InfoTrak: Cancer Screenings

John Santa, M.D. and Consumer Reports recently evaluated the most frequently-used screenings for
cancer. Of the eleven screenings evaluated, the organization only recommended three,
cautioning that most consumers should avoid eight other common tests. Dr Santa explained
the results of his study, and offered advice for health consumers.

InfoTrak: Taming Your Temper

Nathaniel D. Smith, M.A., LPC-S, NCC, Licensed Professional Counselor in suburban
Dallas, specializing in anger management and domestic violence issues, and author of “Taming
Your Temper: A Workbook for Individuals, Couples, and Groups” says that anger is a growing problem in our society, caused in part by our nation’s
economic struggles in recent years. He discussed the typical causes of anger, and how outof-
control anger can harm a person’s health, destroy relationships, and derail a career. He
outlined several anger management strategies that he uses with patients in his practice.

InfoTrak: Why Your Back Hurts

Chiropractor Vaughan Dabbs, author of This Is
Why Your Back Hurts says Americans are 16 times more likely to experience back pain than someone
who lives in a poorer country. He talked about the many choices of treatments for back pain.
He also offered advice to improve poor posture, which he believes is one of the primary
causes of back problems.

John Santa

John Santa, MD, MPH has been Director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center since 2008. Previously he practiced internal medicine in Oregon and served in administrative roles in hospitals, insurance companies, and medical groups that insure and care for commercial, Medicare and Medicaid patients. From 1999 to 2003 he was Administrator of the Oregon Office for Health Policy and Research, a state agency concerned with Medicaid and other areas of health policy.

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