How long does the complete healing take?

The prognosis (chance of cure) of lumbago is relatively good due to a variety of therapeutic measures. The point at which patients are completely free of complaints varies from individual to individual and depends on factors such as previous illness, physical strain in everyday life and compliance (= following the therapeutic measures prescribed by the patient). In order to speak of a complete cure, all complaints associated with lumbago must have disappeared, i.e. in addition to the pain, movement restrictions or sensitivity disorders.

The movement restrictions should have disappeared a few days, usually a maximum of 2-5 days, after the initial shooting pain. Associated symptoms such as sensory disturbances and numbness should also not persist for longer than one week under treatment. After two weeks, only a slight pain without any further symptoms is usually felt.

Since the healing process is very different from person to person, it is not possible to give exact information about how long the complete healing process will last. A few weeks to a maximum of 6 weeks are considered as a guideline. If there is no improvement of the symptoms after 6 weeks, you should listen carefully, intensify the therapeutic measures and clarify the cause more precisely in order to prevent a chronic form of the pain.

How long are you unable to work?

The duration of an incapacity to work is variable and depends on the intensity of the pain and the profession. As a rule, an incapacity to work is issued for 3-5 days, since the acute, severe pain usually lasts only 2 days. After that, the persisting pain can be treated with painkillers and other therapeutic measures, so that work is possible again.

Of course, as a physician you have to differentiate between the type of profession the person concerned is practicing. As an example, an office worker is described in comparison to a construction worker. The latter type of profession tends to be written off longer due to the physical demands than someone who has an office job or a sedentary job.