By Anja Opitz
Back pain is the third most common diagnosis in general medicine, in Germany there are more than 38 million visits to the doctor every year – and in the cold season the back pain usually increases. Why is that – and what helps?
Although many patients feel that way, it’s not because of the low temperatures, emphasizes Dr. Anett Reißhauer (58), who heads the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department at the Charité.
dr Anett Reisshauer Photo: Wiebke Peitz Charite
Lack of exercise is the trigger!
“In winter, most people take fewer walks, there is no gardening, the bike stays in the basement,” she lists as examples. And we feel that – in the cross! “The biggest factor in triggering back pain is lack of exercise. This leads to muscle breakdown, including breakdown of the deep stabilizing muscles. When deep stabilization wears off, any strain causes pain.”
Biggest problem: sitting for long periods of time. “The monotonous posture is an incorrect load, which leads to a muscular imbalance,” explains Reißhauer. “The muscles are not used properly, become tense, recede and cannot support the spine as intended.”
The best medicine is therefore: exercise! “Even if you already have back pain,” emphasizes the doctor, because a protective posture only increases the problem. You don’t have to join the gym right away or go jogging – who wants that in cold, gray, rainy weather? “The WHO recommends 150 to 300 minutes of exercise a week, that’s about 20 minutes a day,” says Reißhauer. “And that also includes everyday movements such as cleaning windows, walking up the stairs, going for a walk.”
Muscles are trained with every movement – and in doing so you are doing something good for your body in two ways. “The muscle is able to send out messenger substances, the so-called myokines,” explains the expert. “These myokines are anti-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and they also have a positive influence on the metabolism, for example, they can also improve a diabetic metabolic situation. So the muscles are our body’s pharmacy.”
So: keep fit!
But what if the witch has struck? “Heat helps with non-specific back pain, because heat makes the muscles and ligament structures more supple,” explains the doctor.
“One can remember as a mnemonic: thick, red, hot, cold helps. Heat helps with pain without swelling and redness.”