Ask Dr. Bob
Orgasms, cellulite and chronic fatigue: Who could ask for anything more?
Editor's note: Dr. Robert Burton, former chief of neurology at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco, has published three novels ranging in subject from medical ethics ("Doc-in-a-Box") to the pitfalls of psychiatry ("Final Therapy") to the possible consequences of cloning ("Cellmates"). A born skeptic and a connoisseur of controversy, he promises to irritate as many readers as possible while helping patients cope with the smoke and mirrors of modern medicine. Please e-mail your queries to him at AskDrBob@salon.com.
By Robert Burton, M.D.
Read more: Advice
Aug. 30, 1999 | What is the difference between a clitoral and a vaginal orgasm?
Half an hour. Sad to say, the Salon Health & Body editors weren't satisfied with this answer! Off to Medline to find out the real poop. Not a straight answer anywhere. But I did find a few titillating bits.
Where is the orgasm located? I wondered. Patients with complete spinal cord transection can experience all phases of orgasm. The response can be elicited by manual stimulation, even when the patient has no skin sensation. On the other hand, Andrea Dworkin to the contrary, women can achieve orgasm exclusively through visual imagery. (Hello, Hallmark, do I have an idea for you.)
Good news for you poor marksmen. There is no specific G-spot; rather there are multiple vaginal areas that are erotically sensitive. Take your pick.
Bad news for those with certain fantasies: The so-called female ejaculate is biochemically indistinguishable from urine!
During orgasm, brain metabolism preferentially increases in the right frontal region -- the same brain area that is used to recall old memories. Is fantasizing about old lovers merely biochemical overflow? Or an evolutionary visual aid?
The best good news: The ultimate physiology of the orgasm remains a mystery. Which means goodbye to Teutonic sex manuals and specific guidelines. A whole generation went neurotic trying for simultaneous orgasm. Forget it. Anything goes. Even explanations.
Mechanical? Reflex? In the mind? Asking, "What is an orgasm?" is akin to opening Pandora's box.
I have cellulite and it's driving me insane. I don't go to the beach because of it. I see things like Cellasene that advertise to get rid of it. Is it possible?
I confess total ignorance as to what cellulite actually is, but I know it when I see it. Not a pretty sight, but not the end of the world, either. I know a very pretty woman with one leg, and she never worries about cellulite. Thigh and hip dimpling is a physical breakdown of subcutaneous tissue just beneath the skin with bits of fatty tissue bubbling up through small connective tissue defects like tiny hernias. It is exclusively mechanical, more common in women for reasons unknown, not some metabolic screw-up or accumulation of dread toxins, nor is it directly related to fat or caloric intake. It's simply bad luck that gets under your skin.
If you can't accept nature, try high fishnet stockings or dim lighting, or forego doggie-style. All are cheaper and have better results than the current crop of snake-oil drugs on the market.
Bottom line, don't worry about the bottom lines. And be reassured; none of the remedies is as effective as self-deprecation. As for Cellasene, the company talks of success in unpublished studies (the medical equivalent of "the check is in the mail"), but a Medline search revealed the big nada. Sorry.