WONG, a housewife in her 50s, has been practising taichi regularly with her fellow neighbourhood retiree, Tan, at a nearby park in Cheras for the last two years. Just after her 58th birthday, Wong started feeling pain in her knees.
Gradually, her joint pains started to affect her lifestyle – simple daily tasks such as walking and even cooking became a challenge whenever she is required to tiptoe, stretch, and reach for the kitchen cabinets above her.
Over time, her joint pains became worse, and now, she has mobility problems, from kneeling down to do her gardening to climbing the stairs.
Eventually, performing the simplest taichi stance had become painfully unbearable. Left with no choice, Wong had to stop attending her taichi classes.
It wasn’t until she heard from her neighbourhood taichi practitioner, Master Yip, about the benefits of Glucosamine & chondroitin for her joint pains that things started to improve for her.
Master Yip is a 63 year-old female taichi exponent and has been teaching taichi for many years to her community.
Bespectacled and immaculately dressed in her trademark white martial-arts attire, with slight greying in her neatly slicked-back hair, she is well-known and highly-respected by both young and old alike.
Although Master Yip is very strong, flexible and healthy for her age, she used to suffer from severe knee pain and stiffness whenever she woke up in the morning and every time she bent her knees during her mid-50s.
After seeking many forms of traditional treatments, to no avail, Master Yip eventually went for an x-ray scan and was officially diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
Today, the most common type of joint pain afflicting many men and women approaching middle age and beyond is known as osteoarthritis.
This highly-painful and debilitating condition can affect our lifestyle in many ways.
Ageing adults today still like to remain mobile and enjoy an active lifestyle; from playing with grandchildren and gardening, to line-dancing and golfing, but many are unable to do so as they suffer from joint pains due to osteoarthritis.
Regular communal activities such as eating out at your favourite restaurant with loved ones and visiting family members are no longer viable when one is suffering from joint pains and stiffness.
AN AGEING DISEASE
Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition characterised by the breakdown of joint cartilage. Cartilage is the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement of joints.
Most joint pains are caused by ageing. The cartilage in the joint is important because it allows the joints to move smoothly and helps prevent friction between joints.
People suffering from osteoarthritis will find themselves in a situation where their joint cartilage regrowth is unable to keep up with the rate of wear and tear.
When the joint cartilage wears out, it causes pain, inflammation and swelling.
GLUCOSAMINE & CHONDROITIN
Glucosamine exists naturally in our cartilage and functions to repair and stimulate new cartilage regrowth. However, as our body ages, less amounts of glucosamine are produced.
Chondroitin is another natural compound that is found in joint cartilage, which acts like a water magnet to attract fluid to lubricate the joints.
The synergistic effects of these two can help relieve joint pains and improve flexibility.
So, what does Master Yip and Wong share in common?
Both women enjoyed taichi and the freedom to remain mobile, but all these ground to a halt when they suffered from joint pains. They no longer shopped or dined out. Travelling and sight-seeing were definitely out.
The difference is Master Yip is now pain-free from osteoarthritis whereas Wong is still crippled by her joint pains.
Acting on the advice of her neighbourhood pharmacist, Master Yip took a trusted and effective Glucosamine & chondroitin supplement twice daily for her knee pain.
After taking it about three months, coupled with a nutritious diet and regular practice of low-impact taichi exercises, her symptoms improved, and slowly over time, her knee pain subsided.
Even though Master Yip is no longer afflicted by joint pains nowadays, she still continues her maintenance dose of Glucosamine & chondroitin daily to cope with the wear and tear of her joint cartilage and prevent any relapse of osteoarthritis.
Wong has since heeded Master Yip’s advice to make Glucosamine & chondroitin part of her daily regime, which includes applying heat pads to both her sore knees and doing low impact exercises. After about three to four months, Wong is now back in Master Yip’s taichi classes.
