sends over 2.5 million Americans to hospital emergency departments every year. Such pain, when not due to radiculopathy (sciatica, for example) might be treated with several different drugs, or a combination of pharmaceuticals.

A relatively small study--50 patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery vs. 50 controls getting PT alone--showed a significant benefit for the surgery. But complications occurred with surgery. Some of the nonsurgical patients elected surgery later. While not definitive, surgery works well for most with knee OA.

No, going to the beach will not give you silicosis, no matter what Friends of the Earth gets wrong about science this week.

In honor of Back to the Future II, here are several events that made news for the council in 1985. Most are true, and few are not. But funny, nonetheless.

New York City has criminalized K2, or "synthetic marijuana." While this is the right thing to do, the effect will be short-lived since five psychoactive chemicals that give the dangerous street drug its properties can, and eventually will, be easily tweaked to skirt the law.

Because of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), dietary supplement purveyors can't claim that their products can prevent, treat or cure disease. So they have to resort to "support" verbiage. But we know what they really mean.

One of the toughest decisions currently facing women involves breast cancer screening. When should mammograms begin, and should self-exams or clinical exams by a health provider be embraced? A leading group just posted new guidelines, shedding new light on this important issue.

The evidence is stacking up that regular exercise could play a key role in protecting the body against cancer. But new information sheds light on the benefits of physical activity during cancer care, giving doctors and patients a new perspective on treatment options.

A new study finds that men's and women's hearts age in very different ways. The study may some day lead to new ways to treat heart failure in both sexes. But until that time these findings once again call attention to the fact that research and clinical trials are far too male centric.

Is New York Senator Charles Schumer actually informing people about the risks of Halloween face paint, or just seeking political gain? But the real question is: Why did he use a six-year old report to plead for greater "safety?" How many kids needlessly died before sounding the siren? Well, none.

With the flu season well underway, cozy nights indoors create the perfect environment for family members to share germs. The influenza virus is most commonly spread by sneezing, coughing or touching contaminated surfaces. But how can you distinguish between the flu, and the less debilitating common cold? Here are some signs to watch for.

In the world of 3-D printing, the latest big thing is teeth. But scientists aren't just making any old denture; they're producing antimicrobial teeth. Yet despite the amazing advances being made, there are still some major questions to be answered before these implants are viable. But the future is quickly approaching.

Regarding alcohol, the standard advice to pregnant women is: Just Say No. But is that the best medical science can offer? We think not, because an infrequent tipple is not a significant causative factor for any serious condition for the fetus or newborn. Evidence of such an effect is not to be found.

Yale University researchers analyzed groundwater from 64 wells in several fracking-dense Pennsylvania counties where Marcellus shale drilling is taking place. In the largest study of its kind they found no association between fracking and well water contamination.

Here's the skinny on artificial sweeteners: The science says low-energy sweeteners, consumed in place of real sugar, can be beneficial to health and weight loss. And the best part is that we have been saying this for years.

According to a recent study, despite the decrease in the prevalence of non-medical use of opiates over a 10-year period, the number of people with opiate-use disorders, mortality from overdose, high-frequency use and number of days of use have all increased. All of this is cause for alarm, doctors included.

Permanent contraception for women was dominated by fallopian tube-tying surgery until the early 2000s, when an easier implantable device debuted that was supposedly safer. But a new study suggests that this method may not be as safe as previously believed.

Sleep driving can be risky just as drunk driving to anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car. The best one can do is be alert, be safe, and be aware of your surroundings.

For many years, doctors have stressed the importance of omega-3 fats as being a vital part of a healthy lifestyle - should you be overpaying for it?

We've heard from health experts that exercise is the best medicine in order to stay healthy. The recommended dosage of daily exercise is 30 minutes. However, that may not be enough, according to some new research.

The town of Lemon Grove, California, has banned e-cigarettes in bars and restaurants and in public areas like parks, effective October 1st. If that seems a lot like cigarette rules, that is what they intended.

The courts have issued another rebuke to the EPA's claim that it cares more about healthy water than the people who live near it.

A new study in The New England Journal of Medicine states that nearly 23,000 people visit hospital emergency rooms each year because of dietary supplements.

After former National Basketball Association player Lamar Odom was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel, the owner said he had consumed a large quantity of herbal Viagra and while the true cause of his condition can't yet be determined, the presence of this supplement at all is a cautionary tale for the American

Science wins a major victory in Australia! The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has levied a six-figure fine against a company for pushing a homeopathic vaccine for whooping cough. It is also a good reminder of how important this vaccine is.