Housewives 'Growing' Kim Jang-cheol to relieve joint pain
Nov 20, 2024
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During the kimchi-making season, a large amount of ingredients are prepared at once, overstretched in the process of making kimchi, and overuse of joints often causes kimchi syndrome, so caution is needed.
According to a survey of intentions to make kimchi in 2024 by the Korea Rural Economic Research Institute, the proportion of people making kimchi this year was 68.1 percent, up 63.3 percent from the previous year. The reason for making kimchi directly is that the family's preferred taste is considered and the reliability of raw materials is higher than that of commercial kimchi. However, it takes about two days to make kimchi, including the process of salted cabbage, and because labor intensity is concentrated in a shorter time than usual, it is easy to feel pain in the knees, wrists, and back.
"In the case of knees, wrists, elbows, etc., degenerative changes or long-term repetitive movements accumulate, causing pain, but even if a short-term intensive shock is applied, it can cause pain," said Kim Tae-seop, head of orthopedic surgery at Bupyeong Himchan Hospital"It is more helpful to relieve pain by taking anti-inflammatory drugs or injections early than to endure pain without treatment or to self-treat with pain relief patches in anticipation of automatically recovering."
◇ Wrist, elbow, knee, back pain, etc
The area that can be directly strained when kimjang is done is the joint area such as the wrist or elbow. The process of preparing a large amount of ingredients and mixing them with the seasoning is repeated, such as slicing radishes and green onions, garlic, pears, and apples into juice. In addition, adding ingredients to the cabbage for seasoning and moving the cabbage causes strain on the wrist and elbow.
In this process, fatigue may build up in the wrist, resulting in severe numbness in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and palm, along with wrist pain, and epigastric inflammation that causes pain in the inside and outside of the elbow.
In addition, if you squat and work for a long time while making kimchi, your knees will weigh more than your weight, which is likely to strain your knee joints. In particular, middle-aged women, who are mainly in charge of making kimchi, are at greater risk of cartilage damage as their cartilage has already been thinned due to degenerative changes, so they sit in squat for a long time or bend their joints excessively. The squatting position also puts strain on the hip joint. If you feel stiff joints near your hips and pelvis, you may suspect hip collision syndrome. Soft tissue is sandwiched between the femoral head and pelvis, limiting movement and causing pain, and it is easy to think of it as simply a numb symptom at first, but extreme pain is felt when changing posture or turning the knee inward.
Back pain caused by a lumbar sprain is also a typical pain commonly experienced during the kimchi-making process. Pickled cabbage, radishes, and heavy kimchi containers tend to strain your back, and when your back muscles are out of normal use suddenly, pressure on your back increases, which can lead to lumbar sprain. In particular, since the season for making kimchi is winter, the muscles are usually stiff, which can cause pain in sudden shocks. If not treated properly, weakened ligaments and muscles cannot support the back properly, causing chronic low back pain and leading to habitual sprains.
◇Stretch frequently and relieve pain with a poultice
In order to protect the joint health of housewives, it is necessary to first create a good surrounding environment. Rather than making kimchi on the bottom, putting it on the table helps prevent and relieve pain in the knee and back.
If it is unavoidable to do it on the bare floor, it is necessary to use a backrest chair or lean on the back against the wall as much as possible, and use wrist guards or waist guards to reduce the strain on joints and spines. In addition, it is best to make kimchi indoors, but if you have to do it on the veranda or outside, it is better to keep warm by wearing several layers of thin clothes to maintain body temperature.
Since the pain gets worse if you stay in one position for a long time, changing your posture frequently and stretching while making kimchi helps relax muscles and joints and relieve pain. You can reduce body fatigue even with a simple motion of leaning or turning your back, neck, and wrist every hour. If you have constant pain, it is also good to stop working and take a rest.
After making kimchi, it is necessary to relieve tension and fatigue in joints and muscles. It is good to take a warm bath, and if you have pain, you can relieve inflammation and swelling through a cold compress, and then relieve blood circulation and muscle spasms with a warm compress. In addition, it is helpful to bend your back using your elbow while lying on your stomach comfortably and straighten your arms in that state.
Director Kim Tae-seop said, "Sudden pain that can occur during kimjang can be reduced by basic stretching, correct posture, and improvement of working environment."If the pain persists even after a poultice and a sufficient rest, you must visit a hospital and receive early treatment to prevent it from leading to a greater disease," he advised.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
