By: Jeffrey B. Minkovitz, M.D.

Excimer laser PRK (Photo Refractive Keratectomy) was first performed in the United States in 1987, and was subsequently approved by the FDA in 1995, all but eliminating the use of incisional radial keratotomy to correct nearsightedness. The laser is used to reshape the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye), adjusting the natural focus of the eye and reducing or eliminating the need for distance glasses.

A New Year, a clean canvas has been given to you, how will you use this opportunity? How will you express your authentic creativity? Try new materials and tools to better assist you with the creation of your masterpiece! Listen to the stirrings within to make some changes and look at your canvas differently. The Choice is yours to make; embrace the accomplished artist within.

Joseph Pilates is the founder of an exercise system originally called Contrology, a complete body conditioning workout. Pilates has become a term applied, often somewhat erroneously, to all sorts of mat exercises. In its true form, as Joseph Pilates intended, the exercise involves a body-mind connection and requires concentration and repetition, or practice. All of the exercises develop flexibility, balance, coordination, and strength.

The popularity of yoga in the west has burgeoned over the past couple of decades, and no other system of teaching has been given more credit for bringing the therapeutic benefits of yoga to the everyday student than the Iyengar Method. What is so different about this system is that the use of props such as belts, blocks, blankets and even the very wall/floor/tables and chairs at home or in an office setting can be used to help gradually open up the body. The person who has become “too stiff to bend that way” or “too tight to stretch that far” is motivated to use this process which reeducates the whole body/mind system which extends from the brain circuitry to the soles of the feet.

Adult obesity rates have not decreased in a single state over the past year, but rather increased in 23 states. Current data finds that adult obesity rates now surpass 25 percent in 31 states and exceed 20 percent in 49 states and Washington, D.C. It’s been labeled an “epidemic.” The good news is that it’s absolutely controllable and fixable if we accept our responsibility to ourselves and our bodies. Our Weightloss Program deals with the underlying issues driving this addiction. We tackle the emotional issues causing you to insulate your body.

By: Dr. Grace (I-Yin) Liu, DMD- All About Smiles, P.A., North Wilmington and Pike Creek, DE

From our previous article in the Women’s Journal, we had discussed the three components of the chewing system (Teeth, Muscle, Joints).We now know how important it is to keep all three components working in harmony. No longer should we, the dentist, prescribe treatment plans for teeth without considering the consequence and effect on the other two components.

By: Jeffrey B. Minkovitz, M.D.

New advances in cataract surgery have not only reduced risk and inconvenience, but have also improved outcomes. In the era of refractive surgery where reducing one’s dependence on eyeglasses has become possible and even commonplace, cataract surgery patients can also now achieve spectacle independence in addition to the main goal of correcting diminished vision.

By: Nancy Hawkins Rigg, Founder and owner, Forever Fit Foundation

Winter means ice and snow and the potential to slip and fall. As most of us know, even a small patch of ice can lead to a big fall. And with falls, there’s a concern for broken bones, or at the very least embarrassment accompanied by some bruises.

By: Beth Jarrell Heritage at Dover Assisted Living & Jason C. Hafer Heritage at Milford Assisted Living

Medicare fraud occurs when a bill is submitted to Medicare for services or products that were never received or needed. Some examples of this type of fraud are billing for tests that were never performed, billing for equipment that was never received, and using another person’s Medicare card to get medical services, supplies, or equipment.

By: Linda G. Everett, MD, MHA

It is not uncommon that people affected by morbid obesity, defined as a body mass index of 40 or greater, also deal with obesity-related illnesses. Once a patient is considered morbidly obese, these conditions become serious health risks. These diseases also negatively impact the quality of life for obese patients and their families. In this article, I have listed common conditions affecting the obese and morbidly obese.