Inadequate treatment of chronic pain

Millions of Germans have chronic pain

18/09/2011

About one fifth of Germans have chronic pain. However, the patients are often looking for late professional support and the doctors are, according to the German Society of Pain Therapy (DGS) often due to lack of knowledge and the low fee situation in a position to adequately treat the pain patients. Especially for children, according to the DGS, a „real shortage“ instead of.

In the run-up to this year's German Pain Congress in the first week of October, the neurophysiologist of the Mannheim Medical Faculty at the University of Heidelberg, Rolf-Detlef Treede, announced that, for example, after surgery, patients are far too seldom questioned about possible pain. In addition, the sufferers would often make themselves aware of their complaints only in very severe pain the doctors. Patients can often be helped with the help of pain therapy and the healing process can be significantly improved, Treede explained.

Too few pain medics available?
At the German Pain Congress organized by the German Society for the Study of Pain (DGSS) from 5 to 8 October, around 2,500 experts will intensively study the various forms of chronic pain and existing treatment options. As Rolf-Detlef Treede told the news agency „dpa“ About 17 percent of Germans currently report chronic pain. Back pain, headache, knee pain and neck and shoulder pain are the most common forms. One in four sufferers are so in pain that therapeutic measures are required, the expert said. The neurophysiologist explained that still „too few specialists“ be available for the treatment of pain patients. To provide all those affected with appropriate treatment, 80 percent more pain medicine is needed than is currently available, says Treede. According to the expert, in addition to an increased number of pain therapists, there is also a need for better cooperation between the various medical disciplines (multimodality) in order to relieve patients of their chronic pain. Therefore, multimodality will be one of the main topics at this year's German Pain Congress, Treede explains.

Cooperation of different medical specialties
As the neurophysiologist of the Medical Faculty of Mannheim further explained, doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists should work closely together on pain therapy. Because physical and mental pain can not be considered detached from each other according to the experts. Back pain, for example, usually does not have a one-dimensional, x-ray-visible cause, said the head of the Mannheim Pain Center, Justus Benrath, in an interview with the news agency „dpa“. However, many people are afraid to resort to psychological help before they are afraid of it, „to be deported to the psycho-corner“, explained Rolf-Detlef Treede.

The President of the German Society for Pain Therapy, Gerhard Mueller-Sulfur, demanded a few months ago the adaptation of the teaching content of universities to the requirements of pain therapy and a special residency training to meet the growing problem of chronic pain. The DGS President also criticized the widespread use of painkillers for self-therapy in Germany. The pain patients should rather take specialist assistance, instead of swallowing more and more painkillers and thus expose themselves to further health risks, said Müller-Schwefel in early May.

In naturopathy, there are many different approaches to treat patients with chronic pain, such as acupuncture, biofeedback, homeopathic procedures, magnetic field therapies, neural therapies or detoxification and deacidification therapies. In addition, for example, special relaxation methods are used in the naturopathic treatment of chronic pain. (Fp)

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Picture: Gerd Altmann