Conditions and Treatment Options

The articles on totalhealth have been written by experts in osteoarthritis specifically for patients.

Osteoporosis is a lessening of the bone material (bone density) and therefore weakening of the bones meaning that patients with osteoporosis are more prone to bone fracture. Bone is a living material with cells called osteoclasts responsible for removing worn material and osteoblasts are the bone building cells.

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynaecological cancer in the UK with almost 7000 women diagnosed every year. This is most common in post-menopausal women but can affect women at any age. The symptoms of ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognise and a cervical screening test will be unable to detect the disease.

Keyhole surgery, known as laparoscopic surgery in the abdomen, refers to an operation where only a small incision is required to obtain access to the required area, this is facilitated by the latest tools in instrumentation and camera manipulation.

Due to recent developments in the treatment of paediatric tumours, the good news is that most children can be cured. Approximately one to two children per 10,000 are diagnosed with cancer each year. Clearly this is a very serious diagnosis and a few decades ago only a small percentage of these children would have survived, but luckily things have moved on rapidly.

Ever since ancient man discovered that headaches miraculously disappeared after chewing on a piece of willow tree bark, ‘pain management’ has been one of the most fundamental of medical disciplines. Pain is generally subjective and can be very difficult to manage. Pain is unpleasant and presents itself in a variety of form.

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in the UK. This authoritative, yet plain English section has been developed by leading HPB experts who have written exclusively for totalhealth.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological condition in which patients develop problems primarily with movements such as tremor, stiffness

Why have we included a section on ‘patient empowerment’?

People talk about ‘patient empowerment’ to the extent that it sometimes runs the risk of losing its meaning. So what does it mean? Does ‘power’ corrupt? And, how can patients use ‘power’ to work with health professionals to get the best possible care? 

Many people have phobias, but it is really only when the phobia causes harm that it needs to be dealt with. For example, phobias can often develop secondary problems characterised by lowered self-esteem, depression and hopelessness.

Prominent ears affect approximately 1% of the British population and can cause psychological distress, although they have no impact on hearing.

Each article is prepared and updated by a leading clinical expert in urology/oncology. Click on the article title to find information about the condition, details of the types of treatment that the Consultant recommends and where you can get access to this treatment. Click on the Consultant's name to see their qualifications, the extent of their experience and where they practice.

This section on puberty and growth is led by Great Ormond Street Hospital, Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist, Dr Rakesh Amin. He explains that starting puberty at an unexpected age can be concerning for parents and children, and is almost always linked to the behaviour of hormones.

Much suffering could be avoided, particularly in elderly patients, if rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was diagnosed sufficiently early and treated effectively. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease meaning that the body’s own immune system has turned on itself.

The information in this section on common shoulder conditions has been written by senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons who are shoulder experts. The articles listed below provide an overview of the causes of shoulder pain and discuss the diagnosis and latest treatments for shoulder problems.