Patients who have autoimmune disorders are at an increased risk for having psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. While experts have yet to agree on a single explanation, patients with an autoimmune disorder should be aware of the potential impact their condition can have on their mental health. It’s...
Your skin is your largest organ, and it plays a key role in providing a barrier against chemicals, microorganisms, and temperature changes, to name a few. It also helps retain moisture. Skin cells have a life cycle that ranges from 10-60 days depending on various factors, such as your age....
The immune system is a complex set of defenses comprised of a multitude of physiological processes. Under normal circumstances, your immune system protects you against harmful organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. However, sometimes the immune system doesn’t work the way it should. In as many as 4 million...
Scleroderma is an autoimmune rheumatic disease that affects the connective tissues in the body. It’s primarily characterized by the hardening and tightening of the skin and other connective tissues. However, it can also impact the digestive system. A comprehensive evaluation is required to be sure that your symptoms are related...
Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that affects approximately 4% of adults in the United States, with men outpacing women by a large margin — six million men versus two million women. Because this condition can be extremely painful, any steps you take now to prevent a flare-up are...
Like many health problems, there are several myths and misconceptions about lupus. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with lupus or are exhibiting symptoms, knowing what your options are and what to expect is an important part of your treatment and recovery process. At Valerius Medical Group,...
When someone says they have arthritis, they’re usually referring to osteoarthritis — a degenerative condition of the joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is characterized by the breakdown and wearing away of cartilage, the connective tissue that cushions the joints. Cartilage may degrade due to injury,...
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, stress is a common trigger for psoriasis flare-ups. To make matters worse, dealing with a psoriasis flare-up can heighten your stress, creating a vicious cycle. If you’re suffering from the painful and sometimes embarrassing symptoms of psoriasis, we can help. Nathaniel Neal, MD, Rebekah...
Your skeleton is quite literally the backbone of your body. By your early 20s, you reach peak bone mass formation, which is the strongest and most dense your bones will ever be. After you reach peak bone mass, your bones start to naturally degenerate over time. If you have especially...
When treating a chronic condition, oral and topical medications are often part of the therapy. But sometimes oral and topical methods fall short. When this happens, you may need to turn to more direct measures, such as IV therapy. With IV therapy, medication is delivered directly into your bloodstream through...
One of the great things about the summertime is that the warm weather can often bring relief from the pain, patches, and dryness of psoriasis. However, there are still pitfalls for those who must manage their psoriasis in the summer months. Drs. Nathaniel Neal and Rebekah Neal-Kraal, as well as...
Osteoporosis is one of the most common serious health issues faced by the aging population. According to Osteoporosis Canada, at least one in three women and one in five men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. In fact, over 80% of all fractures in people over 50 are...
Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose because no single test confirms it, and its symptoms could point to many other conditions. You may not realize the pain or exhaustion you feel are due to rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition. That’s why it’s so important to consult the team...
Gout is a severe, complex form of arthritis that develops when your bloodstream accumulates too much uric acid. When this happens, the uric acid dissolves, forming microscopic, spike-like crystals, then exits the bloodstream where it gets stuck in joints and soft-tissues. Just like any other foreign body, your immune system...
Osteoporosis is a medical condition that makes your bones weak and fragile. Bones are living tissue that grows and replaces itself naturally. When you have osteoporosis, your body doesn’t generate enough new bone to replace the bone that is lost, resulting in brittle bones that can easily break. Signs of...
Your immune system’s job is to protect you — to fight infections and keep you safe from invasion by pathogens, much like a well-trained army. When this elite team of germ-fighting machines revolts and starts to attack your own tissues and organs, it’s known as autoimmune disease. This malfunction of...
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common autoimmune conditions, affecting around 1.3 million Americans today. It’s a disease where your body’s immune system becomes faulty and attacks its own tissues, particularly the synovial membranes that line the insides of your joints. As a result, you have pain, stiffness,...
Does it often feel like your psoriasis flares up for no reason? One or more triggers could be to blame. In fact, everyday things like a cold, a bug bite, or even stress can trigger psoriasis. Triggers can vary from person to person, but discovering what they are and learning...
If you’ve experienced limited success with treatment for rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus (also known as SLE or lupus), you may be interested in enrolling in one of Valerius Medical Group & Research Center’s clinical trials to gain access to new treatments. While participation in a clinical trial is...
An active lifestyle does not doom you to a future that includes osteoarthritis. This joint disorder that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in places like your knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders is not an inevitable part of aging. There’s a lot you can do to prevent osteoarthritis or, if you...
An estimated 1.5 million people in the United States have lupus, an unpredictable, often mysterious autoimmune disease. The journey to an official diagnosis is fraught with frustration, delays, and confusion. Unlike other conditions, no single test can diagnose lupus on its own. Gaining an understanding of why diagnosing lupus is...
