By Shane Fonseca
M-Tech Chiropractic (RSA)

With the average life expectancy climbing ever higher due to advancements in medical technology, it has become increasingly important to move into a preventative health paradigm, especially with regards to the musculoskeletal system of the human body. 

Advancements in the field of cosmetic surgery have proverbially opened a Pandora’s Box for all those capable of enjoying the benefits. However, these external enhancements cannot replace the long term damage of tired spinal joints, osteoarthritic knees, untreated idiopathic scoliosis, and the “silent killer” – pinched nerves resulting from Spinal Disc Degeneration.

Slipped Disc and Inter-Vertebral Disc degeneration is one of the most common causes of back pain today, affecting more than 30 percent of adults over the age of 20 years. Unfortunately, its prevalence is further increased exponentially with advancing age. It is currently the single largest reason (65 percent of sick cases) besides the common cold resulting in absenteeism and loss of productivity at the work place.

This epidemic is dramatically affecting the quality of lives by ruthlessly condemning its sufferers to either severe pain or surgery. However surgery is still a poorly developed treatment protocol, with more than 40 percent of patients having an unsatisfactory outcome for primary disc surgery, with more than 75 percent of those patients suffering from recurrent back pain within a year of the surgery itself.

At present, the primary non-surgical treatment protocol for disc bulges and spinal nerve pathology is Spinal Decompression Therapy. With a success rate of over 83 percent, it is fast proving to be the treatment of choice for both patients and doctors alike. Spinal Decompression Therapy is a computerized, machine based protocol designed to unload the tired, bulging dehydrated lower back and neck discs by cycling through distraction and relaxation phases. This allows for the accurate repositioning of the discs, while creating a negative pressure within the disc material. This facilitates the resorption and hydration of any bulging disc material, restoring disc health and reducing the associated nerve compression causing relentless back, leg or arm pain.

Children, like adults, also have degenerative health concerns. Over 67 percent of our children are affected with Idiopathic Scoliosis a manageable but devastating condition. It is the most common spinal deformity confronting orthopedic surgeons today with Asia currently having the highest incidence of idiopathic scoliosis in the world. Described as ‘progressively relentless, deadly at its end result’, early detection and treatment is critical. A Dynamic Scoliosis Bracing System offers the first and only Dynamic Corrective Brace for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis in the world. Together with physiotherapy it provides an 89 percent efficacy rate.

Other medical advancements in joint-muscle healthcare include Cold Laser for accelerated regenerative repair, Extra Corporeal Shockwave Therapy to break down scar tissue and remodel living bone, and Whole Body Vibration Therapy for advanced acceleration, balance and strength training.

If you think aches and pains are part of growing old and is something you just have to “ live with it”, THINK AGAIN! You deserve a life that is free of pain, a life that is full of vigour. At TAGS, our team is here to help you get well and most importantly, stay well.

Should We Sacrifice The Whole Joint When Only Partial Knee Placement Is Needed?

By Dr Goh Eng Tat
Orthopaedic, Joint Reconstruction & Trauma Surgeon
MBBS (M’lore), M.S. Ortho. (UM), FRCS (Ire), CMIA (M’sia), F’ship in Joint Reconstruction (St. George, Sydney)

If knee pain is affecting your lifestyle, then you need to know this: the new concept in joint replacement surgery is to replace only the worn out portion of the arthritic joint and save as much of the natural knee as possible.

A large number of people with osteoarthritis of the knee have worn out only the cartilage of one of the three compartments in the knee. If this is the case, the individual may only require a partial replacement, preserving the unaffected compartments of the knee and all the ligaments of the joint.

Oxford® Knee Replacement is an implant that can accomplish this task with a proven track record of 95% success at 15 years and beyond. For this reason, the Oxford® makes a total knee joint replacement unnecessary in many cases. In some centres in the US, the number of Oxford® Partial Knee Replacement has reached almost 50% of all joint replacement surgeries.

The photograph below represents one (sided) compartment of bone-on-bone osteoarthritis. This occurs due to wear and tear of the articular cartilage. The other compartment cartilage is still normal. Once this situation develops, the individual usually has severe pain. An Oxford® is ideal for this situation.

The x-ray photographs above demonstrate a pre-operation x-ray and post operation x-ray (after an Oxford® has been placed). One can see that the bone on bone rubbing condition has been replaced by the Oxford® with its mobile bearing (the white horizontal line between the metal).

The Oxford® ® Unicompartmental Knee Replacement System offers these advantages:

• At 15 years following surgery, 95% of implants are still functioning well

• Preserving other compartments of knee while only the affected inner portion of knee is resurfaced

• Preserving all the ligaments of the knee thus allow more normal, natural and physiological motion of the human knee

• Only a portion of the knee is replaced, making this procedure available to a younger population

• Minimally invasive – a small incision is utilized

• Less pain due to a smaller operation scar and dissection

• Blood transfusion is rarely needed

• Two to three nights in hospital

• Quicker recovery – discontinue walking aid as fast as one week

The Oxford® Unicompartmental Partial Knee Replacement prosthesis allows for better range of motion of the knee by replicating the function of the menisci and more normal motion of the human knee. With the Oxford® partial knee replacement, only a portion of the knee is replaced. In performing an Oxford®, the anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments are always preserved. In performing a total knee replacement, the cruciate ligaments are always removed.

In some cases, this prosthesis may be applicable to individuals who were previously considered too young to undergo a total knee replacement. The Oxford® implant utilizes a minimally invasive procedure in which patients may experience less pain and a quicker recovery time, contrasted with a total knee replacement.

To be qualified to implant an Oxford®, the United States Food and Drug Administration requires an orthopaedic surgeon to attend a special training course. This training is required because the implantation technique for this procedure is very delicate. I personally attended one of the training courses in Chicago in 2011 and have since been using Oxford® with favourable outcome.

If you have substantial pain in your knee, you should go for a complete evaluation of your knee pain problem. You may only require an arthroscopic surgery, you may need an Oxford® knee replacement, or you may need a total replacement. Most substantial knee pain problems can be helped or cured by modern orthopaedic surgery.

EZ welcomes Dr Michelle Lim, MD (MA) Naturopath ND, Dip. Holistic Kinesiology, a pioneer of Alternative Medicine in Malaysia, to our panel of contributors. Starting in our next issue, she will be writing on topics related to health, natural remedies and general wellbeing.

Vivacious, vibrant and oozing vitality, it’s hard to imagine that this lively lady is well into her 60s. Dressed impeccably in the calming hues of turquoise, she recounts her experience travelling around Australia in a camper with her partner, Ian. ‘If you’re on the road and you see something interesting, you can stop, get out and explore!’ And it is this openness to life and living that has propelled her throughout her own existence.

Despite a difficult childhood wrought with rejection and hardships, Lim was resolved from a very young age to build a successful life for herself. Having completed her secondary school examinations, she braved the working world and worked her way up to become supervisor of the whole factory. But with a keen interest in aesthetics, she took up night courses in the subject and trained to become a beautician. Following her graduation she opened up her own business in the 1970s.

This would prove to be the turning point in her life, as marriage and the birth of her three sons followed soon after. Though her marriage would not last, her career as a beautician proved to be a success – albeit having to manage a household on her own. ‘I always felt torn between caring for my children, managing my business and all the chores related to running a household,’ she remembers. But fuelled by her determination, she carried on.

Balancing the demands on her time and attention, Lim went on to open a second branch of her business. It was at this point that she experienced an epiphany that would direct her to the fundamentals of internal health and how this can affect the external appearance.

She studied alternative medicine via correspondence with a training centre abroad and travelled to Australia, Sri Lanka and the States to explore this branch of holistic wellness further. Michelle Herbs Therapy & Complementary Medicine Clinic, the fruit of her extensive training and research, was founded in 1990 in Penang.

Having been in this field for 24 years, Lim is dedicated to identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illnesses through a ground breaking holistic system called Functional Medicine which employs the art of Listen to Your Body Talk. Lim has since developed a unique programme called Detox & Live, an integrated detoxification plan that targets liver and kidney cleansing, digestive problems, candidas and parasite killing combined with a range of protocal herbs, natural supplements and appropriate nutrition.

Adding to her portfolio of holistic therapies is kinesiology, which combines modern medical knowledge with ancient oriental philosophy. Having recently returned from an intensive study course in Melbourne, Lim uses this skill to tap into one’s subconscious and energy centres to counter the negative influences. ‘I firmly believe that knowledge empowers us to take charge of our lives and our health. Without awareness, we cannot change anything,’ said Lim.

PENANG, May 2014 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Hamzah Sendut Library (HSL) has conducted a series of community networking programmes in the country such as HSL@Chemor, HSL@Koperasi Tadika Minden, HSL@Tadika Lestari Ilmu, HSL@Al-Itqan and has recently extended its mission abroad to Cambodia through HSL@Cambodia: Reaching the Bottom Billions.

The main objective of the programme is to set up a library in one of the schools in Kampung Poti In, Kampong Cham, Cambodia. This mission was attended by 10 staff members from HSL who brought with them 132 reading materials to be stocked in the library there.

“It is not easy to be in a foreign land where upon arrival at Phnom Penh we had to rush to buy book shelves for the library and then take a 3-hour journey to Kampung Poti In via a winding village road,” said HSL Head of Customer Relations, Radia Banu Jan Mohamad.

“On our arrival at Kampung Poti In, we were joyously greeted by the villagers who then held the akikah feast. The overnight stay at the house of the village chief was a memorable experience as well as an opportunity to learn the culture of the local community which is not much different from Malay culture,” said Radia Banu.

Among the activities carried out were the assembling of book shelves, classifying the books according to their appropriate themes and clean-up of the library with the help of the teachers and students of the An Nikmah Religious School of Kampung Poti In which has about 300 students.

“Besides the mission to set up the library, HSL also took the opportunity to raise funds to supply clean water to villages through the construction of wells and water pump channel.

“A total of 33 wells and water pumps were given to the villagers as a contribution from Malaysia,” said one participant.

This mission is just the beginning and it certainly will not end here. HSL will continue to seek funds to improve the library as well as add to the existing reading material from time to time.

“I call on the USM community and also anyone who wants to help, either in donating reading material or other forms of assistance, to contact us as this programme will be on-going,” said Radia Banu.

Prior to Cambodia, HSL also helped Sekolah Rendah Al-Itqan in Teluk Kumbar, Penang, a private religious school that provides religious education and other subjects to students of Penang and also from other states.

The programme was made ​​possible by a total of 20 HSL staff members who were divided into two groups – one to brighten up the surroundings (painting, murals and arranging the furniture) while the other deals with the technical aspects (system development and cataloguing books).

All the HSL programmes ran without a hitch with the help and support of the library top management.