Back pain This relieves back pain

More and more people suffer from back pain

updated, 17.05.2013

Back pain - According to the Robert Koch Institute, up to 85 percent of Germans become acquainted with these complaints during their lifetime, but fortunately more than two-thirds remain at one time. Whether it is sudden or slow, stinging or pulling - the pain occurs in very different ways and with different intensity and can have many different causes. Accordingly, there are many treatment options, but not all methods are a meaningful help.

Even children are often affected
More and more people are affected by back pain at least once in their lives - which, according to Prof. Ingo Froböse from the Center for Health of the German Sport University Cologne, is not only due to signs of wear as a result of getting older - instead, quite different factors come into play: "The causes are The same applies to almost all those affected: too little exercise, untrained muscles, stress and other psychological stress, "the expert told the news agency dpa. This problem could be observed even in children and adolescents, which was not surprising after Froböse, because in terms of lack of exercise and too much television or computer time back pain is inevitable. According to Prof. Dietrich Grönemeyer of the University of Witten-Herdecke, the children would basically take on the immobile lifestyle of their parents, according to the back expert and author in the foreword to an information brochure („The back“) of the technician health insurance: „The lethargic adults are a bad role model for the children, and the lack of guidance to exercise joy has dire consequences: signs of wear and tear that previously only affected older people are being diagnosed among younger and younger people.“

Modern lifestyle often cause back problems
According to experts, the cause of the widespread disease of back pain is above all in the modern lifestyle: For hours of sedentary activities, little exercise or sports and obesity, the body is required a lot - because the corresponding muscles, tendons, ligaments, intervertebral discs and mobile vertebral bone are not on Healthy way sufficiently moved and loaded, atrophy elementary areas of the back and it causes pain.

Optimum prevention: movement
Above all, exercise helps to prevent this, „Sports and systematic back training specifically strengthen the muscles that support the back and protect it from damage and pain“, as Prof. Dietrich Grönemeyer. Here, according to Grönemeyer, the motto applies „Gymnastics to the urn!“, especially cycling, swimming, Nordic walking, cross-country skiing, but also long walks are ideal back-friendly sports - which form of exercises would be chosen for back pain, but should depend primarily on personal preference, because „Above all, sport should be fun“, so the back specialist on. In principle, it is recommended, according to Grönemeyer, to rethink in normal everyday situations and to use the possibilities for movement: „It is already conducive to leave escalators on the left and climb stairs instead, walk to the office on foot or go shopping by bike.“

Back pain can also be psychosomatic
There are a variety of causes for back pain: for example, the problem can be purely physical in nature, for example due to signs of wear on the intervertebral discs or muscle or bone weaknesses. In addition, the symptoms can also be psychological and, for example, be triggered by stress, which leads to tension and as a result confuses the interaction between the spine and the supporting musculature. According to Prof. Hartmut Göbel of the pain clinic Kiel, it is estimated that only in 10 to 20 percent of cases of back pain structural physical causes could be detected. Accordingly, the recommendation of the experts of the Techniker Krankenkasse is that all circumstances that could possibly promote back pain should be closely examined, taking into account, in particular, emotional and social aspects such as grief, depression or stress in the workplace, family problems or financial worries. Because in general: „When problems are pressing, compensation and solutions are needed. When tension is not followed by relaxation, it is easy to get out of balance - painful tension is then a frequent response from the body“, said the TK in her information brochure.

Heat relieves acute pain
For example, those who are suddenly afflicted by back pain can quickly provide relief with a hot water bottle or, in worse cases, with the help of painkillers, because in the most unproblematic cases, the symptoms resolve after a few days, in the course of six weeks German Rheumatism League even disappear up to 90 percent of all back pain again. While rest was usually prescribed for back pain, nowadays the opposite is recommended - it is therefore assumed that sport not only serves to prevent, but the spine, including muscles, ligaments and joints, even in the acute case needs movement.

Alternative healing methods are becoming increasingly popular
As part of the treatment of back pain not only regularly massages and drugs or syringes are used, but according to the health insurance more and more often physiotherapy. In addition, acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular with back problems, so Prof. Dietrich Grönemeyer sufferers should take advantage of various offers: "From massage to acupuncture, yoga, tai chi and qigong to self-awareness training, Feldenkrais and good gyms," said the expert: " The patient also has to autonomously use his or her ability to resolve muscular tension, so do not settle down, but really move, stretch, and create body awareness. "

Prior to surgery, second opinion should always be obtained
Expensive surgery, on the other hand, is generally discouraged because, according to the Munich back specialist Martin Marianowicz, the discomfort would in many cases quickly return after intervertebral disc surgery. He had seen through many years of experience and thousands of people affected by disc damage that 80 percent of the surgery would have been unnecessary, instead many patients even after numerous visits to doctors still did not know what was the trigger for their complaints. According to Marianowicz, it would be important to be patient with herniated discs, because 90 percent of these cases would heal without consequences. Therefore his tip: „We therefore always advise patients to seek a second opinion from a specialist to avoid unnecessary surgery. "(Nr)

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