An interview with Dr. Martin Marianowicz, spine specialist from Munich
WHY IS THE PSYCHE SO IMPORTANT IN THE TREATMENT OF BACK PAIN?
Chronic back pain is not always or not only related to an organic disease. They are also subject to psycho-social influencing factors such as stress, mental strain, grief, grief or depression. The emotional aspect of back pain should not be underestimated, because our attitudes, emotions and expectations influence how we feel pain. The brain, with its pain centers and its emotional centers, is an equally serious participant in the perception and processing of pain. To make matters worse, long-lasting pain can literally burn itself into the brain. Then the pain threshold in the brain decreases and there is a feeling of permanent pain, so to speak. Medicine knows the term for this: pain memory. Anyone who suffers from constant or recurring back pain over a longer period of time should therefore also ask themselves: In which situations does the pain appear or get worse? Is everything okay in my life? What mental burdens are on my shoulders? Has the pain settled in my brain? What changes would be good for my back?
“I GUIDE MY READERS TO QUESTION THEIR PAIN”
WHAT ARE THE FIRST STEPS TOWARDS RECOVERY?
In the private clinic in Jägerwinkel on Lake Tegernsee as well as in the Marianowicz Medical Center in Munich, we work in multimodal pain therapy with different, individually coordinated treatment approaches from different specialist areas. A team of experts examines in a variety of ways which stresses are responsible for the pain, compiles an individual treatment concept and discusses the individual measures and progress in pain conferences. On the one hand, the organic structures are treated using state-of-the-art medical methods. The spectrum ranges from drug therapy to physiotherapy and minimally invasive techniques. On the other hand, we take care of the pain caused by mental suffering and provide patients with knowledge about the effective ways in which the mind can influence pain management. In addition to relaxation techniques, the therapeutic work is based on individual therapy: In conversation, the pain-inducing situations and patterns of thought or action are analysed and new behaviours are developed. Just as strength training relieves muscular tension, “pain training for the brain” relieves the emotional load that presses on the back. We have had very good experiences with the multimodal treatment approach, because our patients can significantly increase their quality of life, which is limited by the pain.
Dr. Marianowicz’s 3-step program is based on the latest scientific findings from neurology, psychology, physiotherapy and pain research and takes into account the physical, psychological and social factors influencing back pain. The book examines the role of pain memory in the perception of complaints. Numerous questionnaires, tests, checklists and exercises help to track down the individual causes of pain, alleviate the symptoms and make the back flexible in the long term. A two-phase training program first makes the back mobile and then strong again. Easy-to-implement tips for a healthy back lifestyle, from nutrition to sitting, serve as helpful accompanying measures to support the back in its healing work and to permanently eliminate the complaints.
