Modern Medicine

Choosing the right physician starts with understanding the many types of doctors available. From primary care doctors to highly focused medical specialties, these professionals diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions.

By Wren Corvayne

Doctors need to cut open dead bodies to learn anatomy, but where do they get them?

By Susan Lawrence & Susan E. Lederer

Compression socks, sleeves and other garments are worn by both patients and athletes to help enhance their performance and improve their post-op recovery. But do they work?

By Joanna Thompson

Not crazy about going into your doctor's or therapist's office these days? You might be interested in a telemedicine service like Doctor on Demand.

By Rhiannon Ball

Since the COVID-19 outbreak has people self-quarantining as much as possible, telemedicine has become a big alternative. But if you've never done it before, what can you expect?

By Alia Hoyt

A little girl with epilepsy caused the mash-up of a beloved children's book title and a CBD oil that changed medical history.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

A ventilator is a machine that helps a person breathe by blowing oxygen into the lungs and removing carbon dioxide out of the lungs. They're a critical piece of equipment for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Patrick J. Kiger

You've probably seen the ads for drugs to treat depression and the warnings that they may cause suicidal thoughts. But why would that be?

By Alia Hoyt

Flexible electronics have enabled a team at Tufts University to create a bandage that not only monitors wounds, but delivers treatment as well.

By Laurie L. Dove

Psilocybin (the drug in magic mushrooms) provides relief for severely depressed people, according to new research. But there are some caveats.

By Alia Hoyt

Salamanders regrow their tails. Starfish can grow new arms. When is it our turn? Let's take a look at what science has in the works.

By Kate Kershner

Microorganisms aren't all bad. Can we fight fire with fire and pit good bacteria against the bad ones? Yes, but maybe not the way you think.

By Kate Kershner

Robotic surgery doesn't mean Rosie from "The Jetsons" is going to get it. Instead, these high-tech bots let surgeons make the tiniest, most precise movements to limit tissue damage. But even now, researchers are dreaming up better robot inventions.

By Patrick J. Kiger

We've all heard of blood donation, but did you know you can donate blood plasma? Find out how the process works, and how plasma is isolated from the rest of your blood.

By Maria Trimarchi

Future Victor Frankensteins won't have to become grave robbers to obtain body parts. Instead, we're betting they'll take advantage of a rapidly developing technology known as bioprinting. What do you know about this crazy offshoot of 3-D printing?

By William Harris

When genetic testing determines a high likelihood of cancer in patients' futures, some consider serious risk-reducing measures. Prophylactic mastectomies are controversial -- so what are the real pros and cons?

By Maria Trimarchi

Think of it as organically mulching your ailing gut garden - except with (someone else's) poop, not pine bark.

By Nicholas Gerbis

You know what statistics are, but what are biostatistics? They affect your life far more than you'd think.

By Alison Kim Perry

Whether drawn from embryos, placentas or adults, stem cells continue to garner attention. They may help treat a wide range of diseases, but there are caveats.

By Brion O'Connor

Your back pain may be debilitating, but is it bad enough to undergo laser spine surgery? Find out all the facts before you get burned.

By Terri Briseno

They're usually thought of as foul, slimy creatures hungry for blood, but leeches are beneficial in today's medical treatments.

By Chris Opfer

Revascularization surgeries are amazing procedures. They bypass blocked arteries and restore blood flow to major organs, including the heart. But they're complicated and sometimes risky.

By Natalie Kilgore

During a plasmapheresis procedure, plasma, the fluid part of the blood, is removed from blood cells by a cell separator and replaced with other fluids. Why would you do this?

By Sarah Winkler

Can vitamins and minerals in the right amounts really cure what ails you? That's the basic idea behind orthomolecular medicine, a form of alternative medicine that's been around for decades.

By Shanna Freeman

Cornea transplant surgery is one of the successful types of transplant surgery. But there are still a few cautions. We'll explain the procedure and the risks.

By Alison Kim Perry