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Treating addiction first requires that we understand it. As it turns out most people know little about what addiction actually is, and even less about what causes it. An expert breaks down the issue, so we can better understand what we're seeing unfold around the country.

There are many misconceptions about strokes that warrant clarification. They range from those who are at greatest risk to be afflicted to their chances of recovery. Let's take a look.

The 29-member Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, led by Dr. Vanila Singh, recently released an important 100-page draft report. The Federal Register docket already shows nearly 2,000 comments, and doubtlessly the HHS email gateway has received many more. Dr. Richard Lawhern, the Director of Research of the Alliance for the Treatment of Intractable Pain, shares his thoughts.

Our Dr. Josh Bloom responded to a March 7th article in the New York Times, titled Good News: Opioid Prescribing Fell. The Bad? Pain Patients Suffer, Doctors Say. Here's his take -- brief and right to the point.

You don’t have to look very far to find wellness facilities touting this or that intravenous infusion for “detoxification” and “revitalization.” And if that's not troubling enough, as fees increase our skepticism is following suit.

So-called "play or pay" was designed as an incentive for pharmaceutical companies to engage, or to continue to be engaged in, antibiotic discovery and development.

Doing so is becoming increasingly problematic these days, as another person was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. One common aspect among imposters is that they know just enough information to be dangerous. Here's how to separate physician fact from fiction.

Can yoga, instead of producing only anecdotal success stories, instead demonstrate that it can deliver quantifiable health benefits? A new study may herald a shift in the Western discussion of an Eastern practice.

As Big Pharma shifts risk for drug discovery to start-ups, the acquisition and licensing of those discoveries serve as a hidden driver of medication cost. Consider Keytruda.

Hospice provides comfort during the last months of life. But many patients requiring dialysis cannot, or do not, take advantage of this care. We need to do less harm.

Why on Earth does the media print sensationalist nonsense over and over again? We know of at least three reasons: (1) It cares more about internet traffic (and $$$) than anything else; (2) science journalists often have no formal education in the field; and (3) university press offices purposefully exaggerate their research.

"Cost per Quality of Life Years Saved," and "Cost Effectiveness or Budget Impact Analysis" can be used to analyze information for decision-makers in various components of the economy, such as wearing helmets while operating a motorcycle. However, these analytical techniques were never meant to be applied as the ultimate arbiter of whether a medicine was worth paying for.

While we can "fix" a hip fracture, patients just are not as mobile and independent after the injury. And that's the case even after a year of recovery. One preventative measure may be Tai Chi, a martial art that teaches defense through balance, and working with -- rather than against -- forces.

How far would you go to get an aphrodisiac effect?

Can a physician's past professional deeds be forgotten? And if so, who gets to decide? If you ask the European Union, the answer is Google.

Of course, not all causes and manners of death are within our control. Nor should we be so preoccupied with them that we avoid living. But the National Safety Council's annual report proves to be an interesting read, given a 5.3% increase in preventable-injury-related deaths.

For some expectant mothers, there's a strong desire to have less "medicalization" of labor and delivery. It manifests itself in home births and water births for those adamantly opposed to a hospital setting. Now, “unassisted birth” goes a step further excluding a trained professional from the delivery. It's time to clarify the risks.

An ordinary (or worse) study sets out to rehash the same nonsense about how deadly prescription opioids are. In addition, it ends up botching the conclusion to appear that it's contradicting itself. This is seriously strange.

As frigid temperatures are sweeping a large portion of the country, government officials from severely impacted regions are issuing "Code Blue" alerts. Use of them is spreading some confusion, so let's clarify what the term actually means.

One of the most important driving safety tips is to never swerve if an animal jumps in front of your car. Dog, cat, deer, raccoon -- don't swerve. Although it's an extremely natural instinct, it's also potentially deadly. If you swerve, you could hit a tree or an oncoming vehicle. But there's one exception to this general rule.

“How is this possible?” is the reverberating refrain in the media and online. But the reality is it isn't as rare as you would imagine. In fact, partially duplicated systems aren’t so uncommon.

Jeffrey Smith, a yogic flying instructor who leads the Institute for Responsible Technology, an anti-GMO organization, is now encouraging cancer patients to forgo modern medicine in favor of natural remedies from Asia. If patients follow his advice, they will die.

The self-proclaimed expert on opioids and addiction "agreed" to sit down with me and answer some tough questions about his background, medical insight and plans for the future. (Keep in mind that this "interview" took place on April 1.)

A young woman ultimately diagnosed with a brain tumor claims "crippling headaches" were repeatedly dismissed as migraines. Headaches come in many forms, from benign to unsettling. So what are the red flags?

Here are two reports about bribery and health-care enterprises. Greasing the wheels of government with cash is another contributor to high medical costs.