Why do medical insurers treat obesity different than other vices? Not a GYOB (I've got one); I literally don't understand the facts of the situation. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Oct 20, 2008 - 20 answers

I'm a 26 yr old male and suspect I have strained my right teres major muscle. Is it worth seeing a general practitioner/family doctor first (I suspect they will just toss me painkillers and tell me about R.I.C.E.)? If not a GP, what are ways I can find somebody in sports medicine or physical therapy (do they have hundred dollar new patient processing fees, etc too?) apart from references from acquaintances? Also, any relevant suggestions on what else I can do are also greatly appreciated. I am relatively inexperienced with dealing with doctors/doctor's offices but am interested in how I can become a more informed patient. [more inside]
posted by weakcore on Oct 10, 2008 - 9 answers

I know about spider veins (those tiny, flat blue/red/purple lines) and varicose veins (raised, lumpy veins). I know that these can be treated with laser or sclerotherapy. But what do you call faint blue bruising that seems to follow the path of blood vessels but is neither sharply defined nor raised? And how can you treat it? [more inside]
posted by wexford_arts on Sep 5, 2008 - 3 answers

Treatment for mouth ulcers. I've been using Bonjela since 1837, and it's only just now struck me that medical science must have come up with something better in recent years. So what do you find works well?
posted by Jakey on Feb 5, 2008 - 28 answers