Dr. Ekkawit Thawon M.D., an
Orthopedic Surgeon for Phyathai Sriracha Hospital, specializing in back
surgery, talks to PCEC members and guests about the causes, diagnosis, and
treatment of a herniated disc. Member Gavin Waddell, also International
Marketing Executive for Phyathai Sriracha Hospital, looks on.
Oh my aching back! If you are experiencing back pain, it
might mean you have a herniated (slipped) disc. This was explained to the
Pattaya City Expats Club on Sunday, November 20, at the Amari’s Tavern by
the Sea Restaurant.
After the preliminary announcements including the
availability of nurses to give free blood pressure and body mass index
readings, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg called on fellow member
Gavin Waddell, international marketing executive for Phyathai Sriracha
Hospital to introduce the guest speaker, Dr. Ekkawit Thawon M.D. He noted
that Dr. Ekkawit is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in back surgery
and that he would be talking about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of a
herniated disc.
Member Roy Albiston conducts
the Open Forum, where you can get answers to most questions that arise
living and loving in the Land of Smiles.
Gavin gave a brief history of orthopedic treatment from
its beginning. He mentioned that the most dramatic advances in treatment
have generally come about during wartime because of the large number of
injured. He also pointed out that Orthopedic Surgeons not only need to
understand the skeletal system, but also know about many other internal
organs as they can be interrelated with skeletal problems.
Dr. Ekkawit began by showing diagrams of the spine. He
pointed out that the bones that form the spine are cushioned by small,
spongy discs. When these discs are healthy they act as shock absorbers for
the spine and keep the spine flexible. However, when a disc is damaged, it
can bulge or break open. When that happens, it is called a slipped disc and
it can be extremely painful. The spine also has a large number of nerves
associated with it and it is the pinching of these nerves by the slipped
disc that is the primary cause of pain. He explained that a herniated disk
can be the result of trauma or degeneration due to aging. Most often, a
herniated disk will occur in the lower back lumbar region.
It is possible to have a herniated disc with no symptoms.
In such cases, treatment is not necessary. But, in many cases, there are
symptoms which can be pain, weakness, numbness, and bladder/bowel
dysfunction. However, since there can be other causes for these symptoms,
having them does not automatically mean that you have a herniated disc. So
when these symptoms appear, the next step is to diagnose the reason. The
tools used are blood tests, x-rays, and MRI or CT scans. Dr. Ekkawit noted
that an X-ray will not disclose a herniated disc, but is used to rule out
other causes.
PCEC Board member and Frugal
Freddy coordinator, ‘Hawaii Bob’ Sutterfield, updates members on recent &
future activities of Frugal Freddy, dining at some of Pattaya better quality
but ‘cost effective’ restaurants.
He pointed out that in about 90 percent of cases,
treatment does not require surgery. Depending on the severity of symptoms,
treatments for a herniated disc can include physical therapy, muscle
relaxant medications, pain medications, anti-inflammation medications, and
local injections of medicine direct into the spine. For all cases, the
person should rest and avoid reinjuring the disc. Early on, even people with
relatively severe pain can respond to conservative measures without the need
for surgical procedures. Surgery is used only in severe cases, especially if
bladder/bowel dysfunction is involved. The type of surgery will depend on
each individual case; the primary objective being to remove the fragment of
spinal disc that is causing the pressure on the nerve.
After Dr. Ekkawit answered several questions from the
audience, Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg called on Roy Albiston to
bring everyone up to date on upcoming events and to conduct the Open Forum
where questions are asked and answered about living in Thailand and Pattaya
in particular.
