Taijiquan helped my back pain

2 years ago, I was hospitalized because of severe back pain. MRI scan revealed that I had bilateral sacral ala insufficiency fractures (meaning that there were hairline cracks in the 2 bones connecting my spline to my hip). Due to these fractures, my leg and back muscles had to work extra hard to support my upper body. They stiffen up, causing severe pains in my thighs and back. Subsequent Bone Mineral Density(BMD) scan revealed that I was suffering from severe Osteoporosis (T-score of -4.1).

My bone density was like those of an old man. To help me increase my bone density, my doctor, put me on daily self-injections of medicine for 2 years and advised me to change my sedentary lifestyle. I started walking 3 km per day in the morning.

My doctor also told me to have regular exercise to promote bone regeneration and to strengthen my core muscles and to consider taking up Taiji to improve my muscle strength, control and balance. In Nov 2017, I contacted Taiji Master Rennie Chong and started to attend his Saturday 7am class in Bishan.

My wife also joined me for Taiji class one week later. The Taiji class here emphasizes on developing the correct foundation and techniques rather than just the form. ShiFu (Rennie Chong) and ShiJie (Jaleen Ho) are excellent teachers. They are very patient and caring, helping us to learn the correct techniques so as to avoid injuries. After 2 years of medical intervention, lifestyle change and Taiji exercise, my latest BMD scan result revealed that my Osteoporosis condition has improved. (T-score of -2.2, a 42% improvement in my bone density.) My sense of balance has also improved. Many thanks to ShiFu and ShiJie.