Martha recently posted about how exercise can help stroke patients recover. A new virtual reality program that is undergoing clinical trials in the UK and in Canada helps the recovery process a little more.

A researcher at Portsmouth University in the UK created a treadmill that's linked to a virtual reality system. The system helps people recovering from strokes, traumatic falls, and those living with osteoarthritis to build up their endurance, increase their range of motion, and improve their gate.

The system displays scenes -- cityscapes, forest trails, mountains, etc. As the patient is walking on the treadmill, the scenery changes. The system gives them the motivation to walk -- and it also encourages them to virtually pick up objects which aids in balance. In addition, the motion of the scenery is adjusted so the patients walk faster and more smoothly, almost without realizing it.

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Having a good relationship with your doctor is so important. During the years following college, I bounced around from place to place. I don't know why, but after a year or so in one apartment, I always felt the need to move. Moving from city to city like I did, I never kept a consistent relationship with a doctor. Now that I'm older and -- dare I say -- settled in one place, I've been seeing the same doctor for seven years. I've learned to appreciate having a physician that knows me, my son, and both of our health histories.

If you're going to a new doctor, there are some questions that are good to ask. AOL Health has a slideshow with 10 questions you should ask your doctor. Some of the questions are:

• "Do I really need that test?" Sometimes doctors prescribe a test to be cautious, but it's not truly necessary. Talk tests over with your doctor and learn the reasons he/she is recommending them.
  
• "How many surgeries do you perform each year?" It's not insulting to ask your doctor how skilled they are in the surgery you need.
  
• "If I get sick, will you see me in the hospital?" It used to be a matter of routine for physicians to make rounds at the hospital. But the number of physicians who specialize in inpatient care has risen, and many primary-care physicians no longer do rounds. Ask your doctor if he has hospital rounds.

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When your time on this planet is almost up, do you want a doctor to tell you your days are numbered? Or do you prefer to be in the dark, living your days with hope that there will be a bunch of tomorrows? Me? I think I'd want to know. I'd want to prepare, take care of any final matters, say goodbye to my loved ones.

Many people do not get straight talk from their doctors, who think they are doing patients a favor by giving them hope. New research says these docs are wrong and they aren't doing anyone any favors by keeping their lips sealed.

Being in the know can be healthy. Research shows patients were no more likely to become depressed when told they were dying than those who were not told. They were also less likely to spend their final days in a hospital -- they avoided costly care and lived out their last days perhaps at home and in the care of hospice.

It's a tough issue, whether or not to discuss grim prognoses with patients. From an ethics point of view, "it's easy -- patients ought to know," says Dr. Anthony Lee Back of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. "Talking about prognosis is where the rubber meets the road. It's a make-or-break moment -- you earn that trust or you blow it." But people react differently. Some want to know; some do not.

If it were you, how much would you want to know?

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Anybody remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer is observing a surgery and drops a Junior Mint into the guy's body cavity? It was funny because it was so obviously outlandish -- of course doctors would notice if something was left in the body that shouldn't be there. Of course they would remove it before sewing the body shut, right?

Perhaps not.

Medical litter has become a major problem, with 72 deaths and 4675 injuries occurring due to "unretrieved device fragments" known as UDFs. Most often the problem has to do with wire guides for catheters used for heart operations -- they can break or fracture and the device (or fragments) are left behind. Bone screws are a problem as well, but there are other, less common issues, such as needles and scalpel blades being left behind. And often, even if the doctor is aware of the problem, the patient is not informed.

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The U.S. National Institutes of Health has announced a new research program designed to solve the medical cases that are stumping doctors. The Undiagnosed Diseases Program will tackle difficult cases that are referred to the center by doctors across the country.

Just imagine the frustration doctors must feel when faced with a patient who's exhibiting symptoms that don't correspond with known illnesses (not to mention the frustration the patients feel.) The development of this research team pulls together a highly trained staff with state-of-the-art equipment -- diagnosticians that spend their whole days solving the unsolvable.

Necessarily, the program will be very selective about which cases it takes on. The case must have first exhausted all standard diagnostic procedures. The program will work with approximately 100 patients per year.

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How does a celebrity affect a hospital waiting room? It's an amazing thing really, as this Time article points out. Even a minor celebrity can turn the usual unpleasant attitudes (who's ever happy to need medical attention?) into much more positive, trusting, and happy ones. People who would normally be eyeing the doctors and nurses suspiciously are suddenly all too happy to trust whatever they say and whatever they're doing, because after all if they're good enough to care for a celebrity they're good enough for the rest of us, right?

Interesting how fame can suddenly inspire faith in a completely unrelated area like health care, and although it's hardly okay I can totally see how it happens. Celebrity endorsements work for everything else regardless of merit, why not medical care?

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It's sad to hear that a new study concluded that older Americans are less likely than younger patients to receive lifestyle guidance if hypertension is in the picture.

Why on earth would doctors not want to suggest preventative measures to patients over 60 who have high blood pressure from making changes to lower it? Isn't there an oath in there somewhere that's being neglected here?

Over 28,000 adults were surveyed here before the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill research team came up with their conclusions.

Sad.

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One of the most devastating aspects of fighting cancer can be the long and exhausting courses of treatment. From what I've read and heard, dealing with the physical and emotional after-affects of chemotherapy and radiation can be as difficult as dealing with the disease itself.

A test developed by a scientist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia promises to ease some of the suffering associated with cancer treatments. Basically, a dye is injected into patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation, and molecules in the die attach to any dead or dying cancer cells, allowing doctors to see whether or not the treatment is actually working.

Until now, patients had to endure entire courses of treatment that could last up to six months before being able to assess whether or not their tumors where shrinking, had stayed the same or were growing larger. If the treatment hadn't worked, patients would have to undergo a new, exhausting course of treatment. The new dye test will hopefully allow doctors to tell right away whether or not the treatment on a particular patient is working based on whether or not there is evidence of dead or dying cancer cells.

Hopefully the test will cut down on the trauma associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

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An osteoarthritis drug called Prexige has been taken off the shelves and can no longer be sold in Canada after Health Canada decided to pull the product. The drug was approved in November 2006 as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee and later was approved to treat general osteoarthritis symptoms in adults.

However, patients -- including two in Canada -- began reporting serious liver problems after taking the drug. Australia was the first country to pull Prexige and the United States rejected the drug altogether due to concerns over these side-effects.

Those who have been prescribed Prexige who want more information on the story can look here, and should visit their doctors in order to find an appropriate treatment to replace the drug.

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On pretty much every TV show about hospitals there's always a hot-shot surgeon or sexy intern who seem to care more about their image than consoling patients. They use overly-complicated medical jargon, rush through a diagnosis and give patients little emotional care -- they help heal the patient but they don't really make them feel better.

Does this sort of thing just exist on TV? It looks like no according to a study done at the University of McGill in Montreal. The study examined results of a clinical skills exam taken by over 3000 doctors in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The physicians who scored low on the test also had more patient complaints lodged against them, and the majority of these grievances were communication issues. Doctors who, just like the hot-shots on shows like ER and Grey's Anatomy, were judgmental, condescending and ignored what patients had to say.

So while being a good communicator doesn't necessarily make one a better doctor, the best doctors definitely know how to communicate.

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Although in many cases it seems like the health care trends are leaning towards less personalized care, some doctors are trying to go in the other direction instead -- by attending the funerals of their patients. Although it can be a slightly controversial idea (especially if the family wasn't necessarily satisfied with the care), in many cases having the doctor at the funeral can be a positive experience for both sides. The doctor can get a completed picture of the client and have the opportunity to support the family, and the family can build a stronger relationship with the doctor and feel affirmed.

Do you think it's a good idea? Should all doctors try to to make themselves available and open to this idea?

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The paramedics team and potential patients in Calgary, Alberta Canada have a new tool at their disposal to make emergency responses and treatment even better: a specialized ambulance for extremely obese patients. Designed to make it safer for both the patients and the paramedics, the "bariatric response team" will be reserved for patients weighing between 400 and 1000 pounds. Equipped with special gear like a hydraulic lift and fancy air mattress to make positioning large patients easier, this new ambulance will mean some patients who used to be unable to transport in an emergency vehicle at all can now do so safely and with dignity.

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