Back pain: Prevention and management in the workplace

 

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Stone Hearth News

 

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2015 Jun;29(3):483-94. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2015.04.028. Epub 2015 May 31.

Back pain: Prevention and management in the workplace.

Schaafsma FG1, Anema JR2, van der Beek AJ3.

Author information

1Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Research Centre for Insurance Medicine, Collaboration Between AMC-UMCG-UWV-VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.schaafsma@vumc.nl.
2Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Research Centre for Insurance Medicine, Collaboration Between AMC-UMCG-UWV-VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
3Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Research Centre for Insurance Medicine, Collaboration Between AMC-UMCG-UWV-VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Body@Work, Research Center Physical Activity, Work and Health, TNO-VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Despite all the efforts in studying work-related risk factors for low back pain (LBP), interventions targeting these risk factors to prevent LBP have no proven cost-effectiveness. Even with adequate implementation strategies for these interventions on group level, these did not result in the reduction of incident LBP. Physical exercise, however, does have a primary preventive effect on LBP.
For secondary prevention, it seems that there are more opportunities to cost-effectively intervene in reducing the risk of long-term sickness absence due to LBP.
Starting at the earliest moment possible with proper assessment of risk factors for long-term sickness absence related to the individual, the underlying mechanisms of the LBP, and also factors related to the workplace by a well-trained clinician, may increase the potential of effective return to work (RTW) management.
More research on how to overcome barriers in the uptake of these effective interventions in relation to policy-specific environments, and with regard to proper financing of RTW management is necessary.
Source

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