Blog Posts in 2016

  • Can’t Sleep? Any of These 10 Medical Conditions Could Be Why If you can never summon the sandman fast enough, listen up. A medical reason might be behind your lack of rest, and once you determine it, you'll be able to sleep longer and better. READ FULL ARTICLE
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  • In part one of this series, I touched on the scientifically proven physical and neurological benefits of exercise. When most non-fitness folks think of exercise, what typically comes to mind is jogging, running, bicycling, or light weightlifting – some variation of moderate energy, steady-state movement. As previously discussed, this type of body mechanics is important for cardiovascular ...
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  • Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, can cause dizziness, particularly when going from lying down to sitting or standing. "When you get up too quickly from a sitting or lying position and your blood doesn't travel as quickly up to your head, you can experience a 'head rush' feeling," explains Sherry Ross, MD, ob-gyn and women's health expert at Providence Saint ...
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  • Approximately 38 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. These episodes often interfere with work and social activities. Athletes are not immune from this disabling condition. Migraine headaches are best defined as throbbing headaches that last from four to 72 hours, often accompanied by additional symptoms including nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, light sensitivity and ...
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  • 37 “Healthy” Things You Have Permission to Stop Doing Right Now The news that flossing is not essential for dental hygiene took many of us by surprise, but that's not the only health habit that may not be helpful. READ FULL ARTICLE
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  • Chronic Pain and the Holidays - 3 Tips to Help

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 20-Nov-2016

    Though holiday songs, cards and greetings herald it as ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,’ for people suffering from chronic pain conditions, these final weeks on the calendar can feel anything but merry. Even for those who aren’t burdened by illness, the holidays are often stressful. But when you’ve got a condition characterized by pain, the stress and ill-effects on ...
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  • The Carolina Panthers still hope left tackle Michael Oher will play again this season, despite the fact that Oher remains in the concussion protocol nearly two months after first experiencing symptoms. Oher has missed the past six games and the team has said little about the nature of his symptoms during the time he’s been sidelined. But a league source said Oher is experiencing sensitivity ...
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  • FLOWERY BRANCH — The NFLPA is not leaving any stones unturned when trying to look out for the wellness of its membership, even if the latest stone is currently banned. The union, which represents the players in the NFL, is actively looking at marijuana as a pain-management tool and plans to form a committee to study the benefits of the drug. Marijuana is a banned substance under the terms of ...
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  • Every year, large numbers of people in the U.S. see chiropractors for relief of headaches; back, shoulder, foot and neck pain; and for help with numbness and tingling or a loss of strength in the arms and hands. About 35 million adults nationwide saw a chiropractor in the previous 12 months, according to a survey done by the Gallup Panel that was released in August. The survey, conducted on behalf ...
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  • From feeling tired all the time to back aches, what you eat affects a lot more than the numbers you see on the scale. Read on to learn the surprising signs it's time to change what you eat. READ FULL ARTICLE
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  • CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- After Gary Kubiak left a stadium in an ambulance for the second time in three years, concern spread about his coaching future. The Broncos received good news Monday when Kubiak was diagnosed with a complex migraine after suffering a mini-stroke in 2013. READ FULL ARTICLE
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  • Part 1: Exercise as Treatment for Neurological Conditions

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 9-Sep-2016

    There are plenty of beneficial reasons to be physically active. We know that regular exercise is a vital part of living a healthy and balanced life, and even in aiding in the prevention of disease. Getting out and moving our bodies can help us stay fit while boosting our mood with “feel good” hormones that are released by the brain during physical activity. Exercise has also proven to ...
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  • USA Today Interviews Dr. Williams About Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Future

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 6-Sep-2016

    Experts stress caution with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s future DARLINGTON, S.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. ’s continuing problem with vision as he recovers from a brain injury is not uncommon, according to a doctor familiar with sports-related concussions. Read full article
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  • http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2016/07/14/dale-earnhardt-jr-will-miss-new-hampshire-301-concussion-symptoms/87101952/
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  • The Opioid Crisis and the Rise of Chronic Pain Treatment Alternatives

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 8-Jul-2016

    If you’ve ever suffered from any type of chronic pain, you are very familiar with the absolute havoc it can wreak on your day-to-day life. Whether the pain is just stubbornly inconvenient or totally incapacitating, it can suck the joy out of the simple tasks of daily living and leave you begging for anything to take the pain away. Up until recently, opioid painkiller medications have been ...
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  • 4 Key Features of a "Sports Brain"

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 6-Jun-2016

    The brain, which is one of our most powerful organs, can be strengthened through regular training. Just like the muscles in our body grow and become stronger with consistent exercise, the same goes for our brains. However, instead of physical training, improving our brain function involves mental exercise. Brain training can be used to improve memory, speed of mental processing, vision, focus, ...
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  • Most adults have experienced a headache at least a time or two in their lives. But how do you know when that intense pain and pressure in the head has tipped over the line from major headache to full-blown migraine? An important place to start is with a definition of each condition. A headache is an unpleasant sensation in any region of the head or upper neck. It may appear as a dull ache, a ...
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  • Chronic Pain and Mental Health - Understanding the Connection

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 21-Apr-2016

    May is National Mental Health Month – a time when we physicians (hopefully) are able to educate and shed light on the subject of, and perhaps most importantly, reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Like any other type of chronic condition or disease, mental illness deserves medical attention. It is real. And the patients who are suffering deserve to feel validated and supported. ...
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  • Dr. Williams Shares With Healthgrades Why He Became a Doctor

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 31-Mar-2016

    5 Providers Tell Us: Why I Became a Doctor Sports neurology and pain medicine found me. I can't say that I ever had a revelation to choose these fields of medicine. I didn't carefully consider and weigh the options or agonize over a decision to pursue this or that medical career. My practice found me, says Vernon Williams M.D., neurologist. To read the entire article, click here
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  • When Taking OTCs is a Dangerous Prescription

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 4-Mar-2016

    When Taking OTCs is a Dangerous Prescription We all have battled some sort of backache, headache, or knee pain in our lives and most of us simply pop a few over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers to ease the discomfort we are feeling. Doing that seems harmless enough, right? After all, we think, ‘if it’s sold at the local grocery store it must be safe.’ As a neurologist and pain ...
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  • Brain-Boosting Effects of Exercise

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 25-Feb-2016

    4 Brain Boosting Benefits of Exercise Though I care for the neurological needs of a wide range of professional, collegiate and youth-level athletes, I’ve seen first-hand the incredible benefits that even the slightest amount of regimented exercise can have on ANYONE. Although medications can play an important role in pain and disease management, they have their limitations. And with a ...
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  • Another good reason to refer patients to pain specialists is that many offices have comprehensive care to tackle pain problems, including physical therapy, mental health professionals, and even individuals adept in areas like massage, functional rehabilitation, biofeedback or acupuncture, says Vernon Williams, MD, neurologist and founding director of the Kerlan-Jobe Center for Sports Neurology and ...
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  • Beyond the Concussion - Dehydration Dangers in Combat Sports

    Posted By Vernon B. Williams, MD || 20-Jan-2016

    Today’s media spotlight in my field of medicine skews heavily toward the discussion of the dangers and risks surrounding concussion in sports. While those dangers are real and remain an important focus of mine, we must recognize that for many sports – there are topics aside from concussion which also pose a tremendous threat to the health and lives of the athletes who play them. Last ...
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