Blog & Columns
Useful information about health and Korean medicine.
Total 207 posts
Is regaining weight a sign of weak willpower?
No. When you lose weight, your body treats it as a crisis and changes so that it uses less energy. Burning less than before, even when you eat the same amount, is the body's basic response. There's a reason we start with this. Most people who regain weight blame themselves first. But the pull back toward your old weight works regardless of willpower. Knowing that and preparing for it
Can I lose fat from just the areas I want?
No, you can't. Fat decreases across the whole body together, and which areas shrink first follows an order you were born with. No method is known to change that order. We often hear, "I just want to lose belly fat," or "I just want slimmer arms." So many people focus on exercising that area, but that exercise only builds the muscle there; it doesn't
How do you assess torticollis, when the neck tilts to one side?
The most important question is when it started. Whether it has been there since infancy, appeared while growing up, or came on suddenly in adulthood makes it a completely different story. Torticollis is a condition where the neck tilts to one side and the face turns toward the other. It has one name but many causes, and the way it is handled differs just as much. If one side of the neck muscle stays shortened for a long time
Do a Herniated Disc in the Neck and the Jaw Joint Affect Each Other?
They do. The lower jaw hangs from the skull and the head sits on top of the neck, so when the angle of the neck changes, where the jaw closes changes too. That's why we look at the jaw when you come in with neck pain, and at the neck when you come in with jaw pain. The two are structurally connected. When the head moves forward, the lower jaw is pushed back. Biting and chewing in that position
Why Does the Area Under My Eye Twitch?
Most of the time, it's a temporary twitch caused by fatigue, lack of sleep, or caffeine. In many cases, it goes away on its own within a few days to a few weeks. Many people come in worried after reading online that it's a magnesium deficiency. In reality, it's far more common when you haven't had enough sleep, have had a lot of coffee, or have been using your eyes for a long time. If the twitch doesn't stay under the eye and spreads to the corner of the mouth
Can Tinnitus Be Related to the Jaw or Neck?
Some of it is. If the loudness of the sound changes when you move your jaw or shift your neck posture, it may be the kind that involves muscles and joints. But there's something to make clear first. Tinnitus is far more often a problem with the ear itself, and seeing an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor comes first. Tinnitus that starts suddenly in particular needs prompt attention. If one ear suddenly feels blocked
Can Facial Asymmetry Improve with Correction?
The shape of the facial bones themselves doesn't change. What can change is where the lower jaw sits and the difference in muscle thickness between left and right. There's a reason we put this distinction first. When people hear "correction can change your face," they expect the bones to move. That doesn't happen. The honest thing is to separate what can and can't be done first. No
Could Unexplained Headaches Come from the Jaw?
They can. The muscles that move the jaw attach widely across the temples and cheeks, so when those muscles stiffen, that area is felt directly as head pain. Many people have been told their tests showed nothing. In those cases, one of the places we look is the jaw. A brain scan doesn't show stiff muscles. A tight, achy feeling around the temples
Should a Clicking Jaw Be Treated?
If it only clicks, doesn't hurt, and your mouth opens well, it's fine to keep an eye on it. If the clicking comes with pain or your mouth doesn't open as wide as before, it's better to have it checked. More people have a clicking jaw than you might think. Getting rid of the sound itself isn't the goal. What matters isn't the sound but whether it hurts and whether it gets in the way of using your jaw. Inside the jaw joint, between bone and bone
Can Hand Numbness Come from the Wrist or from the Neck?
Both are possible. When a nerve is pinched at the wrist, it's carpal tunnel syndrome; when it's pinched at the neck, it's a herniated disc in the neck. Where and when the numbness happens differ. When people come in with numb hands, most think of the wrist first. But if numbness that started in the neck is treated only at the wrist, it stays the same no matter what. First we need to find where the nerve is pinched. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the thumb,
How Are Golfer's Elbow and Tennis Elbow Different?
The painful spot is different. Pain on the outer side of the elbow is called tennis elbow, and pain on the inner side is called golfer's elbow. Both happen just as often to people who don't play those sports. The names cause confusion. People ask why they have it when they don't play golf or tennis. The names come from how common it is in those sports; in reality, any work that uses the wrist repeatedly can be the cause
Why Is Early Treatment Important for Facial Palsy?
Because the swelling of the facial nerve is at its worst in the first few days. How you get through that period affects how fully you recover later. But there's something to make clear first. If one side of your face suddenly stops moving, you should see a medical doctor first. Other causes that need urgent care, such as a stroke, have to be ruled out. Wrinkling the forehead