Back pain sometimes has a specific cause: a severe case of slipped disc, a slipped rib, a disorder of an internal organ or a rare illness. For this reason it is essential to consult a doctor in cases of severe or continuous back pain!
However, in most cases medical practitioners assume an “unspecific upper or lower back pain” for which it is not so easy to find a cause.
Diagnosis und therapy
The doctors at the Centre for Integrative Medicine possess special expert qualifications in the realm of pain treatment. In addition, new, innovative technologies offer very exact and precise diagnosis of back and lower back pain.
Causes of unspecific upper or lower back pain
Unspecific pain in the lower back is usually the result of a combination of factors: wear and tear, weak muscles, shortened muscles, overstrained ligaments etc., all factors that if taken individually do not cause any serious problems.
However, if the individual problems accumulate then consciously perceived pain is the result. The body then attempts to keep the painful area “still” with intensive muscle contractions – so-called “neuroreflexogenic protective modes”. This generally leads to even more intensive pain.
Examples of unspecific upper and lower back pain include:
- The function of one or more vertebrae is restricted. Other parts of the spine must compensate for this with more movements and take up a “false position”. This results in ligaments, joints and muscles being overburdened and causes a stabbing pain. Acute occurrence of such a constellation is called lumbago and should be corrected quickly by means of osteopathy or manual medicine.
- Continuous irritation and false burdening can lead to the build up of so-called trigger points in the muscles. These are point-like, pressure-sensitive muscle concentrations that also cause a radiating pain. Cold and overburdening can activate such points and cause acute pain.
- Chronic pain in the lower back is often caused by false posture, wear and local overburdening. In addition to slightly improving posture, it is often possible in such cases to strengthen the body’s own potential for compensation. By means of acupuncture, for example, or easy exercises.
Our diagnostic procedure
Instrumental diagnostics
Problems in the area of the spine are usually made visible via x-ray and MRT.
Innovative technologies such as Medimouse or Spineliner enable a radiation-free, non-invasive, instrument-based scan of the spine which serves as the foundation and planning for specific back treatment.
These scanning procedures offer considerable advantages with regard to precision, objectivity and display of the measured values. The three-dimensional scanning procedure enables all spinal positions in the area, the angle of all motion segments of the thoracic and lumbar spine and the pelvic position to be precisely displayed and documented.
Manual examination
At Trinicum, manual examinations are performed by specially-trained manual doctors or osteopaths. Through the medical manual examination, changes in structures and tissues which do not become visible through instrument-based diagnostics can be detected and subsequently treated.
Integrative therapy
Through our diagnostic procedures, the individual pain factors can be identified and a personalized therapy plan is implemented together with the patient.
- infiltration therapy: for acute pain reduction
- osteopathy/manual medicine: for dysfuntions of the muscles, tehndons and joints
- acupuncture: reduces pain, aids in erasing pain memory, promotes circulation and regeneration processes
- medicinal therapy: to increase cartilage and/or reduce excessive inflammatory processes
- cartilage regeneration through hyaluronan injections: improces cartilage protection in case of moderate knee osteoarthritis
- high-intensity biological laser therapy: significantly reduces inflammation and accelerates cell regeneration
- physical therapy
- body therapy and healing massage
- orthomolecualr medicine: special nutritional preperations promote cartilage regeneration and reduce the general tendency toward inflammation
- referral for surgical therapy (arthroscopy and joint replacement)