|
PCEC members learn about rotator cuff injuries
Gavin Waddell, International
Marketing Executive, Phyathai Sriracha Hospital, introduces Dr. Watanachai
Bangken at the PCEC’s Sunday meeting.
This may not be what you wanted to hear, but as you get
older, your risk of a painful rotator cuff injury increases. The rotator
cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that attach to the bones of the
shoulder joint, allowing the shoulder to move and keeping it stable.
Dr. Watanachai Bangken, an orthopaedist at Phyathai Sriracha Hospital, spoke
to the Pattaya City Expats Club at their Sunday, August 24 meeting. His
topic was about the kinds and symptoms of rotator cuff injury, the tools
used to diagnose the injury and the options available for treatment. In
introducing Dr. Watanachai, Gavin Waddell, International Marketing Executive
for the Hospital, also announced that a nurse was available to provide free
blood pressure check and blood sugar test for those that wanted them.
Dr. Watanachai explains the
symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of rotator cuff injuries. The rotator
cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that attach to the bones of the
shoulder joint.
There are two kinds of rotator cuff injury: acute and
chronic. Dr. Watanachai explained that a sudden or acute tear may happen
when you fall on your arm while it is stretched out, or when you engage in a
sudden, jerking motion while trying to lift something heavy.
A chronic tear of the rotator cuff tendon happens slowly over time. It is
more likely to occur in people with chronic tendonitis or impingement
syndrome. The latter, sometimes known as “swimmer’s shoulder,” is when the
tendons of the rotator cuff muscles become irritated and inflamed. Further,
Dr. Watanachai said that repetitive stress is a common cause of chronic
rotator cuff tears, particularly among professional athletes.
Additionally, rotator cuff tears can be partial or complete. In a partial
tear, the attachments to the bone are not completely severed. A complete
tear splits the soft tissue into two pieces - there is basically a hole in
the tendon.
MC Richard Silverberg gives
Dr. Watanachai a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the PCEC for his
informative talk about rotator cuff injuries.
Symptoms of an acute tear include intense pain after a
fall or injury; and weakness of the shoulder and arm, possibly accompanied
by a snapping sensation of movement. Symptoms of a chronic tear are gradual
worsening of pain, weakness, and stiffness or loss of motion in the
shoulder. Dr. Watanachai said that most people with rotator cuff tendon
tears have pain at night; that pain may wake one up. During the day, the
pain is usually more tolerable and is felt with certain arm and shoulder
movements.
To diagnose rotator cuff injury, the first imaging tests performed are
usually X-rays. However, because X-rays do not show the soft tissues of your
shoulder (like the rotator cuff), they may not show anything amiss or they
may show only a small bone spur. Dr. Watanachai said that the diagnostic
tool of choice these days is MRIs. They can show where the tear is located
within the tendon and the size of the tear. An MRI can also give the doctor
a better idea of how “old” or “new” a tear is because it can show the
quality of the rotator cuff muscles.
He explained that the goal of all treatment for rotator cuff injuries is to
reduce pain and restore function. If you have a rotator cuff tear and you
keep using your rotator cuff despite increasing pain, you may cause further
damage. A rotator cuff tear can get larger over time.
If you have chronic shoulder and arm pain, these are good reasons to see a
doctor. Dr. Watanachai explained that early treatment can prevent your
symptoms from getting worse. It will also get your shoulder back to normal
that much quicker.
In about 50% of patients, non-surgical treatment relieves pain and improves
function in the shoulder. Non-surgical treatment options include: rest -
limiting overhead activities; and using a sling to help protect your
shoulder and keep it still; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication -
drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen reduce pain and swelling; strengthening
exercises and physical therapy - to restore movement and strengthen the
muscles that support your shoulder; and steroid injection - cortisone is a
very effective anti-inflammatory medicine.
Dr. Watanachai emphasised that shoulder strength, however, does not usually
improve without surgery. How do you know if you are a candidate for surgery?
Surgery may be a good option if: your pain does not improve with
non-surgical treatment; your symptoms have lasted 6-12 months; you have a
large tear (more than 3 cm); you have significant weakness and loss of
function in your shoulder; or your tear was caused by a recent, acute
injury.
There are two kinds of surgical treatment, Dr. Watanachai explained: open
repair and all-arthroscopic repair. A traditional open surgical incision is
often required if the tear is large or complex (open repair). In an
all-arthroscopic repair, the surgeon inserts a small camera, called an
arthroscope, into your shoulder joint, and makes another small incision to
perform the operation.
For people who undergo surgery, rehabilitation plays a vital role in getting
them back to normal. Rehabilitation usually includes: immobilization - most
likely involving the use of a sling and avoiding using one’s arm for the
first 4-6 weeks; passive exercise - begun within the first 6-8 weeks after
surgery; and active exercise - which involves gradually increasing one’s
strength and improving one’s arm control at 8-12 weeks post-surgery.
After Dr. Watanachai concluded his presentation, Master of Ceremonies
Richard Silverberg brought everyone up to date on upcoming events and called
on Roy Albiston to conduct the always informative Open Forum where questions
are asked and answered about Expat living in Thailand, especially Pattaya.
For more information on the PCEC’s many activities, visit their website at
www.pcecclub.org.
|
|
Central Festival thanks customers
with 100,000-baht prize giveaway
Suchada Petchsri, office manager
of the Central Festival Pattaya Beach and co-host of the event, pulls out a
lucky draw ticket.
Jetsada Homklin
Central Festival Pattaya Beach thanked customers for five years of
support by giving away more than 100,000 baht in prizes.
Mall managers Suchada Petchsri and Benjawan Petchpan hosted the Aug. 20 giveaway
open to customers that spent more than 2,000 baht during Central’s late-August
promotional week.
The grand prizes were three AirAsia tickets worth a total 60,000 baht. Other
prizes included a hotel voucher for the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort, spa
tickets, SFX Cinema tickets and more. In all, 45 prizes worth more than 100,000
baht were given away.
Soratorn Waenpradap. Pornsiri Senkan and Akaradit Sritongkam won the plane
tickets and Somjit Taylor took home the hotel voucher.
Benjawan Petchpan, products
manager of the Central Festival Pattaya and co-host of the event, announces
another lucky winner.
|
|
Holiday Inn celebrates opening of Executive Tower
Kate Gerits, General Manager Holiday Inn Pattaya,
welcomes honored guests to the Launch Party at Holiday Inn Pattaya’s Executive
Tower.
Urasin Khantaraphan
More than 200 Pattaya government, business and community leaders turned
out to help the Holiday Inn Pattaya celebrate the opening of its new Executive
Tower.
General Manager Kate Gerits welcomed Auttapon Thaweesuntorn, assistant director
for the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office and other guests to the
Aug. 22 party.
The 25-story tower increases the Holiday Inn’s room capacity by 200 and adds
high-tech facilities for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. Each
business room comes with technical and artistic tools and access to a new
kitchen and restaurant.
(L to R) Sukhumnanda Kukudom,
Auttapon Thaweesuntorn, Assistant Director, TAT Pattaya, Kate Gerits, General
Manager Holiday Inn Pattaya, and Jatuporn Phiukhao, Executive Assistant Manager
Holiday Inn Pattaya, raise a toast to the opening of Holiday Inn Pattaya’s
Executive Tower.
The main conference hall, spanning 625 sq. meters, can
accommodate 250-550 people and can be split into two halls.
A medium-sized conference hall can handle 111-250 people while a 250-sq. meter
conference hall can accommodate presentations, speeches or concerts for no more
than 75 attendees.
There are also seven conference halls 61-159 sq. meters and a boardroom for
business meetings of 12-30 people.
(L to R) Vikrom Malhotra, Manager
of Massic Travel and his daughter Fahana, along with Elfi Seitz, Executive
Editor of Pattaya Blatt, and Kamolthep ‘Prince’ Malhotra, GM of the Pattaya Mail
Media Group, congratulate Kate Gerits, General Manager Holiday Inn Pattaya and
Thitiporn Boonsuk, Director of Sales & Marketing.
East Coast Kitchen restaurant and
the pool next to it have beautiful views out into Pattaya Bay.
|
|
A Chile evening at Dicey Reilly’s Pub and Restaurant
Koonlapatporn Intarasing, Key
Account Manager of the Siam Winery and Bantawat Kerkpittaya, Manager of the Wine
Dee Dee Pattaya Co., Ltd.
There can be few locals who have not come across Dicey
Reilly’s Pub and Restaurant, which is part of the Marriott Hotel complex on
Second Road. It seemed an unlikely venue for a wine tasting, but the organisers
had provided an attractive al fresco arrangement outside the restaurant. Perhaps
it was a bit optimistic for this time of year and there must have been a few
anxious moments when ominous rolls of thunder could be heard during the
afternoon. But by the evening, the Thunder God had trundled off somewhere else
and the rain mercifully stayed away.
Santiago Bonet, Assistant F&B
Manager of Pattaya Marriot Resort & Spa shows off a set of wine bottles.
The lively outdoor venue, sparkling coloured lights and
chirpy pop music created a kind of street-party atmosphere and very unlike some
of the more somber wine tastings I’ve attended in the past. The emphasis was
clearly on having a jolly good time and judging from the general merriment,
that’s exactly what people were doing. The evening started appropriately with a
glass of zesty sparkling wine. Some of the guests assumed it was Champagne,
which is an easy mistake to make. But it was actually Prosecco, and a very good
one at that from Villa Cornaro, a company based in Northern Italy. With a
delicate straw colour and green reflections, the refreshingly crisp and dry wine
had a delicate fruit aroma of peaches and citrus.
Somsak Tanruengsri, General
Manager of Pattaya Marriot Resort & Spa, welcomes guests to the entertaining
event.
Presented by Marriott Pattaya and the well-known wine company
Wine Dee Dee, the evening was organised by Pattana Wangthaphan (Marriott F&B
Manager). The Pattaya Manager of Wine Dee Dee Bantawat Kerkpittaya was also on
hand to oversee the serving of the wines by the extremely attentive and
efficient staff.
On show was a selection of six carefully chosen wines from the Chilean firm of
Hugo Casanova which has its origins in the nineteenth century. The company
produces five main brands and guests were given the opportunity to taste an
interesting selection, set up at three different serving stations.
The DJ entertains the crowd with
relaxing beats.
First on offer were two wines from the entry-level Linaje
(Varietal) brand, a rather lively and assertive Sauvignon Blanc and an
attractive Cabernet Sauvignon. Judging by the number of people who went back for
a refill, the easy-drinking Cabernet proved popular. It was a medium-bodied dry
wine with plenty of fruit, a touch of smokiness and a good tannic framework.
Later in the evening, the second wine station opened and guests could taste two
wines from the better-quality Antaño range, which included a slightly sweetish
Chardonnay and a Carmenere aged in French and American oak barrels. The
Carmenere was especially interesting because although this red grape hails from
the Bordeaux area, in recent years it has become Chile’s national grape. The
wine came from vines in the company’s Purísima Vineyards of the Maule Valley. It
had aromas of blackberry jam and dry figs, a rich and concentrated body and an
attractive velvety texture.
One of the staff asks, “Would you
like a glass of red or white sir?”
Finally, guests were served two wines from the middle-range
Reserva brand, a Sauvignon Blanc and splendid ruby-red Merlot with intense
aromas of blackberry and strawberry. For me at least, this was the wine of the
evening, richly textured with a good foundation of firm tannin and a long and
satisfying finish. Ten months ageing in French and American oak barrels gave the
wine good structure and balance.
Needless to say, there was a plentiful and seemingly endless supply of
snack-food on offer, including a selection of cheeses, sausages, burgers and
other delights as well as some of the biggest pizzas I’ve seen, created in an
enormous outdoor pizza oven by the Marriott’s enthusiastic Italian chef, Andrea
Brunello.
|
|
|
