The Future of Medicine

The physical exam is the backbone of medical practice and goes back thousands of years to the Chinese. It has evolved over time—and modern technology is bringing yet more changes to the age-old assessment.

In basic terms, the physical examination is the physician’s way of evaluating a patient using minimal invasiveness and the physician’s five senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing, and even taste.

Yes, even taste. Did you know that years ago, physicians would actually taste urine to check for diabetes? It’s true! Fortunately, things like tasting urine are no longer done. But the physical exam remains integral to the practice of medicine. This is because the traditional physical examination is inexpensive, non-invasive, and potentially revealing. And besides all these things, the traditional physical exam serves the function of helping to establish the patient-doctor relationship.

Cancer Proof Your Life

by Tracy Austin, M.D.

Cancer—that dreaded C word. Even with the tremendous advances that have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, cancer still frightens everyone. It’s the second leading cause of death among Americans, followed by heart disease—so there’s good reason for concern.

Keeping with the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” here’s a list of seven steps to help you “cancer proof” your life. These simple preventative measures are the key to drastically reducing your risk of developing some of the most common types of cancers, like prostate, breast, lung, and skin cancer.

Pillow Talk

by Tracy Austin, M.D.

Turn on the television or radio today and there’s no shortage of sexual commentary or new sex scandals. Channels like HBO and FX feature sexual content so graphic that they are required to run warnings before episodes, and “Angels” rolling around in bed in their underwear figure prominently on Victoria’s Secret commercials. But in a country so inundated with sexual imagery, there’s a surprising lack of knowledge about how to keep ourselves sexually healthy.

Forever Young

Trends In Aesthetic Medicine

1. Less is more.

Minimally invasive anti-aging procedures will lead the market in aesthetic medicine, as men and women increasingly choose less expensive, invasive and risky procedures over traditional surgical ones.

“During hard economic times, men and women look to non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox cosmetic, dermal fillers and skin rejuvenation as a means to feel and look better about themselves physically and emotionally,” says Dr. Alexander Ataii of Laser Clinique in San Diego.