Information about Dr Joachim Mallwitz

Dr Joachim Mallwitz is a specialist in the conservative treatment of back and spinal conditions and is the medical director of the Rückenzentrum Am Michel in Hamburg. Dr Mallwitz is a specialist in orthopaedics with additional qualifications in manual medicine / chiropractic and sports medicine and worked as a physiotherapist before he started medical studies.

Dr Mallwitz is one of the pioneers in holistic back therapy. In 2001, he was one of the co-founders of the Rückenzentrum Am Michel, which is an interdisciplinary centre for the treatment of back pain. In addition to the Rückenzentrum Am Michel in Hamburg, there are further locations in Berlin, Bremen and Bonn.

Back pain is very complex and rarely has only one single cause. Structural, functional and emotional components contribute to back pain. Therefore, it is important to review the detailed medical history of the patient and to conduct a thorough physical examination in order to determine which components are involved.

A range of professionals work at the Rückenzentrum Am Michel, including specialists in orthopaedics, physical and rehabilitative medicine, psychotherapy, physiotherapy and sports scientists. Dr Mallwitz and his team place great emphasis on close, multidisciplinary collaboration. The exchange of information between doctors and therapists in the planning, co-ordination and control ensures the optimum outcome. Especially when it comes to patients with chronic low back pain, interdisciplinary medicine focuses on the individual as a whole, which is critical for successful treatment.

Many health insurance companies recommend the Rückenzentrum Am Michel to their customers who suffer from particularly complex chronic back pain. These patients are treated according to the National Care Guideline for Lower Back Pain in complex four-week multimodal programmes. The Rückenzentrum Am Michel is consistently recognised as one of the best centres nationwide for out-patient multimodal treatment of chronified back pain.

The experience in the treatment of chronified patients and the perfect interaction of the specialists is also of great benefit to patients who have acute lower back or neck problems. In addition, Dr Mallwitz, who has many years experience as a surgeon, is often consulted for a second opinion by many patients who are scheduled for spinal surgery. In approximately 90% of cases, his recommendation is not to operate. Conservative treatment such as manual therapy and medical training therapy provide a viable alternative, especially when it comes to back problems. Should an operation be necessary, however, Dr Mallwitz works closely with orthopaedic and accident surgery specialists.

The specialists at the spinal centre are regularly confronted with disorders which include dysfunctions of the entire musculoskeletal system, slipped disc (prolapsed disc, herniated disc), with and without nerve damage, congenital and acquired deformities of the spine, wear-related changes in the spine, metabolic bone disorders (osteoporosis), deconditioning after spinal surgery, sports injuries and muscular imbalances of the musculoskeletal system.

The condition of most patients improves markedly thanks to conservative orthopaedic measures in combination with physiotherapy and targeted muscle training. If a weak muscle is the reason for back pain and a focused improvement in strength is therefore required, medical training therapy is conducted at the Rückenzentrum Am Michel. The aim of this training is to improve the performance of the back muscles with selective high-intensity weight training in order to eliminate the pain.

Dr Mallwitz’s website can be found here.