Be Careful of 'Lunar New Year Pain Syndrome' 過年打麻將.玩手機 當心「春節疼痛症候群」

Orthopedic doctor has pointed out that the number of patients have increased by at least 30 percent due to lower back and shoulder pain after the lunar new year holidays.

During the Lunar New Year, people got together with relatives and friends to play mahjong for entertainment, or enjoyed being alone with mobile games. Thus, "Lunar New Year Pain Syndrome" may result. Physicians pointed out that the number of patients who visited a doctor because of the lower back, shoulder, or neck pain has increased by at least 30 percent after the Lunar New Year break.

Liu Ta-yung, Director of Orthopedics, Taiwan Adventist Hospital: “This year's Lunar New Year's weather was colder, so these sore symptoms are more obvious. Therefore, there will be a lot more patients with low back, shoulder, or neck pain after the Lunar New Year break.”

Spending more time on mobile phones, watching dramas, staring at the TV screen, cleaning, driving, sitting for a long time, and continuous motion may cause tendon inflammation or fasciitis. Doctors remind that pain is a warning sign. People should stop a wrong posture and simply apply a hot compress massage, or go to the doctor to take anti-inflammatory painkillers or muscle relaxants. If patients don't deal with it, the symptoms may get worse.

Liu Ta-yung, Director of Orthopedics, Taiwan Adventist Hospital: “A more serious chronic soreness over time may even cause bone spurs in the spine and compress the nerves. Or even sciatica and the need for surgery.”

Physicians recommend maintaining a good posture. For example, do not keep bending over for cleaning, and support the waist if sitting for a long time. People should get up, move, and stretch every 30 minutes, and have enough rest time to avoid fatigue and soreness. 

過年期間，與親人三五好友相聚，打打麻將娛樂，或是一個人享受獨處，卯起來玩手機遊戲。不過如果持續好幾個小時，不變換姿勢也不休息，很可能出現「春節疼痛症候群」。醫師指出，年後因為下背或是肩頸疼痛來就診的民眾，至少增加3成。

台安醫院骨科主任劉大永指出：「加上可能今（2023）年的過年天氣又比較冷，所以這些痠痛的症狀就更明顯，所以下背痛跟肩頸痛的病人，在過年的時候會特別多。」

玩手機、或追劇盯著電視螢幕、甚至大掃除、開車久坐，持續不動的動作，很可能造成肌腱發炎、或是筋膜炎。醫師提醒，疼痛就是警訊，應停止錯誤姿勢，簡單熱敷按摩，或就醫服用消炎止痛藥、肌肉鬆弛劑，不處理就怕更惡化。

台安醫院骨科主任劉大永說明：「更嚴重的，例如說慢性的痠痛，久了甚至會造成脊椎長骨刺壓迫神經，甚至坐骨神經痛，甚至需要開刀。」

醫師建議要保持良好姿勢，像是大掃除不要持續彎腰，久坐也要讓腰部有支撐，每30分鐘就要起來動一動、伸展一下，有充足休息時間，避免造成過度疲勞而發生痠痛。