Chronic pain is now a disease in its own right. Doctors speak of a chronic pain disorder if the patient suffers from severe pain for longer than 6 months. The sensation of pain cannot be linked to any causal tissue damage. The pain has taken on a life of its own, so to speak. Neuroanatomical remodeling processes could be responsible.
Here you will find further information and selected clinics for chronic pain.
Around 15 million people in Germany suffer from recurring pain. Around 600,000 people feel that their lives are severely restricted by chronic pain .
In most cases, pain is caused by an underlying disease.
Diseases that frequently trigger chronic pain are
Chronic pain usually means stress, anxiety, frustration, despair and depression for those affected @ Racle FotodesignGerman society incurs high costs due to pain-related absences from work and early retirement. It is therefore all the more surprising that pain lectures are not a compulsory part of medical training.
There is also currently no specialist training for pain medicine. Only further training in "special pain therapy" and palliative medicine are protected terms. They refer to specialists with proven expertise in the treatment of pain.
In Germany, there is currently a lack of care for pain patients. There are around 500 to 600 facilities for pain therapy available. They treat an estimated 440,000 sufferers per quarter.
The pain therapy facilities are made up of the following facilities:
The specialist societies for pain therapy have been campaigning in vain for years for the inclusion of the subject of pain therapy in the licensing regulations. The aim is to introduce the specialist for pain medicine into the further training regulations.
The treatment approach depends on the individual situation of the pain patient.
In most cases, chronic pain is treated by the family doctor or an orthopaedist. Medication is often used. However, a specialist in pain medicine should be consulted if the patient is suffering from severe chronic pain.
Multimodal pain therapy is a holistic treatment concept for pain patients.
The following specialists work closely together in this interdisciplinary therapy approach:
Multimodal pain therapy has become established in recent years. This is why most health insurance companies cover the costs.
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