DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’m hobbling along on crutches because of a right ankle sprain and a torn Achilles tendon. The tendon was surgically repaired. I’m sitting around not doing much. I have been dedicated to exercise, especially weightlifting. I know I’m going to lose all that I gained from weightlifting. Is there any way to […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 58 and have suffered with a frozen shoulder for the past six months. Physical therapy made it worse. Home stretching exercises are helping, but my range of motion hasn’t improved much. The doctor wants to do a manipulation under anesthesia. Is this procedure safe? Or is it better to let […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please help. I just saw my skin specialist, who told me she thinks I have Sjogren’s syndrome. She wouldn’t tell me anything about it, only to see my primary physician. What is it? Can it be treated? Is it serious? What’s to become of me? I am 85. — F. ANSWER: I’m […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My 9-year-old granddaughter became a vegetarian more than a year ago, and she has stuck to her guns. Her mother lives a harried life and doesn’t have much time to cook from scratch. My granddaughter consumes pasta and vegetarian frozen items. She eats cheese and eggs. However, I am concerned that there […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The problem is that people look at me and think I don’t look sick, so how could I feel so bad. My muscles hurt. I’m so tired that by noon I am exhausted. Please explain fibromyalgia. Maybe the public will see that I may look OK […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently my left leg has swollen from below the knee down to the ankle and foot. There also is some redness of the skin. Did I get a spider bite, or what? What is the remedy? — D.Z. ANSWER: I suppose it could be a spider bite, but the first thought that […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’m a point guard on my high-school’s basketball team. There’s a good chance that we will make it to the playoffs. My left knee, right in front of the kneecap, has started to hurt when I walk up and down stairs. The pain isn’t great, and I might be making too much […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you please give me some information about Bell’s palsy? My daughter is 51 years old, and this is the third time she has had it. She had it at ages 2 and 17. She thinks she looks like a monster, as she has no movement on the left side of her […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 57-year-old woman in good health. I went into menopause seven years ago. I have hypothyroidism and take Synthroid for it. Lately I have been losing my hair at an alarming rate, and I’m trying to figure out the cause. My thyroid tests are normal. My blood test shows I’m […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I was diagnosed with celiac disease because of frequent diarrhea and weight loss. I requested that I have the celiac blood test. It was positive. How does a person know if one has celiac disease? I thought at first that I had a thyroid problem. — T.F. ANSWER: Celiac disease is an […]