Four out of 10 spinal cord patients '20s and 30s'Smartphone, fierce sports, etc
Nov 27, 2024
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Environmental factors cannot be left out as the cause of the rapid increase in the number of patients with spinal diseases in their 20s and 30s. This is because the wrong posture caused by the popularization of smartphones has been maintained for a long time, increasing the load or pressure on the spine. In addition, the increase in the number of young people who enjoy intense sports such as golf, surfing, and fitness that strain their backs also plays a role.
Joo Yoon-seok, director of Juan Nanuri Hospital's Spine Center, said, `Originally, spinal disease was a degenerative disease, and there were many patients in their 40s and 50s.' `However, the number of patients complaining of spinal disease in their 20s and 30s has increased as it affects not only back problems but also their necks due to the activation of smartphone use or wrong lifestyle habits.'
For herniated disc, a representative spinal disease, the proportion of patients in their 20s and 30s has exceeded those in their 40s or older for quite some time. The herniated disc is a disease in which the disc, a structure between the vertebrae and the bones, escaped, and the exact name of the disease is called intervertebral disc exodus.
The most common symptoms include a wide range of pain from the waist to the hip legs, and in severe cases, it can cause urination disorders and paralysis of the lower extremities, so it is recommended that quick treatment be performed.
Treatment of spinal diseases, including herniated disc, selects conservative treatment, non-surgical treatment, and surgical treatment depending on the patient's condition. First of all, if pain or symptoms are not severe, conservative treatments such as medication or physical therapy are performed. However, if symptoms do not improve even with conservative treatment, non-surgical treatment such as nerve block surgery or epidural nerve plastic surgery is performed.
Surgical treatment recently treats herniated disc and spinal disease through a spinal endoscope that progresses to minimally invasive without a large incision. The vertebral endoscope is divided into a two-way vertebral endoscope in which two holes are inserted to insert endoscopes and surgical tools, and a single-hole vertebral endoscope in which endoscopes and surgical tools are inserted simultaneously through one incision.
Both treatment methods proceed with local anesthesia, allowing elderly patients or patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and above all, it can be a good treatment for younger generations who lack time due to a short recovery period.
Director Joo Yoon-seok advised "It is most important to reduce the load on the spine in order to prevent spinal diseases, including back discs" and "It is also helpful to try to maintain the right posture in everyday life and to exercise steadily to strengthen the muscles around the waist"
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bellho@sportschosun.com
