I was born in North Vietnam. My family and I fled the communists and escaped to South Vietnam when I was five years old. When growing up, I was impressed by Dr. Tom Doogley, an American medical doctor who helped Vietnamese refugees. During that period of history, there were over a million refugees fleeing the communists to get to South Vietnam. Dr. Doogley is one reason why I became a doctor. I am a general orthopedic surgeon. My practice involves a wide variety of operations, including minor surgery, trauma, joint replacement, ACL reconstruction (ligament reconstruction), and scoliosis surgery. The following points are important in maintaining a healthy muscoloskeletal system and to prevent pain: A healthy diet to prevent obesity. Avoid smoking. A regular excercise program that includes stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises. Abdominal exercises and stretching are important to prevent back pain. Regular excerse also builds up your immune system. When you grow older, accept your limitations. A lot of muscoloskeletal pain is from exceeding your body's limitations by overwork or overexcercising. Remember, you are not a superman or a bionic woman! Accepting your body's limitations and modifying your activities can prevent many unnecessary injuries and treament. Maintain inner peace to help prevent muscoloskeletal pain. Depression, anxiety and worrying make pain worse.I am attracted to nature; especially the ocean. To stay fit, I go to a kickboxing class with my daughter; mostly for the aerobic exercise. Collecting and creating Bonsai trees also helps me to relax and enjoy my time off. Serving young people also makes my life more meaningful. I have been involved in my church's youth ministry for the last several decades.