photo of Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. As a practicing rheumatologist for over 30 years, Dr. Shmerling engaged in a mix of patient care, teaching, and research. His research interests center on diagnostic studies in patients with musculoskeletal symptoms, and rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. He has published research regarding infectious arthritis, medical ethics, and diagnostic test performance in rheumatic disease. Having retired from patient care in 2019, Dr. Shmerling now works as a senior faculty editor for Harvard Health Publishing.

Twitter: @RobShmerling

Posts by Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Why does hair turn gray? featured image

Staying Healthy

Why does hair turn gray?

What’s up with hiccups? featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

What’s up with hiccups?

Right brain/left brain, right? featured image

Mind & Mood

Right brain/left brain, right?

How’s your heart rate and why it matters? featured image

Heart Health

How’s your heart rate and why it matters?

Here’s something completely different for low back pain featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Here’s something completely different for low back pain

Here's something completely different for low back pain featured image

Pain

Here's something completely different for low back pain

Why coffee might ease your pain (especially if you’re a sleepy mouse) featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Why coffee might ease your pain (especially if you’re a sleepy mouse)

3 reasons to leave earwax alone featured image

Staying Healthy

3 reasons to leave earwax alone

Diet not working? Maybe its not your type featured image

Nutrition

Diet not working? Maybe its not your type

The problem with tanning (and the myth of the base tan) featured image

Cancer

The problem with tanning (and the myth of the base tan)

Can you virtually improve your knee pain? featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Can you virtually improve your knee pain?

Some medications don’t help back pain as much as we thought featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Some medications don’t help back pain as much as we thought

The data are in: Eat right, reduce your risk of diabetes featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

The data are in: Eat right, reduce your risk of diabetes

Do glucosamine and chondroitin supplements actually work for arthritis? featured image

Staying Healthy

Do glucosamine and chondroitin supplements actually work for arthritis?

Staying active at “that time of the month” featured image

Exercise & Fitness

Staying active at “that time of the month”

What exactly is cupping? featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

What exactly is cupping?

The truth behind standing desks featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

The truth behind standing desks

What Michelangelo’s hands (can and can’t) tell us about arthritis featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

What Michelangelo’s hands (can and can’t) tell us about arthritis

The truth about tequila and your bones featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

The truth about tequila and your bones

Taking your medications as prescribed: Smartphones can help featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Taking your medications as prescribed: Smartphones can help

How useful is the body mass index (BMI)? featured image

Staying Healthy

How useful is the body mass index (BMI)?

My fall last fall: Reaction time and getting older featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

My fall last fall: Reaction time and getting older

Vitamin D and physical function: Is more better? featured image

Exercise & Fitness

Vitamin D and physical function: Is more better?

Why men often die earlier than women featured image

Robert H. Shmerling, MD

Why men often die earlier than women

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