Achy Body After Chuseok: When Holiday Pain Shouldn't Be Ignored

Numbness in Legs After Driving May Indicate a Herniated Disc

Tingling in the Wrist Can Signal Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Burning or Tingling Sensation on One Side of the Body Could Be Shingles

Driving on congested highways for several hours, making traditional holiday pancakes (jeon) while sitting on the floor all day, and tackling endless piles of dishes—these are common scenarios during holidays. Such activities often require maintaining one posture for a long time or repeating the same movement, which can trigger new pain or worsen existing pain in the neck, shoulders, back, wrists, and knees. If you already have conditions such as a herniated cervical or lumbar disc, spinal stenosis, knee osteoarthritis, rotator cuff disorders, or carpal tunnel syndrome, it is crucial to pay closer attention to pain management before and after the holidays.

For Long-Distance Driving, Take a Walk Every 1 to 2 Hours

Long-distance driving can exacerbate symptoms related to cervical or lumbar disc issues or cause new lower back pain. Instead of suddenly injuring a healthy disc, the prolonged seated posture, vehicle vibrations, and fatigue tend to worsen inflammation or nerve irritation around the disc.

Professor Hujeong Park, Director of the Pain Center and Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, said, "It is best to get out of the car and walk for 5 to 10 minutes or gently move your neck and back every 1 to 2 hours when stopping at rest areas." Adjust the headrest to fit your body shape, and sit with your hips against the seatback to prevent your back from slouching. Avoid bending at the waist to lift heavy items immediately after driving. Professor Park emphasized, "If you experience sudden weakness in your limbs, significant sensory loss, or difficulty with urination or defecation, seek medical attention immediately."

Making Jeon While Sitting on the Floor Puts a Strain on Knees and Wrists

Preparing holiday food can also put stress on your joints and muscles. Sitting on the floor or squatting for extended periods to make jeon increases the strain on the knees, which can worsen pain and stiffness in patients with degenerative arthritis. Bending your neck and back while preparing ingredients also strains the discs. Repetitive tasks such as chopping, kneading, and washing dishes can aggravate conditions like tenosynovitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. Repeatedly lifting heavy pots puts a burden on the shoulder tendons as well.

Professor Park advised, "Take frequent breaks to change your posture and rest adequately. If possible, prepare food on a table or countertop rather than on the floor, and when lifting heavy objects, bend your knees instead of your back and hold them close to your body."

If One Side of Your Body Feels Burning or Tingling, Suspect Shingles

Professor Hoojung Park, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital

Fatigue and sleep deprivation accumulated over the holidays can lead to shingles. Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox in childhood remains dormant in the nerve ganglia and becomes reactivated due to weakened immunity. Age is a major risk factor. Chronic conditions such as cancer or diabetes, the use of immunosuppressants, stress, and overexertion are also contributing factors. Even if you have had shingles before, it can recur.

Shingles is not a skin disease but an illness that causes inflammation and damage to the nerves. In many cases, pain appears before a rash. From a few days before the rash, you may feel a burning, stabbing, or electric shock-like pain on one side of the body. This can be mistaken for muscle pain, a muscle spasm, or disc problems. Later, red rashes and blisters appear in a band-like pattern along the area of pain.

Professor Park said, "If a rash occurs, it is important to start antiviral treatment within 72 hours." Actively managing acute pain can help prevent "postherpetic neuralgia," a condition where pain persists even after blisters disappear. If neuralgia is not controlled with medication, interventional pain treatments such as nerve blocks should be considered.

Shingles around the eyes can affect vision, and if it develops near the ears, it may cause facial nerve palsy, hearing loss, or dizziness, which can progress to Ramsay Hunt syndrome, requiring prompt medical attention. Elderly individuals or those with compromised immunity, even if they have had shingles before, should consider vaccination.

Professor Park said, "If you experience unexplained burning or stabbing pain on one side of your body after the holidays, do not dismiss it as ordinary muscle pain or wait until a rash becomes apparent. Seek medical care promptly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.