Is Pain A Symptom Or A Disease?
Doctors are often puzzled when pain lives on after the underlying cause goes away. Medical professor Elliot Krane explains why it can makes sense to think of chronic pain as a disease.
On Disabilities
When Does Medicine Leave Women Behind?
Men and women experience some diseases differently. Doctor Paula Johnson says this is alarming — because most treatments were designed for men, not women.
Can The Internet Help You Get The Right Diagnosis?
Doctors told Jen Brea that her symptoms were psychosomatic, so she filmed herself and turned to the Internet for guidance. She describes how her online community helped her find the right diagnosis.
Legal Dispute Continues Over Medicare Coverage Of Physical Therapy
Under a settlement in 2013, Medicare was supposed to make clear to physical therapists that their services are covered even if beneficiaries aren't improving. But that hasn't been widely accepted.
Legalizing Aid In Dying Doesn't Mean Patients Have Access To It
People in the six states where aid in dying is legal can have trouble finding a doctor or hospital to assist. Reasons cited include religious objections and doctors' discomfort with hastening death.
Obamacare Repeal Threatens A Health Benefit Popular In Coal Country
The Affordable Care Act made it faster and easier for a coal miner with black lung to get compensation benefits. Many in coal country want that provision retained, even if the larger law is repealed.
How Can Going Blind Give You Vision?
Isaac Lidsky lost his sight by age 25. Now, he says, losing his eyesight was a blessing — because it taught him that he is in control of his own reality.
For Many People, Medical Care Works Best When It's Incremental
We often imagine the best medical care as a miracle cure. Atul Gawande argues that for chronic illness, the best care may be a long, slow process of improving health a little bit at a time.
For People With Developmental Disabilities, Food Work Means More Self Reliance
Finding a job and building a life of their own can be a monumental challenge for people with developmental disabilities. But food work can be a good fit for many of them.
Blind Art Lovers Make The Most Of Museum Visits With 'InSight' Tours
"Sight isn't the only pathway to understand art," says Carol Wilson of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. There, specially trained docents lead tours using sound, description — and even touch.