ArcaMax

A new study suggests that patients whose doctors are more empathetic to their suffering tend to feel less lower back pain than patients whose doctors don't create much of an emotional connection.

Levels of improvement among patients reporting the most empathetic care were higher than for such treatments as exercise therapy, yoga, massage, spinal manipulation, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, opioid therapy and lumbar spine surgery.

"If we address only the biological aspect, by putting needles, doing the surgeries ... we might actually miss some opportunities to improve patient care," Dr. Shiqian Shen, a pain management physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told STAT.

Body of Knowledge

Varicose veins are caused by damaged valves that allow blood to flow in the wrong direction, resulting in stretched-out, bulging veins. Conditions like pregnancy, obesity and genetic predisposition can cause them. Once varicose veins appear -- usually on the legs -- they require a medical procedure to get rid of them.

Get Me That, Stat!

In 2025, Medicare estimates it will spend $3.5 billion on Alzheimer's drug Leqembi, which received formal Food and Drug Administration approval last year. That's a huge jump from the $550 million Medicare expects to cover in 2024.

Clinical trials have found Leqembi slows cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer's, but the benefits are deemed modest -- and some safety concerns persist. Nonetheless, Leqembi is the first and only approved, disease-modifying therapy for early-onset Alzheimer's. Nearly 7 million Americans, most aged 65 and older, have the neurologic condition.

Stories for the Waiting Room

Researchers report that the onset of daylight saving time is associated with increased consumption of processed snack foods and fewer trips to the gym. Apparently, the additional daylight hours lead to less bright ideas like skipping the gym to eat more junk food.

Doc Talk

Greenstick fracture: A fracture in a young, soft bone in which the bone bends and breaks only on the outer edge of the bend

Phobia of the Week

Anemophobia: A fear of strong air or winds. Also known as ancraophobia.

Best Medicine

Patient: "Some mornings, doc, I wake up and think I'm Mickey Mouse. Other mornings, I think I'm Donald Duck or Dopey."

Doctor: "Hmmm, how long have you been having these Disney spells?"

Observation

"I was once thrown out of a mental hospital for depressing the other patients." -- American concert pianist, author and personality Oscar Levant (1906-1972)

Medical History

This week in 2004, a study led by Richard Doll was published in the British Medical Journal quantifying for the first time the physiological damage caused by a lifetime of smoking. The 50-year study involved 35,000 smoking British doctors and found that almost half were killed by their habit, one-quarter dying before age 70.

Those who quit smoking by age 30 had the same life expectancy as nonsmokers. Even quitting at age 50 saved six more years of life over those who continued smoking.

At age 80, 65% of nonsmokers in the control group were still alive, as opposed to only 32% of smokers.

Perishable Publications

Many, if not most, published research papers have titles that defy comprehension. They use specialized jargon, complex words and opaque phrases like "nonlinear dynamics." Sometimes they don't, yet they're still hard to figure out. Here's an actual title of actual published research study: "Exploration of skin redness and immunoglobulin A as markers of the affective states of hens."

In the study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, researchers reported that a group of French chickens blushed when emotionally aroused, such as becoming angry, excited or eager for a tasty mealworm treat.

The scientists did not answer the question of whether chickens of other nationalities were more or less stoic or why chickens of any ilk cross the road.

Sum Body

Three words with surprising origins related to the human body.

1. Gargoyle: From the Old French word for throat, gargoule, which explains why they are often represented with mouths open

2. Recalcitrant: An adjective derived from the verb recalcitrate or calcitrate, which originally meant to "kick out angrily" and which alludes to the Latin word "calx" or heel

3. Supercilious: An adjective used to describe haughty, condescending behavior and related to the supercilium, the region of the forehead containing the eyebrows, which might rise when observing such behavior

Fit to Be Tried

There are thousands of exercises, and you've only got one body, but that doesn't mean you can't try them all: The "inchworm" provides whole-body benefits without requiring anything beyond your body.

-- Stand up tall with your legs straight, making sure your knees aren't locked.

-- Slowly lower your torso toward the floor, then walk your hands forward.

-- Once in a pushup position, start taking tiny steps so your feet meet your hands.

-- Repeat four to six times.

Medical Myths

Running does not increase your risk of osteoarthritis and may actually be protective. In fact, motion is the lotion, as runners like to say. Not moving, combined with age, weight and genetics, determines your risk of developing osteoarthritis, which occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in joints gradually breaks down, causing the bone to change. The cartilage becomes rough, and eventually bones rub against each other.

Running can lead to joint pain or injury, so it's best to follow the rule of twos: Don't run too fast or too far too soon. Build up your pace and stamina slowly.

Epitaphs

A GAY VIETNAM VETERAN

When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one. -- Unnamed (1943-1988)

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To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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