Carolyn A. Bernstein, MD, FAHS

No one wants to be have to go to a hospital, but there are times when it’s unavoidable. Having some advance knowledge about the hospital experience may help you feel more comfortable in the event you or someone you know has to go to the ER or be admitted.

A healthy and sustainable doctor-patient relationship depends on how comfortable you are with your doctor, which includes your doctor respecting your needs as a patient and how involved you want to be in your health care.

When your doctor prescribes medication for you, it is important to ask questions. Understand exactly how to take it and what side effects to watch for. If you feel a drug isn’t working for you, or you are experiencing new symptoms, speak up and tell your doctor so she can address the issues and consider other options.

A new type of medication for migraine headaches is currently being reviewed by the FDA, and if approved may provide safe, long-lasting relief for many by blocking the activation of a molecule involved in the pain process.

Getting regular exercise is one of the best actions you can take to improve or maintain your overall health. Fitting exercise into your life is not as difficult as it might seem, but it does require some planning.

Children can get migraines, but if your child has a headache it’s much more likely that it’s a more typical one. Knowing what signs to look for will help you know when to call your pediatrician.

Although acupuncture has been practiced for centuries, many people are still skeptical of its effectiveness. But in the past decade or so, a significant amount of evidence has accumulated from high-quality studies showing that acupuncture provides genuine pain relief, and can help with other conditions as well.