BLUNDERS & BACKPAIN

A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS - OR THOUSANDS OF $$$$$$$



Have you experienced back pain so great that it cost you your job? Louis Caldera did, but he's not alone. Check out this study:

FROM: JAMA 2003 (Nov.12); 290 (18): 2443-2454


Lost Productive Time and Cost Due To Common Pain Conditions in the US Workforce.
Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lipton R

Advance PCS Center for Work and Health, Hunt Valley, MD, USA

CONTEXT: Common pain conditions appear to have an adverse effect on work, but no comprehensive estimates exist on the amount of productive time lost in the US workforce due to pain.

OBJECTIVE: To measure lost productive time (absence and reduced performance due to common pain conditions) during a 2-week period.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross sectional study using survey data from the American Productivity Audit (a telephone survey that uses the Work and Health Interview) of working adults between August 1, 2001, and July 30, 2002.

PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 28, 902 working adults in the United States.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lost productive time due to common pain conditions (arthritis, back, headache, and other musculoskeletal) expressed in hours per worker per week and calculated in US dollars.

RESULTS: Thirteen percent of the total workforce experienced a loss in productive time during a 20week period due to a common pain condition. Headache was the most common (5.4%) pain condition resulting in loss productive time. It was followed by back pain (3.2%), arthritis pain (2.0%), and other musculoskeletal pain (2.0%). Workers who experienced lost productive time from a pain condition lost a mean (SE) of 4.6 (0.09) h/wk. Workers who had a headache had a mean (SE) loss in productive time of 3.5 (0.1) h/wk. Workers who reported arthritis or back pain had mean (SE) lost productive times of 5.2 (0.25) h/wk. Other common pain conditions resulted in a mean (SE) loss in productive time of 5.5 (0.22) h/wk. Lost productive time from common pain conditions among active workers costs an estimated 61.2 billion dollars per year. The majority (76.6%) of the lost productive time was explained by reduced performance while at work and not work absence.

CONCLUSIONS: Pain is an inordinately common and disabling conditions in the US workforce. Most of the pain-related lost productive time occurs while employees are at work and is in the form of reduced performance.

I know that Louis Caldera, like millions of others in the work force, did not intend to lose productivity. The only answer here, he should have found a good licensed massage therapist. Massage unlike pain killers actually helps to relieve tense muscles by promoting circulation, which eases tension and reduces pain. Massage therapy solves the problem rather than masks it. Pain medication reduces the ability to think clearly and if you don believe me, ask Louis Caldera.