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We've all heard the saying "no pain, no gain" when it comes to exercising, but how do you know when it's become too much pain? Before muscles can strengthen themselves, the muscles first must be stressed. As muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and even bone are stressed slowly over time, they build up strength that allows them to perform better during strenuous workouts. But if your body isn't used to the stress of working out, or if you train too hard, often times the "burn" you feel during a workout is more pain than should be expected or is healthy.

Valentine's Day has arrived, which means those boxes of chocolates, chocolate covered fruit and other sweet treats will be hard to avoid. 

However, chocolate's reputation is on the rise. Recent studies have suggested limited consumption of chocolate can provide health benefits. Is your Valentine's Day chocolate a healthy indulgence or is this an age-old myth?

Athletes cower at the mention of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Depending on how badly it's torn, the injury can put an athlete out for an entire season, even Tom Brady had to sit out a season because of his ACL injury. Your ACL is one of four ligaments that work to stabilize the knee and is essential in starting to run, turning and stopping quickly. With that said, it's easy to figure out that if that ligament fails, then things can go wrong quickly.

Most likely, you know someone who has gone through cancer treatment. And oftentimes, treatment includes radiation oncology (aka radiation therapy). This uses beams of high-energy X-rays or radiation implants to eliminate tumors. Thankfully, advances in radiation therapy make the lifesaving treatment quicker, safer, more comfortable and more precise. 

If you live in Central Massachusetts, you're lucky to have these advances right in your own backyard. 

As you or your loved one get older, falls may be something that you have to plan for. Falls happen for many reasons - stiff joints, vision changes, illness or a medication that affects balance. So what can you do to help put your mind at ease and help ensure the safety of your family?

Do you ever feel like you pester the men in your life to go to the doctor? Generally, men tend to die sooner than woman, and while there are many factors to this statistic, it's hard to ignore the fact that it may be due to men avoiding the doctor and not getting treatment for otherwise preventable diseases. In honor of Men's Health Awareness Month, we're going to help you understand what it is that's stopping men from visiting the doctor and what you can do to get them to make their health a priority.

The dilemma: Should I continue to play through the pain, or should I go for a joint replacement? 

It's frustrating when joint pain keeps you from playing your favorite sport. Avid golfers who need total knee or hip replacement often continue playing through the pain, because they're afraid their game will change. But joint replacement doesn't mean the end of your favorite sport. In fact, many people return to an active, pain-free life after recovery.