What is the difference between back disk and stenosis due to severe back pain during the change of seasons?
Nov 03, 2024
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As we enter an aging society, the number of spinal diseases in the middle and old age is steadily increasing, and the typical examples are 'intervertebral disc herniation' and 'spinal stenosis'.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients with 'intervertebral disc exodus (back disc)" between 2021 and 2023 was 1,975,853, 1,958,48 and 1,968,300, reaching 2 million every year. The number of patients with 'spinal duct stenosis' is also increasing every year, with 1,727,128 patients, 1,777,263 patients, and 1,822,204 patients, respectively, during the same period.
"When you get older, degenerative spinal disease occurs due to aging, and there are many cases where back pain is considered a natural phenomenon and you do not neglect or actively treat it," said Heo Yeon, a neurosurgery specialist at H Plus Yangji Hospital. "If left unattended, complications can occur and lead to chronic pain, so you should receive preemptive treatment from the beginning of symptoms."
◇ Check the area of pain so that you don't get confused about the disease
During the change of seasons, the body is affected by rapid changes in temperature and humidity. Muscles and ligaments contract to maintain body temperature that has fallen at lower temperatures, which stiffens joints and easily clumps muscles. If you move too much in this state, back pain occurs as muscles and ligaments are burdened.
The lumbar vertebrae 'intervertebral disc' is well known as a lumbar disc, and the intervertebral disc located between the vertebrae and the bones in the lumbar region is damaged by constant impact, causing nerve compression and pain. Disc disease occurs mainly due to weakening of the intervertebral disc fibrillation due to aging, but genetic findings, habits, and trauma are also the cause. It is mainly back pain, and in severe cases, it can lead to decreased leg sensation, weakened knee and ankle and big toe strength. The escaped disc presses the nerves and spinal cord, which can lead to hip and leg pain, and if the disease has already progressed, just coughing or sneezing can put pressure on the disc, causing back pain.
'Spinal duct stenosis' is a disease that causes back pain due to narrowing of the spinal canal, neuromuscular canal, or vertebral space in the center of the spine, which is the space where nerves pass as aging progresses. The symptoms are similar to those of the lumbar disc, such as back pain and numbness in the legs, but back pain is more frequent and stabbing pain toward the buttocks or anus and leg muscle weakness can also occur. There is less pain when sitting down, but walking for a long time makes your legs numb, making your daily life uncomfortable. In addition, when the waist is bent forward, the spinal canal, which had narrowed, is temporarily widened and pain is relieved, so the posture of bending the waist is repeated when pain occurs while walking.
Heo Yeon explained that "Lumbar disc herniation' is characterized by severe pain when the upper body is bent forward, lying down, raising the legs, sitting or standing, and mainly in the waist and legs, while spinal stenosis is characterized by severe lower limb radiating pain when the upper body is tilted back and walking."
◇ In the early stages, conservative treatment improves sufficiently, and walking is important
It depends on the cause and degree of symptoms, but in a relatively early stage, it can be improved through conservative methods such as drug treatment, injection treatment, and exercise without surgery. If symptoms do not ease even after treatment, nerve block surgery may be considered. If the pain worsens or symptoms such as paralysis or dyspareunia appear, surgical treatment is required.
If you have a spinal disease, it is good to keep walking regularly. As you walk, you can naturally train your back flexibility and muscles, and when the muscles become firm, it has the effect of standing upright on the upper body, reducing the pressure on the spine and moving stably. In addition, a lower body bath of about 37-39 degrees has the effect of relaxing hardened joints and muscles by maintaining spinal body temperature and facilitating blood circulation.
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