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Oh, my aching back
Oh! My aching back was the topic at the Sunday, July 15
meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club. The speaker was Dr. Tawan
Chitchulanon, M.D., Assistant Hospital Director at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya
(BHP). Dr. Tawan received his medical degree in 1996 and completed his
orthopedic residency in Bangkok. He also spent time in the USA (Minnesota)
for his Spine Fellowship. In addition to Dr. Tawan’s excellent presentation,
BHP also provided a nurse to give free blood pressure checks to members and
guests.
Dr. Tawan Chitchulanon, M.D.,
Assistant Hospital Director at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya (BHP), is the spine
specialist with BHP.
Dr. Tawan started by pointing out that 80% of all people
experience back pain; in the USA, it is the number 5 reason for visiting a
doctor and the number 1 reason for a work related disability.
He then described the different sources of back pain. It
can be visceral from organs such as the kidneys, arteries, lungs, or
stomach. The organ ailments that can cause back pain are prostatitis (in
men), endometriosis (in women), kidney stones, aortic aneurism, or
gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers. However, visceral sources cause
only about 2% of back pain problems. Another 1% is from non-mechanical
sources such as tumors and inflammation. Whereas, 97% is the result of
mechanical sources with muscle strain representing 70%. The remainder of
mechanical sources relates mostly to the spine - being degenerative spinal
disease or disc disease.
He then displayed several pictures and diagrams showing
the various types of spinal disease and described how these spinal diseases
affect the nerves and cause back pain. The elderly are especially
susceptible to back pain from spinal problems. Dr. Tawan pointed out the
various symptoms including the many kinds of pain (throbbing, sharp, dull,
etc.) and that it can also include leg pain in addition to back pain. It can
also cause numbness or weakness in the legs and/or bladder and bowel
dysfunction.
Dr Tawan, fellow staff of
BHP, and board members of PCEC pose for a photo after Dr Tawan’s talk.
He explained the conditions that result in these symptoms
including: (1) spinal stenosis, (2) spine instability from trauma or
fracture, (3) facet (joint) arthritis, (4) scoliosis (lateral curvature of
the spine), and (5) osteoporosis (porous bone that is more susceptible to
fracture).
Immediate Past Chairman
Michel de Goumois announces the members dinner to be held this month at the
Purple Space Monkey in Jomtien.
Dr. Tawan then explained that people with jobs that
require frequent bending and lifting or people who are overweight or those
that do not get enough exercise, and even smokers are most at risk for
spinal problems. Further, that treatment can vary from conservative methods
(such as medicine, physical therapy, etc.) to operative methods (when
conservative methods do not bring relief or symptoms severely impact daily
living). He described the various surgical techniques that are available
depending on the type of spinal problem. Some are minimally invasive and
others require major surgery.
In conclusion, Dr. Tawan also explained the benefits of
cryotherapy, which involves using extremely low temperatures. This type of
therapy is available at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya in their Ice Lab. There are
three chambers that subject the body to different temperature levels, minus
10 degrees Celsius, minus 60 degrees Celsius, and minus 110 degrees Celsius.
Cryotherapy can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, provide edema reduction,
and muscle relaxation. Cryotherapy takes multiple treatments to be
effective.
After Dr. Tawan answered several questions from the
audience, Master of Ceremonies Roy Albiston updated everyone on upcoming
events and called on Lawrie McLoughlin to conduct the always interesting and
lively Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about expat living
in Thailand; Pattaya in particular.
Read more about the Club’s activities on their website at
www.pattayacity expatsclub.com.
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Assumption, Srisuvit dominate testing round
of Young PR Ambassador contest
Kinds will be kids, hamming it up
for the camera during break time.
Sunturak Sangdokmai
Students from Assumption College Sriracha and Srisuvit School
dominated the semi-final round of the Pattaya Young PR Ambassador contest,
taking six of the 10 remaining slots after a round of academic testing.
Three teams of youths from each school will compete July 27
at Royal Garden Plaza. They will face single teams from Pattaya School No. 3,
Aksorn Pattaya and Aksorn Thepprasit schools and an independent team of students
from different schools.
The 30 youths beat out 70 others for the final spots in
written and oral exams that included 120 questions on Pattaya tourism, venues,
history, culture and lifestyle. Oral exams covered speaking, acting and dancing.
Emotions ran high, with some students breaking into tears during the two-hour
preparation time.
Judges included Suchat Sotae, chief of Financial Statistics
Pattaya, Wornpop Chaorenmanorom, from Teekalang Thai Classical Dances Institute,
and Suwanthep Malhotra, business manager for Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.
The final 10 teams are: ACS 1, ACS 4 & ACS 5 from Assumption
College Sriracha; SV1, SV2 and SV3 from Srisuvit School; Masterly from Pattaya
School No. 3; Zion, an independent team of students from different schools;
Gorgeous from Aksorn Pattaya School; and Savor from Aksorn Thepprasit School.
Jessica, a grade 5 student from
Darasamut School, is the youngest contestant in the competition.
(L to R) Tony Malhotra, assistant
MD of Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd., Suchat Sotae, chief of Financial
Statistics Pattaya; and Wornpop Chaorenmanorom from Teekalang Thai Classical
Dances Institute undergo the difficult task of judging the competition.
Contestants from Aksorn Pattaya
School’s Gorgeous team, one of the ten finalists.
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California wines, raisins top menu at U.S. embassy food show
Wine connoisseur Lim Hwee Peng
speaks about California wines and their use in hotels and restaurants.
Warunya Thongrod
California wines stole the spotlight as the American embassy
showcased some of the country’s best wines, cheese, seafood and raisons.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of
Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok and U.S. Agricultural Trade
Groups organized the U.S. Food & Wine Showcase and Product Seminars in Pattaya
on July 10, at Royal Cliff Beach Hotel.
The event attracted over 200 Pattaya chefs, food and beverage
professionals, and bakery shops. The event introduced over 20 importers of US
food products based in Bangkok to local agents, hotels, restaurants, and
caterers in Pattaya and surroundings provinces - creating new trade relations
that definitely increase the availability of U.S. foods and wines in the eastern
Thailand.
This beautiful seafood from Alaska
looks delicious.
The event featured U.S. wines, frozen potatoes, California
raisins, U.S. beans, dry peas, lentils, and California cheeses targeted to food
service industry.
The event combined a “U.S. Product Showcase” with seminars on
workshops on U.S. products as well as the cooking and baking demonstration by
three renown chefs: Chef Vichit Mukura, 25 years executive Thai chef of the
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok; Chef Willment Leong, approved judge for the judge
World Association of Chefs Societies approved and International Chef Panel -
World Wide Thai Airways International; and Chef Franck Heuze, award-winning chef
from the California Raisin Baking contest for Singapore and Malaysian bakers.
Chef Willment Leong and wine connoisseur Lim Hwee Peng spoke
on California wines and their use in hotels and restaurants while Chef Franck
Heuze covered use of California raisins in cakes.
A “Sous-Vide” innovative-cooking demonstration covered
reheating previously prepared foods by submerging them at water heated only
halfway to the boiling point.
The embassy’s Sukanya Sirikeratikul said the event was
organized to show the potential in food production and quality from the U.S.
People at the seminar learn about
various food products imported from the USA.
Chef Franck Heuze creates a
masterpiece using California Raisins.
Cheers - taking a little taste of
the California wines on display.
Restaurants business owners and
chefs are given a demonstration on how to bake using California Raisins.
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Dates for your diary - Father Ray Month
Once again in August this year,
the Father Ray Foundation will be remembering the life and celebrating the work
of Father Ray Brennan.
Derek Franklin
The month of August is almost upon us, and once again the
Father Ray Foundation will be remembering the life and celebrating the work of
Father Ray Brennan.
August the 16th will be the ninth anniversary of the passing
of Father Ray, and for those who were living in Pattaya nine years ago you will
surely remember his funeral as being the biggest Pattaya has ever seen, or is
likely to ever see.
For ‘Father Ray Month’ this year there are many activities
that the people of Pattaya are invited to attend.
On the afternoon of Saturday the 11th of August there will be
a special sports day taking place at the Redemptorist Vocational School for
People with Disabilities, located on Sukhumvit Road. Teams will comprise of
students from the school, local VIP’s and dignitaries as well as a team of Thai
superstars from Channel 3.
The following evening, Sunday the 12th, you are invited to
Walking Street to watch and listen to the rock musicians from the vocational
school. This annual concert will see the band playing a selection of both Thai
and English songs, and they are guaranteed to get Walking Street dancing.
On the evening of Thursday the 16th of August the annual
Memorial Mass will take place. This year the Mass will be held on the grounds of
the Vocational School for People with Disabilities. The Mass will be followed by
a candlelight ceremony along Sukhumvit Road to Father Ray’s final resting place
in the cemetery of St. Nikolaus Catholic Church. Mass starts at 18.30.
Two days later, on Saturday the 18th, the Thai Red Cross will
set up a special clinic at the Redemptorist Center, also located on Sukhumvit
Road, and everyone is invited to attend. The Thai Red Cross will be providing a
free physical health check, donations of blood will be gratefully accepted and
present will be a specialist in tattoo removal.
And don’t forget to buy your tickets for the 2012 Luck Draw.
Tickets cost 100 baht and there are 150 prizes to be won, including motorbikes,
bicycles, cameras, household appliances, jewelry and the top prize is a brand
new car.
More information can be found at www.fr-ray.org or email
[email protected]
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Hilton Pattaya announces Lucky winner of Dine ‘n’ Fly Campaign
Michel Scheffers, Director of
Operations, Hilton Pattaya, Pol. Maj. Aroon Promphan, Tourist Police Division
Pattaya and Peta Ruiter, Director of Business Development, Hilton Pattaya draw
the winning ticket.
The ever popular ‘Dine ‘n’ Fly with Hilton Pattaya’ program
hit another high note when on July 24 Rachada Chomchinda was proclaimed the
winner of the grand prize which comprised of roundtrip air tickets for two
persons including two nights’ accommodation at the Conrad Koh Samui.
The rules of enrollment are quite simple. You only have to
spend 3000 baht at any of the Hilton Pattaya’s restaurants, eforeaTM spa or even
in-room dining, you could be the lucky winner of valuable prizes such as an
unforgettable holiday for two at Conrad Koh Samui, Hilton Kuala Lumpur or Hilton
Arc De Triomphe Paris. The ‘Dine ‘n’ Fly with Hilton Pattaya’ promotion last
until October 16 2012.
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