Because of back pain 40 million days off

Back problems: OP is often useless

06/18/2014

Back pain is one of the common diseases that almost every adult has had to deal with. Whether overload, wrong movement or lack of exercise - when the cross hurts, the normal everyday life is usually unthinkable. Often, those affected are confined to the bed and fall out sometimes several weeks at work. According to the backstroke of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), which was presented yesterday in Berlin, employers had to compensate a total of 40 million absentee days of their employees in 2013. On average, every working-age TK insured was on sick leave for 1,4 days because of back pain.

Back pain usually treatable by physiotherapy
When the back causes discomfort, those affected are usually completely disabled. Even the smallest movements can cause great pain. Not infrequently doctors recommend an operation such as a herniated disc. TK boss Jens Baas pointed out, however, that this was often a wrong decision. Many back surgeries do not improve the symptoms. Pain and physiotherapy, manual therapy, chiropractic or osteopathy are much gentler and often much more effective. Because often muscle tensions are behind the back pain.

„80 percent of the patients are not treated adequately, "said Thomas Nolte, a doctor at the Wiesbaden Pain and Palliative Care Center, which particularly affects patients with spinal discs. „More than 90 percent of patients suffer from muscular tension that causes pain. However, the tensions can not be seen on the X-ray, CT or MRI image. "Only five to ten percent of those affected would have something that would become visible through the imaging process, according to Nolte.

Rarely needed surgery for back problems
Despite other treatment options, surgery is often performed for back pain. This is not only unpleasant for the patients, it also puts a strain on the healthcare system. Thus, the Federal Government's response to a parliamentary question from the Left Party revealed that more than 730,000 operations were performed on the spine in 2011. Thus, the number of interventions between 2005 and 2011 more than doubled. Critics accuse doctors and hospitals of making a lucrative business at the expense of patients' health. Thus, the statutory health insurance pays only 40 euros per quarter as a consulting fee. Even by prescribing physiotherapy nobody deserves much money. However, things are different with back surgery, for which a clinic can charge between 5,000 and 15,000 euros.
With regard to the TK-Hinteratlas, Klaus Rupp, Head of Supply Management at TK, explained: „The data shows us in which regions our offers are particularly needed. For example, the model project 'second opinion back', which advises patients before a possible back surgery. „In 80 percent of the cases, patients were advised against OP as a method of treatment, so that in many cases lengthy hospital stays could be avoided. "

40 million absentee days due to back problems at the expense of employers
According to the "Back Atlas", TK recorded 40 million absentee days last year due to back problems among its employable insured. Every twelfth economically active person was statistically sick due to back pain. „A sick leave due to back problems lasts on average 17.5 days, which is five days longer than an average incapacity to work. For a medium-sized company with 60 employees, this means that five employees will be out of action for two and a half weeks each year, and the contractor will transfer three monthly salaries to the 'back' account, "Baas said.

In the course of working life back pain increases significantly. „The average absences increase by a factor of ten in men between the ages of 15 and 64 and by a factor of 8.6 in women, "explained Thomas Grobe of the Aqua Institute, who took over the data for the TK, Baas pointed out in this connection on the importance of occupational and individual health management. „Here, employers, health insurance companies and those affected are equally required. It is about making work healthier, but also about a healthier lifestyle, which is also lived after work, "said the head of the TC.

Absenteeism due to back pain is particularly common in occupations that are difficult to work on
As expected, most absenteeism due to back problems was recorded in the occupational groups, which work hard physically. For example, the average number of people insured with TK insurance in the occupations in supply and waste disposal was 5.1 days at the workplace. In civil engineering, an average of 4.7 days was lost in the nursing sector and 4.1 days in the elderly. Professional drivers also have high absenteeism due to unilateral and lack of exercise due to back problems (4.3 missing days per person).

In addition to lack of exercise, overwork or wrong movement but also have mental factors influence on the back health. Stress often leads to tension in the neck. A Forsa survey commissioned by TK also found that three out of four employees who reported a high level of stress also suffered from back pain.