Articles Posted in Medical Developments of Interest

If you or someone you love suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), you already know how debilitating this progressive and incurable illness can be. Nearly one million people in the United States currently live with MS. In honor of MS awareness month, we highlight this all-too common illness and share tips and resources for succeeding in…

Insurers often balk at paying a disability claim for a condition that has existed for a long time before the individual stops working. It seems that people that struggle to continue working despite progressive medical impairment are not rewarded for their heroism. An interesting case was recently published in California regarding a woman suffering from…

In light of Robin Williams’ passing this year, mental health has returned to the headlines. As described in Arianna Huffington’s article “Robin Williams, Connectedness and the Need to End the Stigma Around Mental Illness,” Williams’ suicide was undoubtedly linked to his struggle with depression and anxiety. In fact, as Huffington reports, “90 percent of those…

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease where the individual’s autoimmune system attacks healthy tissue in the brain and spinal cord, damaging nerve fibers. Typical symptoms include muscle spasms pain and tingling, numbness, cognitive impairment, vision problems and difficulties with balance and walking. An estimated 400,000 Americans have this disease. The New York Times recently highlighted…

The New York Times Magazine recently published a thought-provoking article in its health issue called, “How Do You Heal a Traumatized Mind? A Revolutionary Approach to Treating PTSD.” While most trauma therapists swear by the two most clinically approved and widely employed techniques in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure…

The law on marijuana use is rapidly changing nationwide. To date, 23 states have legalized some medicinal use of marijuana, with legislation pending in three additional states. Most notably, 2012 ballot initiatives in Colorado and Oregon legalized recreational marijuana use. Further, additional jurisdictions have decriminalized marijuana, and some prosecutors, such as the Brooklyn District Attorney’s…

If you are one of the millions of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and debilitating conditions like it, you may have considered going on disability. Both the physical and mental symptoms, including loss of body control, stiffness, tremors, depression, and thinking problems can take a toll on a patient’s daily life. The Wall Street Journal…

For patients suffering from cancer, treatment may only be the first battle. Insureds who receive disability benefits during the course of radiation and chemotherapy may be denied benefits by their insurers once they enter remission, based on the insurer’s argument that they no longer suffer from the disabling condition (cancer) that put them out of…

Many of our clients have chronic pain and suffer greatly. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that chronic pain affects approximately 116 million Americans (about 1/3 of the total population). The Institute of Medicine has stated that “pain is all too often undertreated in the U.S.” The article goes on to explain the difference between…

Each of us knows at least one person who suffers from migraines which often can be managed with medication. For those of you who do not know what it is like to experience a migraine, it is difficult to describe. In a New York Times article titled Migraine Miseries Push Patients to Ways of Coping,…