Herniated disc after a long holiday...If you have these symptoms, it's an emergency
Oct 14, 2025
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This is because the back was overloaded due to long driving, housework, heavy lifting, and fatigue from travel. In fact, the pressure on the waist while driving is about 1.4 times higher than when standing, and the posture of bending the waist frequently, such as preparing food or cleaning, makes the muscles around the spine easily tired. In particular, people with back pain are more likely to suffer from pain after excessive activities during the holiday season.
At this time, it is easy to simply pass the symptom of 'back stiffness' only with fatigue, but in some cases, it is possible that the already damaged disk is more stimulated. The lumbar disc (intervertebral disc) is a jelly-like structure that absorbs shock between vertebral bones, and when the outer surface (fiber wheel) is damaged, the inner nucleus leaks out and compresses the nerve, causing pain.
Young people have a lot of 'acute escape type' that causes sudden pain while twisting their waist or lifting heavy objects during exercise, and in those in their 50s and 60s and older, it is common for the water nucleus to gradually be pushed out as the fiber wheel weakens due to aging.
In this case, pain appears slowly and is likely to be misunderstood as chronic low back pain. If the pain becomes frequent or symptoms are repeated, it is recommended to visit a hospital and check the condition of the disk through an MRI examination. However, just because MRI shows 'disc protrusion' does not mean that everyone needs treatment.
Cha Kyung-ho, director of Yonsei Star Hospital (neurosurgeon), said "The actual symptoms and changes in neurological function are more important than the shape of the MRI for back disk treatment. Simple muscle pain improves within a few days, but if the leg sensation becomes dull or loses strength, nerve compression may be in progress"If urination and defecation disorders or decreased perineal sensation are accompanied, it may be an emergency situation with severe nerve damage, so you should seek medical treatment without delay " he stressed.
If the pain is mild, life correction is the most important treatment. Rather than sitting in the same position for a long time, it is better to get up every hour and stretch your back. In life, you should avoid bending your back deeply and strengthen your abdomen and core muscles to increase your back support. In addition, if abdominal obesity is severe, the pressure on the disk increases, so weight control is also an important preventive measure.
If the pain is temporarily severe or accompanied by inflammation, topical injection treatment along with medication or physical therapy can help relieve pain in a short period of time. It is effective for patients who have difficulty in daily life due to severe pain by injecting drugs around the inflammatory area to reduce swelling and nerve irritation.
If pain persists even in conservative treatment or nerve compression is severe, surgical treatment to remove the disc protruding to the minimum incision may be considered. Treatment methods are determined by combining the degree of pain, neurological symptoms, and daily functional decline, and recently, non-invasive treatments to reduce the burden on patients have been used in various ways. However, muscle strengthening and posture correction must be combined for long-term recovery.
Director Cha Kyung-ho said, `The first step in recovery is not to overdo the back that has been overworked during the holidays.'"When the pain is severe, it is recommended to take a sufficient rest for 2-3 days, and after that, to help recovery by walking flat for 20-30 minutes a day or by stretching the waist back." In addition, he advised to be careful because sitting in a cold place for a long time or using a hot compress for a long time can worsen inflammation.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
