pain study

To clench teeth. Gabriele Thies (52) from Hamburg initially believed it would be okay. But the burning under the skin , the glow in the muscles, the excruciating pain that seemed to explode—all remained. And it kept getting worse. It was as if inflammation were constantly developing in new places. Over the past 15 years, the former office worker has become an expert on pain. Because she has been suffering from fibromyalgia for so long, a rheumatic disease whose cause is not yet known.

Especially for women, they are a constant companion in everyday life

Gabriele Thies is one of the approximately ten million Germans who suffer from chronic pain. But: This topic actually affects every one of us. Even to a much greater extent than previously thought. This is now impressively proven by a forsa survey commissioned by Tolfioow together with the German Employee Health Insurance Fund (DAK). One result is particularly thought-provoking: every second woman has pain at least once a week. More than half of them almost every day. Men are apparently affected much less frequently (or do not admit it): only 13 percent have symptoms almost every day and only 12 percent once or twice a week.

Pain is a (life) important alarm signal. Thanks to them, we immediately feel when the body is damaged. They force us to react, to do something to stop them. “But this sensible sensation can become pathological. Then pain doesn’t bring us any new information,” says Prof. Hartmut Göbel, head of the pain clinic in Kiel. “It keeps coming back, spreading, even in places that weren’t even damaged. There is no longer a recognizable cause. It lasts longer and longer, becoming more intense and persistent. Then the pain itself has become the disease.”

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Head & Cross: Where the pain usually begins

HEADACHES There are over 150 different ways in which the skull can throb. The most common is the tension headache. Almost every second German suffers from it at times. Ascending trend. About 15 percent of the population are affected by migraines.BACK PROBLEMS Two out of three Germans suffer from spinal pain at least once a year. These include neck tension, lower back pain, lumbago and herniated discs.

NERVE PAIN This includes neuropathies (e.g. in diabetes), nerve inflammation (e.g. due to shingles) or fibromyalgia.

JOINT PAIN Osteoarthritis – the diagnosis affects everyone from a certain age. But the patients are getting younger and younger. It is estimated that around 20 million people are acutely affected.

Find the right therapy

The first step is always to find the cause. Most of the time we already know very well what we are missing. For example, if you have a sprained ankle, you expect your ankle to hurt for a while. This may explain why in our survey just 10 percent said they consulted a doctor when they were in pain. Only if the suffering lasts much longer do 66 percent of those surveyed sit in a waiting room. The right decision? The majority (78 percent) say yes and have the good feeling that the doctor takes their complaints seriously and addresses their problems.

If the treatment is unsuccessful, a long ordeal often begins

Unfortunately, Gabriele Thiele rarely had this feeling. “Many doctors couldn’t relate to me. It was an absolute mystery to her why I was in such severe pain,” she recalls. Like many pain patients, she has already tried countless therapies. Physiotherapy, massages, also exotic things like meridian therapy, dietary supplements, a rehabilitation cure lasting several weeks. She had to pay for a lot herself because her health insurance company refused to cover the costs. But nothing helped.

“Today I know that the treatment was far too intensive for me,” says Gabriele Thiele. “After the rehabilitation cure I came home unable to work.” The vicious circle begins. She goes to the office anyway, wanting to prove to herself that she can still achieve something. But her strength is fading. “The worst thing is that you can’t see the pain,” Gabriele Thiele remembers that time. “Nevertheless, they are always there, with varying intensity. You become unbelievable. Then sick leave becomes more frequent and at some point the pain becomes unbearable.” When a doctor finally made the correct diagnosis, that didn’t really help her: “I couldn’t understand the word fibromyalgia at all. My pain stayed the same.” And it became more and more the focus of her life. In the end, she had to apply for early retirement. “It’s a terrible prospect when you’re sitting at home in your early 40s and can no longer work,” says Gabriele Thiele. The suffering determined her everyday life from then on. “I got up in the morning completely exhausted. If I had an appointment at eight o’clock, I had to get up at six o’clock.” Clean the apartment? That only went bit by bit and only on “good” days. Sitting or standing for a long time? Not possible. She often had to cancel appointments. Not every friendship endured that. “But what should I do? I didn’t know how I would feel that day,” says Gabriele Thiele. It almost sounds like an apology. If I had an appointment at eight o’clock, I had to get up at six o’clock.” Clean the apartment? That only went bit by bit and only on “good” days. Sitting or standing for a long time? Not possible. She often had to cancel appointments. Not every friendship endured that. “But what should I do? I didn’t know how I would feel that day,” says Gabriele Thiele. It almost sounds like an apology. If I had an appointment at eight o’clock, I had to get up at six o’clock.” Clean the apartment? That only went bit by bit and only on “good” days. Sitting or standing for a long time? Not possible. She often had to cancel appointments. Not every friendship endured that. “But what should I do? I didn’t know how I would feel that day,” says Gabriele Thiele. It almost sounds like an apology.

The solution: combine different therapies

The solution lies in individually combining different therapies

Prof. Hartmut Göbel knows these everyday problems of his patients only too well. According to the international definition, pain is considered chronic for those who have been suffering from it for more than three months. A pain memory has formed, which can ultimately lead to even a slight draft of air on the skin being perceived as painful. The researchers now know quite well how this happens. “New inflammatory messengers are constantly being activated in the body. In addition, there is muscle tension, which also damages the tendons. This then leads to incorrect and relieving postures, which cause further pain,” the expert describes the treacherous cycle in which many rheumatism patients are stuck, for example. Often over years.

Of course, someone suffering from migraines needs very different treatment than someone with persistent back problems. However, all patients with chronic pain have one thing in common: only treating the trigger of their pain no longer helps them. “We normally get used to sensations,” explains Prof. Göbel. “The opposite is the case with pain: it is perceived more and more intensively. This leads to social withdrawal, depression, sleep disorders and an inflammatory cascade. Treating individual aspects is then no longer enough. You have to take all of them into account if possible.” In his clinic in Kiel, he therefore relies on the cooperation of different disciplines, which analyze each clinical picture together. This controlled treatment opens up new possibilities, especially in the area of ​​medication. For example, the Kiel specialists B. opiates that can release a constant level of active ingredients in the body over a longer period of time. “Other painkillers, on the other hand, only have a short-term effect. When their concentration in the body then drops, it triggers another flare-up of pain,” says Prof. Göbel. “The goal must be to precede the pain so that it doesn’t occur in the first place.”

The best strategies for self-help

If you have pain every day, you should definitely have your family doctor refer you to a pain therapist. Incidentally, this is also paid for by the statutory health insurance companies. If you only suffer from pain occasionally, you can do a lot about it yourself. Our survey shows which self-help tricks are used most frequently: More than half of those surveyed take medication for pain. 56 percent try to distract themselves with walks or other activities. Home remedies such as a hot-water bottle or cold compresses are particularly popular with women. 56 percent of them trust it.

In addition to the physical pain, pain always has a psychological component. We experience them as a threat, feel helpless and at our mercy. So pure stress. The autonomic nervous system puts our body on alert. The heart races, breathing becomes shallow and blood pressure rises. The stress hormones responsible for this can dull the pain for a short time. However, if they are released again and again because the tormenting burning or throbbing occurs almost continuously, they damage the body even more.

Block out the stress and ensure conscious relaxation

On the other hand, everything that relaxes helps: yoga, autogenic training, meditation or music. One method is particularly effective in pain patients, as new studies show: progressive muscle relaxation, developed by the US psychologist Edmund Jacobsen (courses at adult education centers, for example). The conscious tensing and loosening of different muscle groups breaks the vicious circle of pain, fear, poor health and new pain.

If this succeeds, the feeling of being able to act arises. The pain no longer dominates the patient, but vice versa. “Today I no longer think about the things I can no longer do. I’m happy about what’s still possible,” says Gabriele Thiele. She has developed her very own strategies for dealing with fibromyalgia. In two self-help groups that she founded, she helps others to do the same. For many, the exchange with other affected people is a first step. He distracts from the pain and puts his own situation into perspective. The feeling of being in control again and trust in your own body return. Physiotherapy and other movement therapies, today also an integral part of holistic pain treatment,

Any additional help with this is welcome. So have z. For example, acupuncture for pain in the knee joint and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS for short) for muscle and nerve pain. Psychotherapy can help uncover unconscious patterns of behavior that reinforce the disease. Anyone in pain should get as much support as they can get.

Prevent before the pain stays

Anticipate chronification and become active before the pain memory develops: Many women in particular often let this phase of their pain illness go by unused. You tend to take on more and more and ignore your body’s signals. There is the family, the job, the household, the friends. It all comes first. However, our forsa survey gives cause for hope: the vast majority state that they have already changed their lifestyle habits in order to remain pain-free. 38 percent of those surveyed do more sport. Good this way! Joints that are used do not atrophy (osteoarthritis). Bones that are moved do not fray (osteoporosis). Muscles that are trained relieve the stabbing spine. In this way, everyone can, as large international studies prove,

Hard to beat: the healing power of movement

It doesn’t have to be a marathon. “Even a walk mobilizes muscles, ligaments and joints. That also has a pain-relieving effect,” says sports scientist Uwe Dresel from the DAK. “The most favorable are even movement sequences such as Nordic walking, cycling or swimming. They strengthen the heart and circulation optimally and also have a calming effect on the soul. Squash, tennis or football are less suitable because they cause strong point loads in the body. In addition, the risk of injury is greater.” A US study has now revealed that even those who are over 80 can increase their muscle strength enormously and effectively prevent pain.

And the diet? Is there really an anti-pain diet? The answer: yes! It is already being used in many specialist clinics such as that of Prof. Hartmut Göbel. Carbohydrates are the focus. From them, the body derives the messenger substances that ensure that sensible pain signals are passed on smoothly and that misinformation is avoided. In other words, a healthy diet that keeps pain at bay should consist of plenty of fruit, vegetables and grain products. In addition, all meals should be taken regularly and at fixed times of the day. On the other hand, those who starve can even increase their sensitivity to pain. Incidentally, if you consciously take the time to freshly prepare your food together with your partner, for example, you will quickly notice that deep relaxation and a lot of positive feelings also set in while cooking. And the pain doesn’t stand a chance against them.

SOS tips and further information

SOS tips

If you are in pain, do not try to endure it, but treat it quickly. Here are the best first aid measures:

• PAIN MEDICATIONS In the case of acute pain, reaching into the medicine cabinet makes perfect sense. The following applies: acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and ibuprofen relieve the symptoms and have an anti-inflammatory effect at the same time. Ibuprofen works faster but for a shorter time than ASA. The active ingredient paracetamol reduces fever, but does not stop inflammation. Diclofenac reduces pain, inflammation and fever, but has a short duration of action.
• WARMTH It has a relaxing effect on tension, abdominal problems or back problems (lumbago), but can sometimes have the opposite effect. Best to try. Best home remedy: the “hot roll” (warm, rolled up towels).
• COLD The bad luck rule applies to sprains, bruises or strains: break, ice (e.g. cool pad), compression (compression bandage) and elevation.
• STEP POSITION Lay flat on your back and place both legs on a chair or pile of blankets so that your lower legs and thighs form a right angle. This relieves the back in case of lumbago or pain in the lumbar spine.
• EXERCISE Swinging your arms loosely or walking in the fresh air can help with a headache, but not with a migraine attack.
• You MUST GO TO THE DOCTOR if the pain doesn’t subside, if there is no recognizable cause, or if paralysis occurs.