Mum caught the travelling bug!

You know ladies just love shopping. They can shop till you drop lol. On our many shopping stops I observed something rather fascinating. Mum was either shy or slow to decide or perhaps still retaining the thrifty habits of the older generation, not to spent unnecessarily. My wife and her sister would be extremely enthusiastic as if trying to make a sale, more so than the sales person present. They were trying so hard to pick the design/color which they think was nice but mum just wasn't interested. After a few days of shopping I found out that mum have a mind of her own. In their excitement to push their choice selection the girls were oblivious to this. On one occasion after all the usual suggestions by the girls and mum turning down all of them and the frenzy have died down; mum pointed to a particular piece from her wheelchair and said she liked that one lol.

All in all I'd say mum had a "Rolling Good Time" on this Shanghai holiday trip. She discovered that with the wheelchair it's possible to travel, Osteoarthritis of the knees not withstanding. She have became more cheerful and now without hesitation she would ask when is our next holiday.

Chiropractor for Knee OA (Osteoarthritis)?

The TCM treatment in Shanghai have produced a slight improvement for my wife's knee OA (Osteoarthritis). I noticed her posture have improved somewhat. The pain in her knee is still there though. She only experience some relieve the morning immediately after the treatment. We are thankful for that. I know the fact is we have to be realistic about it. For anything to work it's got to be a fairly long term follow-up. My search for a cure for her continues...

I am very tempted to let my wife consult a Chiropractor but at the same time there is doubt about it's efficacy. I have yet to hear solid evidence of people who have had their ailments cured through Chiropractic treatment.
Have you been to a Chiropractor or know someone who have? What was you experience like? Have Chiropractic help you? Please share your experience if you have been to one or share any other treatment that have produced good results for knee pain.

I have also been reading with great interest Prolotherapy (Reconstructive therapy). Injections of simple solutions such as dextrose, glycerin, and phenol is used to stimulate the growth of connective tissue. Other more advance technique involve the injection of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).This is supposed to strengthen the weak or damaged joints, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. However there are still very little information to confirm it's effectiveness, rate of success and side effects if any; and it seems this is still unavailable in Singapore.

Other options we may explore are Yoga and Pilates. Any practitioner out there who previously have knee problem? Have Yoga or Pilates helped?  I would really love to hear from anyone out there who may have had their knee pain healed or know of someone who have.

Food Glorious Food

How can a blog not talk about food? And undeniably one of the most exciting experience in travel is to taste the food of the country one visits. For you foodies out there waiting in anticipation, here goes...

The most memorable dish and the one I liked most during our trip was the Famous Wan San Pork Knuckle at Zhou Zhuang. Super tender and rich in flavor. We were all going wow wow.. yum yum... as we savour the juicy meat which melts in your mouth. It was the biggest pork knuckle I've ever ordered and the best I've tasted. For a bunch of us who are pretty health conscious we were attacking the fatty pork knuckle without a care. I was zooming in on the skin, minus the fat underneath and passing some to my wife as we were told by Western Doctors that the skin can be beneficial to the musculoskeletal joints and the skin elasticity. "The proof is in the eating" We ended up ordering another piece. I just couldn't believe it!

Shops selling take-away local Tim Sum (snacks) can be found in most neighborhood in Shanghai. Duck parts are local favourite - head, neck, webs, wings, heart, gizzard and liver.... and yes even tongues. Those crazy about tongues can consume a plateful of it in one sitting.

This local salad which I believe is made from garlic chive (known as ku chye in Singapore) and peanut is very popular among locals and is commonly served in restaurants. I did not particularly liked it, tasted rather bland.

Generally, we found the food there tend to be slightly more salty and oily than what we have in Singapore. The meat buns (we call it Pau in Singapore, they call it Mun Tuo) are thick skinned. It is very oily inside and have very little fillings. Our meat buns here in Singapore are the opposite.

TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) knee osteoarthritis treatment

A large part of our visit to Shanghai were spent on visiting the TCM doctor to seek treatment for my wife's and my mother-in-law's knee pain. We made 9 visits in the 10 days we were there. The doctor recommended daily treatment without break. This resulted in Hangzhou being dropped from our planned itinerary.

Treatment entails Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Cupping Therapy and Massage and then finishing off with a herbal patch to the treated area.

Indirect moxibustion. An acupuncture針灸 needle is inserted into an acupoint and the tip of the needle is then wrapped in moxa and ignited, generating heat to the point and the surrounding area. The moxa is a Chinese herb Artemisia Mug wort, a type of Chrysanthemum. The leaf of the Artemisia is bitter, pungent and considered to be thermal and warming in nature. Moxibustion is known for providing relief to stubborn musculoskeletal pains. In ancient times a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupoint and burned. Another method is holding a cigar like stick over the acupoint to deliver the heat.

Fire cupping facilitate improved blood-flow and generate qi movement in the patient. Specially made bulb-shaped glass cups are heated, creating a vacuum and applied against the patient’s skin. The suction is so strong that the skin is pulled out creating what looks like "extra large nipples" lol, and we really had a good laugh.

I decided to have a go myself, just for the experience so I told the doctor about my occasional numbness down my right arm to the fingers and stiff neck. In my case the doctor did not apply burned moxa to the needles but held a lighted flame to the tip of the needle. It was quite an experience and spectacle : )

Tai Chi for Wellness 2010

My wife and I attended the Taichi for Wellness event 2010 at PAHQ (People's Association Headquarters) Saturday morning. The event started at 7.30am so it was an effort to wake up earlier that we are used to. Nevertheless we were really enthusiastic and excited because Dr Paul Lam the person responsible for creating the Tai Chi for Health Programs - Tai Chi for Artthritis, Tai Chi for Osteoporosis and Tai Chi for Diabites will be present to give a talk.

Around 1800 people, mostly seniors participated in the event with a mass Tai chi workout session. There were booths on Healthy Cooking, Health Food Sampling and Free Osteoporosis Risk Assessment. During the talk, PA instructors gave a demonstration of the different forms of Taichi that the TaiChi for Health programs were adapted from; namely the Chen, Yang and Sun styles which are already popular in Singapore. While Tai chi  is typified by exceedingly slow movement, some parts of the Chen and Yang styles have a faster pace. I understand that there are still other schools of Tai Chi, namely Wu, Lee, Guan Ping and Eight Diamonds.

With Dr Paul Lam

With our teacher Mr Yap Cheng Ho

Wheel Chair and Push Chair

For quite some time now I've been recommending the wheelchair for mother-in-law since her knees are not too good as well, but you know seniors can be self-conscious. There is this reluctance to be seen on a wheelchair in public. The last couple of weeks we've brought old lady out to the shopping centres and discovered that her knees are not taking it too well. This becomes an opportune time to push for that wheelchair ahead of the Shanghai trip.

Upon checking around I discovered that there are actually two type of Wheelchairs - Mobility Wheelchair with 24" wheels which is self-propelled by the occupant and is for people with walking disability and then there is the Push Wheelchair (or Push Chair). with smaller wheels which is attendant-propelled; meaning someone else have to do the pushing.

We found out that there is a charitable organisation, Kampong Senang Charity & Education Foundation  (http://www.kg-senang.org.sg) that lets out used wheelchair at a low cost under it's project "Wheel-of Hope" at the Mobility Aids Services & Training Centre. These wheelchairs are donations from the public. The scheme goes like this; the amount you pay (which is a fraction of the original price) is considered a donation and you get to keep the wheelchair for as long as you like.

Last Sunday we took mother-in-law to Parkway Parade Shopping Centre for a good 3 hours on the Push Wheelchair and old lady was very pleased very thankful. Mission success!

Osteoarthritis - Knee Pain

Never before have I planned my travel so extensively, reading up on the place, talking to people who have been there and making a "to do" list. On this trip we will be exploring treatment for wife's knee pain besides taking in the sights, trying out the local food and shopping.  My wife has Osteoarthritis of the left knee since 3 - 4 years ago. Sister-in-law have through the recommendation of her Shanghai colleague been treated for back and knee pain by a TCM (traditional chinese medicine) doctor and experienced positive results. It started with one of her Malaysian friend seeking treatment for a severe back pain during a visit. A number of her visiting friends have been treated and were very happy with the results, so now she is promoting it like a....??? : )

I am constantly searching the internet on this subject. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It causes pain, swelling and reduced motion in your joints. It can occur in any joint, but usually it affects your hands, knees, hips or spine. Many elderly persons suffer from Osteoarthritis. As one ages the cartilage in your joints start to degenerate causing your bones to rub together; this causes pain to the joint. You can spot a sufferer by the way they walk; I call it the "penguin walk" : )

My wife have consulted many doctors over the years; Family Doctor, Orthopaedic and Sports Specialist as well as Physiotherapist and TCM doctors. The usual Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)and Pain Killers merely "hide" the symptoms by numbing the pain or reduce the swelling. They offer only temporary relief. After spending thousands of dollars on treatment she still gets a swollen knee whenever she over-exert; mostly due to our Saturday night dancing. At an advance stage when the cartilage are worn out and the disease becomes crippling, doctors usually recommend surgery.
 
Read this:
Study reveal Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee Proved Worthless:
http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=15334

Recently, a friend of ours mentioned about an injection to the knee to lubricate the joint which works fine for him. It's funny he calls it WD40 : ) It's called SYNVISC, viscosupplementation, an elastic and viscous substance made from hyaluronan which is found in normal joint fluid. I took her to see the doctor. It been 6 months and 3 injection later things have not changed for the better. It's another waste of time and money.

There are a number of health supplements that claim to be beneficial for the treatment of Osteoarthritis but do they work?. Results of scientific trials are inconclusive. My wife have taken tons of Glucosamine with Chondroitin and MSM the last few years but there really isn't any noticeable benefit from it. Other supplements touted to be beneficial for Osteoarthritis are Omega oil, Ginger, Turmeric, Boswella, Devil's Claw, SAM-e (short for S-adenosylmethionine) not FDA approved for medical use. What can you do but hope that by taking them somehow, something may work even if you are skeptical .

Supplements Don't Work for Osteoarthritis:
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthnews/15039/supplements-dont-work-for-osteoarthritis/

Tai chi chuan 太极拳;Tai Chi for Arthritis
Beside prescribing drugs, doctors would recommend Exercise,Weight control, Physiotherapy and rest. Cycling and Aqua exercise are highly recommended. As a matter of  fact there is a growing interest in Tai Chi for Osteoarthritis. Research from UNSW (University of New South Wales) shows that a special form of tai chi dramatically reduces pain amongst those suffering from osteoarthritis. http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/

Dr Paul Lam, a family physician and Tai Chi practitioner developed several Tai Chi programs specifically for Arthritis, Osteoporosis and Diabetes. It is supported by Arthritis Foundation of USA and Australia, Arthritis Care of UK, Diabetes Australia and other similar organistaions, fitness associations, universities and hospitals around the world. Dr Lam have trained a number of instructors in Singapore through the invitaion of  the PA (People's Association of Singapore) in May 2008. We are attending the Tai Chi for Osteoarthritis at the Clementi Community Club, Sunday morning. Over the next two weeks Dr Lam will again be in Singapore to conduct more instructor's courses as well and giving public talks at the PA.

Follow this link to Singapore Ministry of Health website for information on this subject:
http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/publications.aspx?id=16686

History of Shanghai Expo

With a bit of digging around I've found out that what we are talking about is actually "World Expo". It's referred to as Shanghai Expo simply because it's held in Shanghai this time round.  The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, in 1851 under the title “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations”. It was the idea of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, and was the first international exhibition of manufactured products. At that time it was called "World Fair" or "World's Fair". Since then it has been held in cities around the globe.

In the 1960's the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE; English: International Exhibitions Bureau) started calling World's Fairs "Expo's". From the year 1933 World Expo in Chicago each expo carries a theme. The theme for Shanghai Expo is "Better City, Better Life"

 

Everything you need to know about the Singapore Pavilion is on this website.

http://www.yoursingapore.com/worldexpo/en/index.html

Haha cute, our mascot is Little Durian Star.

Shanghai Expo Count Down

Countdown to Shanghai Expo, 10 days to go. For me it's 30 days count down to our Shanghai trip. Certainly we will set aside some time to visit the Expo when we are there. I am however not quite sure what this exhibition is really about. Perhaps we will at least visit the China Pavilion as well as our own Singapore Pavilion. I am proud that our famous Singapore singers Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin, Tanya Chua and Ah Du will feature in a video clip during the expo.
 
Singapore Pavilion Theme Song - "Every Touching Moment" 感 動每一刻
Composition : JJ Lin
Lyricists: 林秋離 許環良 Venus
Vocalists: JJ Lin 林 俊傑 , Stefanie 孫 燕姿, Tanya 蔡 健雅, Ado 阿 杜 


Interview with the designer


The Singapore Pavilion