Back pain folk suffering number 1

Musculoskeletal disorders most common reason for days off

17/12/2013

Back pain is still the most common cause of days lost among workers. This result is published on Tuesday „BKK Health Report 2013“ for which the data of almost five million people had been evaluated. Accordingly, the number of back surgeries has risen enormously lately - although at least every third patient in connection suffer from chronic pain. Accordingly, from an expert's point of view, it would be necessary to rethink and think more strongly in the direction of holistic treatment concepts.

BKK health report evaluates data of nearly five million people
If workers do not appear to work, in most cases the back is to blame - because according to the current BKK health report „Health in motion“ Most days lost by members of the company health insurance funds (BKK) are accounted for by musculoskeletal disorders (27 percent). More than half of the cases are back pain, but joint disease and muscle and tendon ailments are also common causes for a job loss. This can last longer, because even if employees are absent less than six weeks in 95 percent of the cases, a chronic back problem can quickly lead to a long-term disability - which is currently the case for around 44 percent of lost days.

Employees in the postal services particularly frequently affected
BKK members are particularly affected by musculoskeletal disorders in the postal services (766 AU days per 100 employed members), but also employees of waste disposal and recycling (646 AU days) and employees in metal production, according to the BKK umbrella association and processing (615 AU days). By contrast, days lost in the sectors of information services and data processing (133 AU days), publishing and media (162 AU days) and in lending and insurance (177 AU days) were comparatively low.

Every third patient suffers from chronic pain following back surgery
However, it is questionable from the point of view of the health insurance companies whether the treatments for musculoskeletal disorders could not be optimized - because more and more latches would carry out more and more spine operations, even though at least one in three patients would suffer from chronic pain after the operation the statements of the Berlin back specialist Ulf Marnitz opposite the „dpa“. According to Andrea Galle, head of the BKK Verkehrsbauunion (VBU), there would also be rising costs, because at the BKK VBU alone, around 30% of the sick-pay expenses would be caused by diseases of the musculoskeletal system, with a large part of them being diseases of the back would be omitted.

Strengthen holistic therapy approaches
Accordingly, it is the goal to bring holistic, gentler therapies for back problems more and more into focus „Costs and suffering“ to save: „Because many people with back pain have a true odyssey behind them. They are sent from doctor to doctor, receive injections and physical therapies - and suffer after a short time again in pain. What was missing, especially for chronically ill patients with back problems, was a self-contained treatment concept that also considered the psychosocial consequences of back disorders, which play an important role in recovery“, said Andrea Galle in the context of the press conference „BKK Health Report 2013“.

Also DAK health report confirmed increase in back problems
Also the annual health report of „DAK“ comes to the conclusion that in 2012 - as in previous years - MSD had the highest proportion of reported days at work (AU days), at 23.2%, in the year under review Even higher than in the previous year (2012: 325.9 AU days per 100 insured / 2011: 320.7 AU days per 100 insured persons). Here, too, are at the top of the diseases of the musculoskeletal system back pain, added, among others „other disc damage“, „Internal damage of the knee joint“ and „Shoulder lesions "(nr)