Discussing specific medical conditions like spinal stenosis requires precise vocabulary. This guide provides the essential Korean term for spinal stenosis and related expressions needed when talking about symptoms, treatments, and interacting with medical professionals in Korea. Learning these phrases will help you communicate more effectively in healthcare settings.
Table Of Content
Core Term
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Expression: 척추협착증
Pronunciation: cheok-chu-hyeop-chak-jeung
Meaning: Spinal Stenosis (Literally: spine-narrowing-symptom)
Related Medical Terms
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Expression: 척추
Pronunciation: cheok-chu
Meaning: Spine -
Expression: 신경
Pronunciation: sin-gyeong
Meaning: Nerve -
Expression: 허리
Pronunciation: heo-ri
Meaning: Lower back, waist -
Expression: 다리
Pronunciation: da-ri
Meaning: Leg -
Expression: 통증
Pronunciation: tong-jeung
Meaning: Pain (medical term) -
Expression: 병원
Pronunciation: byeong-won
Meaning: Hospital -
Expression: 의사
Pronunciation: ui-sa
Meaning: Doctor -
Expression: 진단
Pronunciation: jin-dan
Meaning: Diagnosis -
Expression: 치료
Pronunciation: chi-ryo
Meaning: Treatment -
Expression: 수술
Pronunciation: su-sul
Meaning: Surgery -
Expression: 물리치료
Pronunciation: mul-li-chi-ryo
Meaning: Physical therapy -
Expression: 약
Pronunciation: yak
Meaning: Medicine, medication
Describing Symptoms
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Expression: 허리가 아파요.
Pronunciation: heo-ri-ga a-pa-yo.
Meaning: My lower back hurts. -
Expression: 다리가 저려요.
Pronunciation: da-ri-ga jeo-ryeo-yo.
Meaning: My legs feel numb / tingle. -
Expression: 걸을 때 통증이 심해요.
Pronunciation: geo-reul ttae tong-jeung-i sim-hae-yo.
Meaning: The pain is severe when I walk. -
Expression: 오래 서 있으면 힘들어요.
Pronunciation: o-rae seo i-sseu-myeon him-deu-reo-yo.
Meaning: It’s difficult if I stand for a long time. -
Expression: 앉으면 좀 괜찮아져요.
Pronunciation: an-jeu-myeon jom gwaen-cha-na-jyeo-yo.
Meaning: It gets a bit better when I sit down. -
Expression: 허리를 펼 때 아파요.
Pronunciation: heo-ri-reul pyeol ttae a-pa-yo.
Meaning: It hurts when I straighten my back. -
Expression: 엉덩이 쪽이 아파요.
Pronunciation: eong-deong-i jjok-i a-pa-yo.
Meaning: The buttock area hurts. -
Expression: 다리에 힘이 없어요.
Pronunciation: da-ri-e him-i eop-seo-yo.
Meaning: I have no strength in my legs. / My legs feel weak. -
Expression: 증상이 점점 심해져요.
Pronunciation: jeung-sang-i jeom-jeom sim-hae-jyeo-yo.
Meaning: The symptoms are gradually getting worse. -
Expression: 밤에 통증 때문에 잠을 못 자요.
Pronunciation: bam-e tong-jeung ttae-mun-e jam-eul mot ja-yo.
Meaning: I can’t sleep at night because of the pain. -
Expression: 어떤 자세가 가장 불편하세요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon ja-se-ga ga-jang bul-pyeon-ha-se-yo?
Meaning: Which posture is the most uncomfortable? (A doctor might ask this)
Asking Questions at the Hospital
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Expression: 진단명이 무엇인가요?
Pronunciation: jin-dan-myeong-i mu-eo-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: What is the diagnosis? -
Expression: 척추협착증이 맞나요?
Pronunciation: cheok-chu-hyeop-chak-jeung-i man-na-yo?
Meaning: Is it spinal stenosis? -
Expression: 어떤 치료 방법이 있나요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon chi-ryo bang-beop-i in-na-yo?
Meaning: What treatment options are there? -
Expression: 수술이 필요한가요?
Pronunciation: su-sur-i pil-yo-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is surgery necessary? -
Expression: 비수술적 치료는 없나요?
Pronunciation: bi-su-sul-jjeok chi-ryo-neun eom-na-yo?
Meaning: Are there non-surgical treatments? -
Expression: 치료 기간은 얼마나 걸리나요?
Pronunciation: chi-ryo gi-gan-eun eol-ma-na geol-li-na-yo?
Meaning: How long will the treatment take? -
Expression: 약물 치료의 부작용은 무엇인가요?
Pronunciation: yak-mul chi-ryo-ui bu-jak-yong-eun mu-eo-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: What are the side effects of medication treatment? -
Expression: 물리치료를 받아야 하나요?
Pronunciation: mul-li-chi-ryo-reul ba-da-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Do I need to receive physical therapy? -
Expression: 어떤 검사가 필요한가요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon geom-sa-ga pil-yo-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: What kind of tests are needed? -
Expression: MRI 검사를 해야 하나요?
Pronunciation: em-a-rai geom-sa-reul hae-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: Do I need to get an MRI scan? -
Expression: 보험 적용이 되나요?
Pronunciation: bo-heom jeok-yong-i doe-na-yo?
Meaning: Is it covered by insurance?
Korean Culture Notes
When discussing health issues in Korea, being specific about symptoms is appreciated. Use the phrases learned to clearly describe when and where you feel pain or discomfort.
Korean doctors often appreciate patients who ask direct questions about their diagnosis and treatment options. Don’t hesitate to ask for clarification using phrases like 다시 설명해 주시겠어요? (da-si seol-myeong-hae ju-si-ge-sseo-yo? – Could you explain that again?).
While pain tolerance can be seen as a virtue, it’s important to be honest about your pain level (통증 정도 – tong-jeung jeong-do) with your doctor for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Large hospitals (대학병원 – dae-hak-byeong-won, university hospitals) often have specialized spine centers (척추 센터 – cheok-chu sen-teo). However, visiting a local orthopedic clinic (정형외과 의원 – jeong-hyeong-oe-gwa ui-won) first might be more efficient for initial consultation.
Appointments (예약 – ye-yak) are generally recommended, especially for specialists or larger hospitals, to avoid long waiting times.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A patient (A) is visiting an orthopedic doctor (B) for the first time due to persistent back and leg pain.
Roles: A: Patient, B: Doctor (의사 선생님 – ui-sa seon-saeng-nim)
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요. 허리랑 다리가 너무 아파서 왔어요.
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo. heo-ri-rang da-ri-ga neo-mu a-pa-seo wa-sseo-yo.
Meaning: Hello. I came because my lower back and legs hurt so much. -
Expression: B: 네, 어디가 어떻게 아프신지 자세히 말씀해 주세요.
Pronunciation: ne, eo-di-ga eo-tteo-ke a-peu-sin-ji ja-se-hi mal-sseum-hae ju-se-yo.
Meaning: Yes, please tell me in detail where and how it hurts. -
Expression: A: 허리가 뻐근하고, 걸으면 다리가 저리고 아파요. 특히 오래 서 있기가 힘들어요.
Pronunciation: heo-ri-ga ppeo-geun-ha-go, geo-reu-myeon da-ri-ga jeo-ri-go a-pa-yo. teuk-hi o-rae seo it-gi-ga him-deu-reo-yo.
Meaning: My lower back feels stiff, and when I walk, my legs tingle and hurt. It’s especially difficult to stand for a long time. -
Expression: B: 언제부터 그러셨어요?
Pronunciation: eon-je-bu-teo geu-reo-syeo-sseo-yo?
Meaning: Since when has it been like this? -
Expression: A: 한 달 정도 된 것 같아요. 점점 심해지는 것 같고요.
Pronunciation: han dal jeong-do doen geot ga-ta-yo. jeom-jeom sim-hae-ji-neun geot gat-go-yo.
Meaning: I think it’s been about a month. And it seems to be getting gradually worse. -
Expression: B: 알겠습니다. 척추협착증이 의심되네요. 정확한 진단을 위해 엑스레이와 MRI 검사가 필요할 것 같습니다.
Pronunciation: al-get-sseum-ni-da. cheok-chu-hyeop-chak-jeung-i ui-sim-doe-ne-yo. jeong-hwak-han jin-dan-eul wi-hae ek-seu-re-i-wa em-a-rai geom-sa-ga pil-yo-hal geot gat-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I understand. Spinal stenosis is suspected. We will likely need X-rays and an MRI scan for an accurate diagnosis. -
Expression: A: 네. 검사 후에 치료 방법에 대해서도 설명해 주실 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: ne. geom-sa hu-e chi-ryo bang-beop-e dae-hae-seo-do seol-myeong-hae ju-sil su in-na-yo?
Meaning: Yes. After the tests, can you also explain the treatment options? -
Expression: B: 그럼요. 검사 결과 보고 자세히 상담해 드리겠습니다.
Pronunciation: geu-reom-nyo. geom-sa gyeol-gwa bo-go ja-se-hi sang-dam-hae deu-ri-get-sseum-ni-da.
Meaning: Of course. I will consult with you in detail after seeing the test results.
Practice Tips
Dealing with medical issues in a foreign language can be stressful, but knowing the right terms makes a big difference! Try practicing the symptom descriptions out loud~ Imagine explaining your condition to a doctor.
Review the questions for the hospital section. Think about what information is most important to you regarding diagnosis and treatment. Role-playing a doctor’s visit with a friend or language partner can be very helpful!
Don’t forget the core term 척추협착증 (cheok-chu-hyeop-chak-jeung)! Being able to name the condition is the first step. Keep practicing, and you’ll feel more confident discussing health topics in Korean! 화이팅! (hwa-i-ting! – Fighting! / You can do it!)
