ぎっくり腰(ごし)

ぎっくりごし

noun

strained back; acute lower back pain

1. strained back; acute lower back pain

sudden severe lower back pain, often caused by lifting something heavy or making an awkward movement

I threw out my back lifting a heavy load.

ぎっくり腰(ごし)で動(うご)けない。

I can't move because of my strained back.

My father was hospitalized after throwing out his back.

The word ぎっくり is onomatopoeic, representing the sudden shock or snap felt when the back gives out.

急性腰痛症(きゅうせいようつうしょう) (acute lower back pain) is the formal medical term.

Also called 「魔女(まじょ)の一撃(いちげき)」 (witch's strike), a translation of the German folk name Hexenschuss.

It is not the same as a slipped disc (椎間板(ついかんばん)ヘルニア), though a disc problem can cause it. Common advice for prevention:

Related Words

general

Added 2026.1.25 9:51 · Revised 2026.10.18 10:14

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