Mark Sontag, MD, graduated from McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois), in 1983. His practice specialty is physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation). He practices in San Mateo, CA. In 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper profiled Dr. Sontag, as follows (1): Sharks’ Team Doctor Calls the ShotsMenlo Park Physician Aims for Zero Pain Friends of … Read more

The habits developed in a person’s 20s and 30s can have a lasting impact on their health decades later. According to experts at Stanford Medicine, five key lifestyle habits established during young adulthood can help build a stronger foundation for healthy aging: Regular strength training. Early adulthood is when most people reach their peak bone … Read more

For people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), dizziness often occurs when changing head position during everyday activities. The condition develops when tiny calcium crystals inside the inner ear become displaced and enter one of the semicircular canals involved in balance. As the head changes position, these crystals interfere with normal signals from the inner … Read more

While a herniated disk is a well-known cause of sciatica—pain that travels from the lower back into the buttock or down the leg—it is not the only one. In some cases, a small muscle deep within the hip called the piriformis may contribute to similar symptoms. Understanding how this muscle functions can help explain why … Read more

Neck pain is a common condition that can make everyday activities more difficult. While discomfort is felt in the neck, its cause may not always be limited to the cervical spine and associated tissues because the neck does not exist in isolation. It has been theorized that because the neck and mid-back (thoracic spine) work … Read more

In her book, Molecules of Emotion, The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, Candace Pert, PhD, notes that people’s (and animal’s) emotions are observable in their posture and facial expressions (1). ••• This is not a fictitious story, it is real; the names have been changed. Mr. Smith was 81 years old. He had retired from working … Read more

Athletic performance depends on more than strength alone. Healthy movement requires muscles, joints, and the nervous system to work together smoothly. Hamstring injuries are among the most common in sports, especially those involving running, sprinting, and rapid changes of direction, such as soccer. Because recovery can take weeks or even months, injury prevention is an … Read more

The median nerve provides feeling to the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and the thumb side of the ring finger. It also controls several muscles at the base of the thumb. If pressure builds within the carpal tunnel where the nerve passes through the wrist, the compression can impede the normal median nerve function, resulting … Read more

While an episode of low back pain may begin after lifting, sleeping in an awkward position, or engaging in physical activity, these events often act as triggers rather than the underlying cause. In many cases, the factors that make the lower back vulnerable have been present for months or even years. One such factor is … Read more