THEATRE A Restaurant At The End Of The Universe: Ever gone out for dinner and wondered why the lonely girl in the corner was trying to eat soup with a fork? Or wanted to eavesdrop on the lesbian couple who seem to be tripping over a marriage proposal? Have you ever suspected that the over-friendly waiter could really be a cannibal in disguise? And what about those men who are slipping red and blue pills across the table? Or the girl who is trying to see her reflection in her cup of chai? This act echoes these thoughts, The Habitat, Khar, 8 pm. Naha Le Re Bhai: A satire on long winding court procedures and tardiness of the Indian judicial system, this comical play is inspired by a real-life scenario, where a woman harrowed by her husband who refuses to have a bathe, files a divorce petition against him, Prithvi House, Juhu, 7 pm. SCREENING Tout Est Pardonné: Victor falls in love and moves in with a young woman who supplies him with drugs, while Annette leaves him and disappears with their daughter. Twelve years later, Pamela discovers that her father still lives in Paris and decides to go to see him, Alliance Française Auditorium, Marine Lines, 6.30 pm. STAND-UP COMEDY Open Mic: As an audience member, watch new talents take their first daunting steps into the spotlight with stand-up comedian Govind Menon, Canvas Laugh Club, Lower Parel, 8.30 pm. NALANDA Nalanda@HELP (Health Education Library for People) is organising a free talk ‘Understanding Depression & Mood Disorders’ by Nilesh Mandlecha, Help, Ashish, Fifth Floor, Tardeo, 3.30 pm, 6595 2393/ 6595 2394. IF IT ISN’T HERE, IT ISN’T HAPPENING All you have to do to get your event listed here is write to us two days in advance with the details, preferably with a photograph, to Events, Bombay Times, The Times of India Bldg, Dr DN Road, Mumbai 400 001. Email: [email protected] MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2017 BOMBAY TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA 5 HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS FOR A GOOD CAUSE Tara Sharma with kids Severe back pain? Here’s how you can avoid surgery T he spine is a very complex structure made up of bones, discs, nerves and soft tissue like muscle. Studies show that in 85 per cent of back pain cases, the primary cause originates in these soft tissues. The soft tissue in your spine should carry 70 per cent of the body’s weight and only 30 per cent should fall on your bones and other structures. With age and poor lifestyle choices, these soft tissues can become weak and fail to carry the weight they need to. This weight is then transferred to the bones and that’s when back pain starts. Imaging tests like MRIs or X-rays tell an incomplete story — they do not show us how well the soft tissues are functioning. In the case of your heart, a stress test or ECG checks cardiac func- tion, and only after a func- tion test are you treated. In the case of back pain, a patient should also undergo a spine function test before undergoing an MRI or X-ray. QI Spine Clinic was one of the the first clinics in India to offer Digital Spine Analysis (DSA) — a compre- hensive spine function test. The results of the diagnosis can identify the weak tissue that can be treated and this has helped prevent over 5160 surgeries. Sophisticated new isolation technology from Germany tests spine function. In the same time and manner it takes to heal a broken bone (fracture), your body can rebuild these weak tissues in four to six weeks. You can’t put your spine in a cast like you can to your arm or leg. Isolation with the help of devices and precise targeted treatment has proved to result in better outcomes than surgery. Shalini Sharma (name changed), 45, a resident of Canada, was suffering from lower back pain for 10 years. MRI and X-Ray detected L5- S1 disc protrusion and degeneration. She was unable to sit, stand or walk for more than 10 minutes. The pain confined her movements to such an extent that she had to quit her job. She tried conven- tional physiotherapy and painkillers, which provided temporary relief but no per- manent cure. She was advised to go for a surgery. On her father’s sug- gestion, she flew to India and visited the QI Spine Clinic, where doctors were able to accurately diagnose her con- dition. Six weeks later she can walk, sit and stand with- out any pain and now lives a pain-free life. “Not only has my pain reduced but I have also regained my confidence and energy,” says Shalini. Recent research shows that conservative treatment has the best results for a majority of cases with mechanical back pain, and surgery is required in less than five per cent cases. Though there are specific conditions where spinal sur- gery is indicated, standard healthcare guidelines sug- gest that in patients with predominant back pain com- ing from degenerated discs, surgery should only be pre- scribed after spine rehabili- tation has been explored. QI Spine Clinic is one of India’s first clinics dedicated to rehabilitation by an expert team of specialised spine physiotherapists. Where: QI Spine Clinics are located at Andheri, Borivali, Churchgate, Ghatkopar, Kandivali, Linking Road, Powai, Vile Parle, Worli, Thane, Navi Mumbai and multiple loca- tions in Pune, Delhi NCR and Bengaluru. Call: 9320204833 www.qispine.com (*Procedures given are based on the expert’s understanding of the said field) P opular luxury destina- tion, Palladium, pre- sented their annual Halloween Bash on October 27, which was hosted by Gayatri Ruia and Payal Kilachand. Like every year, this year’s bash was hosted as a fundrais- er for the Light of Life Trust, an NGO whose main objective is to empower Indian women and children. The evening saw yummy mummies Tara Sharma, Tanya Khubchandani Vatsa, Mona Dalal and others attend the event with their little ones dressed like little monsters. Games, tattoos, magic shows, slime making, stone painting, Origami, treasure hunt, trick- o-treats, balloons, photobooths, art counters and face painting ensured children had a memo- rable Halloween. The specially- sculpted haunted house was a favourite with kids, who loved the spooky set-up. A monstrous evening was in store for all, as the young tykes dressed up as witches, ghouls, wizards and devils, and tried their best to scare the wits out of everyone. Palladium, a luxu- ry destination, is always trying to push the envelope to create unique engagement activities for its patrons. It hosts multiple festive activities like Easter, Halloween and Christmas Parties for moms and kids throughout the year. The luxury destination is also known to create a comfort- able experience for visitors. To make it even better, Palladium has teamed up with India’s first personal shopping service — Metodo Chic — this festive season to solve all your styling and shopping woes under their IP, Palladium Stylista. Tanushree Rao (Owner, Metodo Chic) will assist patrons to shop as per their taste, budget and lifestyle, ensuring that you look your best at every occasion. The décor at Palladium is known for its larger-than-life feel. The Diwali décor at the Atrium received a lot of appre- ciation, raising the anticipa- tion and excitement levels for the Christmas décor as well. There are very few destina- tions that offer such a large mix of leading fashion labels under one roof. Here, you’re always spoilt for choice. This holiday season bid adieu to your gifting worries with Phoenix Gift Cards, which will be only exclusively available at all Phoenix destinations across the country. The aim is to enhance the gifting experience for its customers across all lux- ury brands, food and beverage outlets, gourmet stores, appar- el brands, movies, entertain- ment zones, cosmetics, salons, spas, electronics, jewellery and home décor. Phoenix Gift Card is valid for a minimum period of one year and can be loaded from `1,000 onwards. Palladium Tanya Khubchandani Vatsa with her son V A R I E T Y HOW TO DOWNLOAD & USE ALIVE APP Download ALIVE OneScan App from your app store or go to alivear.com/app Open the app and focus on the image containing Alive logo and scan it. Watch the photo come ALIVE. View and share. STEP 2 STEP 3 Watch Bhumi Pednekar talk about the movie she has watched the maximum number of times, using Alive Available on Android and iOS devices Bhumi Pednekar EVENTS Mona Dalal E ver thought of a mechanism that can prevent you from those ruminating traumatic events of the past? Researchers from the University of Cambridge have identified a key chemical within the ‘memory’ region of the brain that allows us to suppress unwanted thoughts and explained why people suffer from anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and schizophrenia. Professor Michael Anderson said the abili- ty to control one’s thought is fundamental to their well-being. “When this capacity breaks down, it causes debilitating symptoms of psy- chiatric diseases — intrusive memories, images, hallucinations, ruminations, and pathological and persistent worries,” he says. The findings revealed that the ability to inhibit unwanted thoughts relies on a neuro- transmitter — a chemical within the brain that allows messages to pass between nerve cells — known as GABA. This is the main ‘inhibitory’ neurotransmitter in the brain and its release by one nerve cell can suppress activity in other cells to which it is connected. A region in the front side of the brain, known as the prefrontal cortex, plays a key role in controlling our actions. It has now been shown to play an important role in stopping our thoughts. Researchers used a task known as the ‘Think/No-Think’ procedure to identify a new brain process that enables the prefrontal cortex to successfully inhibit our thoughts. Using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetic reso- nance spectroscopy, researchers were able to observe what was happening within the key regions of the brain as the participants tried to inhibit their thoughts. The team discovered that GABA concen- trations within the hippocampus — a key area of the brain involved in memory — pre- dict people’s ability to block the retrieval process and prevent thoughts and memories from returning. — ANI Thinkstock Now, a simple mechanism to help you get rid of bad memories Guests at the bash Guests at the bash I t was a Sunday morning with a dif- ference. The city woke up to a spe- cial petathon that was conducted at MMRDA, Bandra, which saw enthusi- astic participation of pets (mostly canines) and their owners. The event, which took off at 7:30 am, had twice as many onlookers merrily cheering ‘par- ents’ as they flaunted their pets. These included Gul Panag, who came with her two beagles and Tiger Shroff, who attended the felicitation ceremony. Said Gul, “I flagged off the petathon. And such events, which have pets and their masters participating, are fantastic communi- ty events. I have two beagles — Vegas and Gina, and they enjoyed their time out.” The mile-long race route was filled with dogs (of all imaginable breeds) and their owners walking and running with them, after which they headed to a carnival that was set up close by. With a flea market, food stalls, gaming zone replete with hula hoops, play pools and even a grooming zone, pets were seen having a com- plete blast. While a special photo booth for self- ies was also set up, a pet bakery was doling out doggy treats. At the end of the race, every par- ticipant received a medal and goodie bag. Pets and their ‘parents’ turned out in large numbers to participate in a petathon in Bandra Gul Panag with her beagles, Vegas and Gina Tiger Shroff Pet marathon in progress The petathon had participants of all breeds and sizes A paws perfect Sunday in Mumbai Now, a simple mechanism to help you get rid of bad memories Pics: Prathamesh Bandekar