X-ray of a woman's foot in a high-heel shoe. (Gusto Images)

Those 4-inch sandals look fabulous, but they’re killing your feet

Podiatrists say high heels put feet in an unnatural position that makes them prone to injury.

Diabetes has been a part of my daughter’s life for 25 years

Insurance, quality care and support have helped her cope with the disease, but now she’s on her own.

Myofascial pain syndrome can baffle doctors while patients suffer

Referred pain from “trigger points” in muscles is often overlooked or misdiagnosed.

More Health and Science news

Push is on to promote health law

Push is on to promote health law

A coalition with ties to the White House launched a multimillion-dollar effort to sign up the uninsured.

White House, NASA want help hunting asteroids

White House, NASA want help hunting asteroids

On Tuesday, they will announce a “Grand Challenge” to find killer space rocks.

Susan G. Komen names CEO to replace founder Nancy Brinker

After the Planned Parenthood funding controversy, Komen chooses health policy leader Judith Salerno.

‘Jurassic Park’ no longer seems like just science fiction

‘Jurassic Park’ no longer seems like just science fiction

Scientists know a lot more about the T. rex than when “Jurassic Park” roared onto screens in 1993.

Mosquitoes, ticks and bees are summer hazards; poison ivy, too

Mosquitoes, ticks and bees are summer hazards; poison ivy, too

And don’t forget to protect yourself against sunburn and fungal infections.

Multimedia

A three-month-old Yellow-crested Cockatoo with still few feathers can be seen in its enclosure at the Bird Park in Marlow on May 30, 2013. AFP PHOTO / BERND WUSTNECK GERMANY OUTBERND WUSTNECK/AFP/Getty Images

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

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Other news

Stem cells in fingertips may hold a key to regeneration

Pruney, wrinkled, wet fingers.

Study involving genetically manipulated mice shows how digits can regenerate.

Confused about health-care law? Getting answers can be tricky.

Medical stock photography

Nationwide network aimed at resolving consumer questions falls short, experts say.

Book showcases hundreds of species of endangered birds

El Oro Parakeet

Some of the rare breeds exist only in captivity; one was rediscovered after vanishing for more than a century.

‘The Genius of Marian’ is a touching look at a family’s Alzheimer’s battle

WASHINGTON, DC- FEBRUARY 27: David Hilfiker is photographed at his home in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Hilfiker, a retired doctor is now an alzheimer's patient, navigating the decline of his cognitive health and writing about his experiences in a blog, 'Watching the Lights Go Out, David Hilfiker: A Memoir from Inside Alzheimer's Disease.' (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

The documentary film will be screened in Washington as part of the AFI Docs Film Festival.

Patients must advocate to get the care they need

*ONE TIME USE ONLY**ONE TIME USE ONLY**ONE TIME USE ONLY**ONE TIME USE ONLY* Owen Freeman for The Washington Post. Medical Mysteries for June 11, 2013.

Also: Identifying a garden menace. And a lesson in Latin.

COLUMNS

AnyBODY

Sunscreen is valuable, but different types produce different results

A bottle of sun tan lotion and sunglasses sit on top of a cooler carried at Miami Beach, Florida, on May 9, 2012.

Experts say that any protection against the deadly skin cancer melanoma is better than none at all.

Insomnia troubles? Here’s how to get a good night’s sleep.

Bigstock

Middle-of-the-night awakenings are quite common. Breathing issues can be a major cause.

Mandatory helmet laws may protect heads but hurt health

ALEXANDRIA, VA - APRIL 21: Washington Area Bicyclist Association instructor Daniel Hoagland adjusts a student's helmet during the Adult Bicycle riding class by WABA at Lyles-Crouch Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia Sunday April 21, 2013.  13 students attended the 3 hour introductory class. (Photo by Jared Soares for The Washington Post)

Bike helmet laws might seem like ideal health measures, but studies are mixed about the effect.

How & Why/EcoLOGIC

How safe are elevators? And what keeps them from falling?

iStockphoto

Elevators have a series of brakes and cables that keep them from falling. They can plunge, but it’s very rare.

CD, MP3, Internet. What’s the greenest way of listening to music?

Closeup of a woman listening to the music playing through her stereo earbud headphones. Shallow depth of field.

Digital music seems intuitively better for the environment, but that’s not necessarily so.

Hate cockroaches? They’re gross, but many of them actually help the Earth.

Eleven-year-old Paul Hasenpusch eyes his pet cockroach 'Cocky', Wednesday, February 4, 1998, at his home in Cairns, Australia. The Australian Insect Farm near Cairns has yearly sales of 200 to 300 of the world's largest of its kind, the giant burrowing coackroach, or as it is known scientificaly, the Maropanesthia Rhinoceros, as pets. Living as long as 7 years, the adults grow to over 4 inches long and weigh in at over 1 ounce. (AP Photo/Brian Cassey)

Some cockroaches help pollinate, others are lizard and woodpecker food. You can squish the urban ones.

Urban Jungle

Earthworm regeneration

Earthworm regeneration

Worms can replace a head or a tail, or both, if conditions are right.

Medical Mysteries

A short-sighted diagnosis

*ONE TIME USE ONLY**ONE TIME USE ONLY**ONE TIME USE ONLY**ONE TIME USE ONLY* Owen Freeman for The Washington Post. Medical Mysteries for June 11, 2013.

MEDICAL MYSTERIES | Fox News correspondent Shannon Bream contended with a painful eye condition.

Woman endured years of pain and uncertainty

he-medicalmysteries16. Original artwork by Owen Freeman. All rights reserved.

MEDICAL MYSTERIES | Nancy Kennedy had a variety of symptoms that pointed in many directions.

Eating made her sick, but it took doctors years to figure out why

Medical Mysteries.

MEDICAL MYSTERIES | A Virginia teenager’s stomach pains weren’t all in her head, as some physicians had suggested.

Read more Medical Mysteries

Health, Science & Environment Videos

Opera singer’s new lungs

Opera singer’s new lungs

Charity Sunshine Tilleman-Dick, a 29-year-old American soprano, has performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and around the world. A rare disease, idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, demanded she have two double-lung transplants. Despite all odds she continues to sing.
The cicadas are coming

The cicadas are coming

Brood II is making its once every 17-year appearance above ground. Don’t blame the cicadas for the racket, they’re just looking for love.
David Bowie’s Space Oddity recorded in space

David Bowie’s Space Oddity recorded in space

A revised version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity, recorded by Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station
Solar Impulse flies over Golden Gate Bridge

Solar Impulse flies over Golden Gate Bridge

The solar-powered airplane, Solar Impulse, flies over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Counting snakeheads in the Potomac

Counting snakeheads in the Potomac

In a marked change from past efforts, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is working with similar agencies in Maryland and D.C. to monitor four different tributaries and count--not kill--snakeheads.
Feasting on cicadas

Feasting on cicadas

D.C. resident Jacques Tiziou has a taste for cicadas. He collects, prepares and eats the young, winged-insects for brunch. (Video from 2004)
HIV-infected infant cured

HIV-infected infant cured

VIDEO | Doctors say a baby in Mississippi born with HIV is cured after receiving aggressive treatment.
NASA: The instruments on the Van Allen Probes

NASA: The instruments on the Van Allen Probes

Dr. David Sibeck describes in instruments on NASA’s twin Van Allen probes that are exploring the Van Allen Radiation Belts in the Earth’s magnetosphere.
FDA approves artificial retina device

FDA approves artificial retina device

The FDA has approved a new device that could help some people regain part of their sight. Dr. Robert Cykiert, an opthamologist at NYU Langone Medical Center, talks to James Brown and Norah O'Donnell about what new technology means for the blind.
How to lose weight: Debunking the myths

How to lose weight: Debunking the myths

How to lose weight: Debunking the myths