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Seasonal Talk: AS & Exercise

Seasonal Talk: AS & Exercise
16 April 2016

Seasonal Talk: AS & Exercise was taken part in the Auditorium of Christian Family Service Centre in Kwun Tong on 16 April 2016. The talk aimed to enhance people’s understanding on the diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and the importance of physical exercises to patients. There were 124 participants in total.

The talk was started by Dr. YIM Cheuk-wan, a specialist in Rheumatology, to introduce the various causes of back pain. AS would be one of the possibilities while bacterial infection or tumor might also result in inflammation and thus back pain. Moreover, mechanical back pain like spur, spinal disc herniation and osteoporosis or organ dysfunction might also induce back pain. Dr. YIM explained diseases that were related to back pain one by one. With the assistance of different checking methods, doctors were able to distinguish between AS and mechanical back pain disorders. Concerning the treatment, Dr. YIM quoted some scientific findings to analyze the effects and side effects of different medications in treating AS, including the traditional oral drugs and biologics. He reminded the participants to seek professional help if they had any inquiries regarding the diseases and treatment.

Apart from this, the talk was continued by Ms. Lavinia WONG, a registered physiotherapist, to explain the causes of pain and the importance of physical exercises. She introduced some simple exercises which were suitable for arthritic patients like Tai Chi with special twist and hydrotherapy. She reminded participants that they should be highly aware of the movement range when doing stretching exercises. Many were mistaken. It was incorrect to stretch as much as one could or stretch until feeling pain. Ms. WONG emphasized that over stretching might harm the body. Holding the motion for at least 10 seconds with a feel of slight tension in joints and muscles was suggested. Lastly, Ms. WONG demonstrated some simple stretching exercises and encouraged the participants to practise together. She stated again that it was normal to feel sore after exercises but one should seek medical personnel’s help if continuous abdominal pain was resulted.

Representatives from Hong Kong Ankylosing Spondylitis Association and B27 Association shared their rehabilitation experiences respectively. Participants were interested in their positive mindset in facing the diseases and the services of the two associations. Some approached the representatives and members of the two associations after the talk.

The talk then followed by a Q&A session where participants actively asked questions. Dr. YIM and Ms. WONG answered with patience to solve their doubts. The audiences found the information from the talk useful and showed great interested in similar topic.

John Doe

Member