Recent Blog Articles

Save the trees, prevent the sneeze

Drug recalls are common

Easy ways to shop for healthful, cost-conscious foods

Prostate cancer in transgender women

Why eat lower on the seafood chain?

Can long COVID affect the gut?

When replenishing fluids, does milk beat water?

Safe, joyful movement for people of all weights

Slowing down racing thoughts

Are women turning to cannabis for menopause symptom relief?

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

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Water, water everywhere

Staying Healthy
Do glucosamine and chondroitin supplements actually work for arthritis?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Just what is pneumonia, anyway?

Exercise & Fitness
Staying active at “that time of the month”

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
What exactly is cupping?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
The truth behind standing desks

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
The most important health problems (and why they matter)

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Knee replacement: Life changing or a disappointment?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Tossing flossing?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
“Double dipping” your chip: Dangerous or just…icky?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
The U.S. longevity gap

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
What Michelangelo’s hands (can and can’t) tell us about arthritis

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
The times, they are a-changin’ (and bringing new syndromes)

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Taking advantage of incidental findings

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Tai chi may be as good as physical therapy for arthritis-related knee pain

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Here’s something unexpected: Sunbathers live longer

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
The truth about tequila and your bones

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Physical therapy after hip replacement: Can rehab happen at home?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Taking your medications as prescribed: Smartphones can help

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Medical news: A case for skepticism

Exercise & Fitness
Running injury? Maybe you’re doing it all wrong
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Staying Healthy
How useful is the body mass index (BMI)?

Robert H. Shmerling, MD
My fall last fall: Reaction time and getting older

Exercise & Fitness