Treat back pain with interdisciplinary efficacy

Together for pain: treating back problems effectively
In case of unspecific low back pain sufferers often experience years of medical odysseys without doctors discovering the true causes of the illness and treating them appropriately. Many patients are considered to be over-medicated.

"An interdisciplinary approach, ie a team of specialized specialists, who look at all symptoms and make targeted diagnoses, can help. Reinhard Schneiderhan, orthopedist from Munich and president of the German Spine League. Because causes of back pain range from neurological disorders to rheumatic diseases to mental health problems.

Back pain is also curable in the chronic form. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

Chronic does not mean incurable

Often there is not the one trigger for suffering in the back. In the sensitive web of vertebrae, ligaments, tendons and muscles, even the smallest changes cause great effects. Due to this complexity, it is often not possible to find a clear source, which in the worst case leads to chronic complaints in which the spinal cord continuously sends pain signals. If this condition persists for more than three months, so-called pain memory develops and nerves react more sensitively to stimuli. Then even the slightest touch is enough to cause discomfort. In exceptional cases, it does not even need a trigger because the brain stores the memory trace and the pain is no longer a warning signal, but itself becomes a disease.

"Each symptom thus has an origin, the search for it is often only more complex and complex than initially thought. Mostly there is an interplay of various factors, which can only be explained by the combined view of different disciplines ", emphasizes Dr. med. Schneiderhan. After all, in addition to physical factors such as miscarriage and overloading, external influences, such as stress, also affect the spine.

In order to treat people with chronic agony in the best possible way, so-called "multimodal" programs involve not only orthopedic doctors but also doctors from various disciplines. Pain therapists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, neurologists and general practitioners, as well as physiotherapists and psychologists look at existing symptoms from their perspective. After the first thorough medical history by the orthopedist, the radiologist usually comes into play. There are a variety of imaging techniques available to further limit the causes. These include radiographs useful for bone and joint analyzes, computed tomography, which visualizes bony structures and soft tissue in three dimensions, and magnetic resonance imaging, which represents all tissue types as well as the central nervous system.

Assemble puzzle pieces

If any conservative measures, such as physiotherapy or heat treatments, indicate no improvement, minimally invasive options are used. Examples include the use of a spinal catheter, treatment with a heat probe or therapy with a microlaser. If necessary, the team will also consult a psychotherapist to include all conceivable factors. Only when all possibilities do not lead to success, operative interventions can be considered. "Patients also save a lot of time in interdisciplinary centers because all examinations can be carried out during the regular practice visit. Additional appointments and journeys are unnecessary and the holistic treatment is from the beginning in the focus ", knows. Schneiderhan. (sb, pm)