Orthopedics & Musculoskeletal Longevity (MSK)

Musculoskeletal diseases are the leading cause of chronic pain, physical functional limitations, and loss of quality of life worldwide. Therefore, an approach that does not only react to manifest complaints but preserves and specifically develops functions early on is crucial.

Prevention is thus the luxury that everyone can and should afford. Healthy aging means not only stable lab values and freedom from pain but above all, remaining mobile, resilient, and independent. The Musculoskeletal Longevity & Physiotherapy department focuses precisely on this—with a precise, individualized, and medically sound concept.

Muscles, fascia, cartilage, bones, and joints are not just mechanical structures but a biologically active regulatory system. It influences metabolism, inflammatory processes, insulin sensitivity, as well as hormonal and neurobiological functions. Therefore, movement is a central regulatory stimulus.

The goal is to recognize functional decline in time and slow it down in a targeted manner. Many complaints—from heel spurs to back pain to myocardial complaints or obesity—develop gradually due to declining muscle quality, disturbed joint mechanics, or inadequate load adaptation. These processes are medically influenceable and do not necessarily have to lead to surgical interventions. Early degenerative cartilage changes, for example, can regenerate well at the joint metabolic level, so that manifest osteoarthritis does not even occur.

The approach combines modern conservative orthopedics and sports medicine with functional diagnostics: precise movement and load analyses allow for individually tailored therapy planning—supplemented by orthoregenerative procedures when useful.
At the same time, active therapy forms the basis: functional physiotherapy and sports therapy specifically improve strength, mobility, stability, and coordination and help to tackle physical problems effectively on one's own.

Mobility is more than movement. It is a prerequisite for vitality, performance, and self-determination—at any age.
This is what the editor of this department, Dr. Caroline Werkmeister, and her colleagues stand for.