Therapy for back pain

In most cases, no special therapy is required for back pain. Often the symptoms disappear by themselves after a few days. If this is not the case, it is essential to consult a doctor to determine the cause of the back pain.

The therapy is designed accordingly. In the first instance, the treatment for back pain is conservative. It is then necessary to alleviate the pain in any therapy.

This is the only way to avoid possible relieving postures and thus acquired bad posture. In acute cases, it is usually helpful to lie on the floor in a supine position and lay your legs at right angles on a step pillow/chair. This position relaxes the spine.

In addition, the affected person should move moderately, for example, take slow walks, go swimming or do light stretching exercises. It is very important that the back pain does not become chronic and that a pain memory develops in the brain. To alleviate the pain, heat and massages are used primarily.

These lead to better blood circulation in the painful region and provide relaxation. If this is not sufficient, painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can be taken for a limited period of time.If the patient is pain-free again, it is essential to start with back exercises to build up muscles. Once the muscles are strengthened, they keep the back upright like a corset and prevent back pain.

Other important goals are an improvement in posture and improved mobility. This is the only way to reduce back pain in the long term. In order to learn coordinated exercises, it is advisable to attend a back school and/or consult a physiotherapist.

Only in rare cases is surgery necessary for back pain. This is the case, for example, with tumor diseases or severe herniated discs. If the cause is psychological, psychotherapy/behavioral therapy helps to identify stressors and reduce stress.

Back training

Of course, every human being has the tendency and desire to take it easy and avoid any movement that hurts. In the case of back pain, this behavior unfortunately usually only leads to a worsening of the symptoms, since the surrounding musculature is only further tense due to the lack of movement or a sparing posture. With back pain, moderate movement therefore helps best.

Back training builds up the muscles and is supplemented by light stretching or mobilization exercises to relax the muscles. Studies show that 8 out of 10 people with back pain have too weak trunk muscles. Targeted abdominal and back muscle training is therefore a must for everyone who wants to strengthen their back in the long term and avoid back pain.

The more regularly you train and the more precisely the weak muscle groups are targeted, the more effective the back training will be. The best way to learn the appropriate exercises is to attend back training courses or to consult a physiotherapist. Because only if the exercises are performed correctly are they effective.

But other moderate movements are also recommended. Swimming, aqua fitness, walking, dancing or Nordic walking are particularly suitable. However, you should avoid compressive sports such as martial arts, high diving, trampoline or sports with one-sided physical strain, such as golf or tennis. They are a great strain on the back.