Frankfurt  - Back pain sufferers are far too prone to try to work through their pain, increasing stress and overtaxing muscles, according to a German researcher.

The strain overburdens muscles, joints and ligaments, causing yet more pain, reports Monika Hasenbring of the back pain centre at the Ruhr University in Bochum. The physical problems can also weigh on the person's mood, rendering him or her extremely moody.

The proper way to cope is to neither treat the pain as harmless, nor to pay it too much attention. The trick is to take an active approach.

"That means keeping a close eye on oneself and when the pain comes and how one reacts to that. And then you have to work against it," says Hasenbring in the publication Oko Test Spezial Ruecken.

Thus, activity is better than being sedentary. It's also best to take breaks when stress levels rise and a good idea to discuss problems openly with colleagues and bosses, since work conditions are often a cause of the problems in the first place. (dpa)