Die Rehabilitation
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Controlled Clinical Trial
[Long-term efficiency of orthopedic rehabilitation in chronic back pain--the integrative orthopedic psychosomatic concept (IopKo)].
Chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system rank first as causes of early retirement in Germany. Therefore orthopaedic rehabilitation has to identify patients with work-related problems and to promote return to work through differential treatment and vocational counselling. In the framework of the IopKo-Project such measures were developed and evaluated. These measures encompass: (1) an intensive and multiprofessional diagnostic pathway which allows early detection and treatment of mental disorders and job related problems; (2) homogeneous treatment groups based on multiprofessional diagnostics; (3) differential treatments, among these a multidisciplinary programme for patients with chronic low back pain or high risk of chronification (Rückenfit); (4) interactive training modules which mediate principles of performance and disability expertise, the legal bases of retirement pensioning, and measures to support occupational rehabilitation; and (5) a work hardening training programme. ⋯ By this study we were able to show that orthopedic rehabilitation in a multimodal and multidisciplinary setting with a focus on activating and motivating therapy can have sustainable positive effects on pain, function and psychic well-being as well as on economic parameters. We interpret these persistent and superior effects in the treatment group (1) as a result of multiprofessional diagnosis and assignment which helps to subdivide the inhomogeneous group of patients with unspecific back pain into more homogeneous and thus more effective subgroups, (2) as a result of increased motivation by closed treatment groups, (3) as a result of intense and multilevel counselling of work related problems, (4) as a result of work hardening modules, and (5) as a result of direct and efficient treatment of psychic strains. The results also demonstrate the significance of inpatient rehabilitation, which will be efficient if differential treatment - adequate to the problems of the patient - is offered.