Back pain is a widespread disease that can have a wide variety of causes. You need experts like Dr. Thilo Hennecke and his team, who know all forms of the disease from many years of experience.
He is chief physician of the clinic for orthopedics at the health campus Klinikum Frankfurt (Oder) and together with his colleague Dr. Frank Hoffmann, who covers the field of trauma surgery , founded the Center for Musculo-Skeletal Medicine , which deals, among other things, with the complex of spinal diseases.
Her declared goal: to help every patient with back pain in the best possible way , together with the neurosurgeons . “Many of those affected are very limited in their lives,” says Dr. Hennecke: “Simply because they are in great pain when they move for a long time.”
While some forms of the disease can only be solved surgically, there are also types that anyone can get under control with sensible measures and a dose of discipline:
“What I can actually promise to everyone who dares the experiment: If you manage to get enough exercise two to three times a week, you will certainly feel better soon!” says Dr. Thilo Hennecke.
In an interview with the RHÖN health blog, Dr. Hennecke on what he calls “overcoming inertia through personal initiative”, on the consequences of being overweight – and his concept of healthy nutrition.
what types of back pain do you differentiate between?
For example, there are those who are particularly affected at night and in the morning. We are talking about a “morning start-up pain”. This type of pain often decreases somewhat over the course of the day. Another occurs acutely and suddenly after an incorrect movement or incorrect load. It can then “radiate” down the entire back and even down to the legs. The vernacular calls this “lumbago”.
A third form of back pain is the chronic, degenerative form, which spreads further and further down into the legs when exerted. Here it often happens that the walking distance that those affected can cover is massively restricted. There is also back painin the case of intervertebral disc inflammation or those that occur after malpositions. And those that are due to bone decalcification diseases such as osteoporosis. The topic is therefore very complex and requires precise differentiation in diagnosis and treatment.
What is your answer as a clinic to these often complex complaints?
We reacted here at the Health Campus Klinikum Frankfurt (Oder) by founding the Center for Musculo-Skeletal Medicine, i.e. an area that focuses entirely on the subject of the spine. This “spine center” consists of the clinic for accident, hand and reconstructive surgery and the clinic for orthopedics. The idea was to optimally link these often thematically overlapping specialist areas. People who have had an accident in particular also benefit from this, as do older people who have fallen, for example.
However, spinal surgery, which has been looked after by many different departments over the decades, has also become a major topic. We aim to bring together the competencies of all these specialist areas. Neurosurgeons work here Orthopedists and trauma surgeons go hand in hand. And of course our colleagues from neurology and pain therapy also support us. So everyone is in good hands hereback pain . Regardless of whether it is acute, traumatic, degenerative or osteoporotic.
How common are these different forms of the disease?
According to estimates, 85 out of 100 people affected, i.e. the majority, have what is known as non-specific back pain. This is usually due to poor posture or being overweight. The remaining 15 to 20 percent of people suffer from what is known as specific back pain, which “radiates” down into the legs.
How do you deal with the “specific”, i.e. rather difficult cases?
You will initially be treated conservatively by specialists in orthopaedics, trauma surgery and neurosurgery. If that doesn’t help, surgery may be useful. However, this is only necessary in one to two percent of cases. In other words, the main focus is on non-specific back pain .
Who is particularly affected by this?
Most people affected by this are over 50, many over 60. The cause of such back pain , which occurs later in life , is often found much earlier in life. One of the basic problems is certainly the lack of physical activity among many people, especially those with office jobs. Muscular conditioning, which is useful for avoiding back pain , takes place here little or not at all.
What is your tip for preventing these problems as early as possible?
There are many options. Some like to go dancing – which is healthy because it requires a certain posture of the body. Others like to play football or volleyball, which of course makes sense. Any kind of movement and training is good at first.
How much exercise should there be?
I would recommend at least twice a week for an hour each time. As I said, it can be anything: swimming, hiking, cycling, jogging, walking… A light to medium physical load is important. Many people who come to me with chronic back pain have usually not exercised enough regularly for far too long. They are sort of “de-conditioned”. It must also be said that a not inconsiderable proportion of these people are overweight.
What are the specific physical consequences of being overweight?
The three lowest segments of the intervertebral disc are particularly affected. Basically you have to know: only good abdominal and trunk muscles can keep the spine stable in the long term. Ideally, the abdominal muscles contract while the rear, long back muscles need to be stretched. Only then does a person achieve a relatively straight posture.
However, the fat that often accumulates
The stomach of overweight people constantly pulls the body forward, i.e. in the wrong direction. This in turn puts extreme strain on the back muscles. Simply because she is constantly trying to keep her spine straight. So the body is almost out of balance. The aim must then be to restore this balance. Only then can we get the back painget a grip. Here, too, the focus is again on: upright gait, training – and above all: weight reduction.
What kind of training do you recommend?
The goal must be to train the abdominal muscles. And the shoulder muscles should be stretched. This results in the typical straight posture, which relieves the spine to the maximum. On the other hand, a permanent bad posture, i.e. a forward tilt of the spine, leads to chronic back pain . In particular, activities such as vacuum cleaning, which are associated with a forward inclination, cause back pain .
So you plead for the greatest possible discipline when it comes to physical activity…
Nobody has to be extremely strict with themselves
But it is important not to de-condition your body permanently. By middle age at the latest, it is therefore important to overcome the famous weaker self a bit. It’s about doing something for your own muscles, your posture and against heavy weight. My appeal: Activate yourself. To make this jump requires effort. I can say that based on my many years of experience as a doctor. But extreme overweight must be broken down! Because otherwise it is always at the expense of the back and joints. In addition, cause chronic back painalso very often to chronic pain of a psychological nature.
We must not forget that. Admittedly, getting out of such a downward spiral is really difficult. And a permanently healthy and balanced diet is also a major challenge for many people. By that I don’t necessarily mean eating vegetarian or vegan. But just stop smoking! As little alcohol as possible! And careful handling of sweets, such as chocolate. Even if the long-term implementation of these goals is difficult: Fortunately, I can feel this positive energy in many of my patients, which can help them to permanently get rid of their back pain .
The Espers Game asura scans first caught my attention
when I saw the announcement for it on the official website for the game. I was intrigued by how players would be able to control and battle with espers from the popular anime and manga series, Attack on Titan. Despite not being a huge fan of that particular show, I was interested in seeing how well this game would turn out.
The asura scans gave me a good idea of what to expect and I’m happy to say that I was not disappointed.Players take control of one of the three main characters in Attack on Titan, Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackermann, or Armin Arlert, and battle against other players online in order to collect resources and unlock new abilities for their character.
The game is based on an action-oriented combat system where players use their characters’ skills and weapons to fight against opponents in real time. Players can also team up with friends to take on larger challenges together.The graphics are superb and really bring the characters and scenes from Attack on Titan to life.
The controls are easy to learn but difficult to master,
which makes for a challenging but rewarding experience. There are plenty of different missions available for players to complete, as well as daily quests that give them opportunities to earn extra rewards. Overall, I’m really enjoying playing The Espers Game asura scans and am looking forward to continued updates and additions over the coming months/years.
