Exercise is good for your body, but did you know that those benefits also extend to your brain? “Exercise improves the function of your cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, skeletal and nervous systems, all of which support your brain's health and ability to do its job,” says CentraState neurosurgeon Mark McLaughlin, [...]
Gary Triolo’s workday started like any other – going through paperwork, checking email and answering calls – until his world suddenly started spinning out of control. “I looked up and the room started to spin to the left in slow motion,” explains Gary, who serves as the director of Food [...]
Anyone who lives with or cares for someone with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor knows there are good days and not-so-good days. But what if you could directly stimulate or calm the area of the brain causing the tremor? Essential tremor is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and [...]
Andrew Ferrara was a three-sport high school athlete when he suffered a football injury that permanently sidelined his athletic career. He herniated two discs in his back as a teen. At the time, the surgery to repair it was risky. So instead, he wore a brace to stabilize his [...]
Adapting to the changes in life after suffering a stroke is challenging to say the least. There are new medications, therapies, and doctors one must see, not to mention the physical and emotional needs when recovering from a stroke. But patients recovering from stroke don’t need to do it [...]
A string of falls and a car accident left Whiting resident Nanette Neves in constant agony. Plagued with numbness and pain in her leg and lower back, she endured eight years of treatments to manage the pain. When she had trouble getting out of bed, she knew it was [...]
While it is often associated with misconceptions, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a specialized treatment that can be very effective in certain people struggling with severe depression and certain other behavioral health conditions not helped by medication or psychotherapy. Moustafa H. Shafey, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist on staff at CentraState, [...]
When Freehold resident John Russo fell after a progressive decline in his ability to walk, he figured he’d have to endure another joint replacement surgery. But he was shocked to learn that a serious spinal condition was causing his pain—and partial paralysis. John, 54, was in the Navy during [...]
Forgot where you parked your car or your favorite niece’s birthday? It’s easy to chalk it up to age and say there’s nothing you can do about it. But you can take steps to improve your memory. “If your brain has changed with age, you have to change the [...]
Tony Testa is most at home on stage. As the leader of the ‘60s doo-wop vocal group The Duprees, his voice is his instrument. When he woke up one morning unable to speak, he wondered if his 60-year career was over. Tony, 76, a resident of Jackson, is known [...]
