To cure back pain, keep working

11 September, 2007

Instead of taking rest, workers suffering from arthritis, back pain and damage to joints, muscles and tendons should keep working in order to recover rather quickly.

A study conducted by the Work Foundation, the United Kingdom, has recommended that both employers and physicians focus should on what people ‘can do’ rather than their incapacity.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – an umbrella term that covers over 200 different ailments including arthritis and back pain – affect twice as many people as stress. And, musculoskeletal disorders account for up to a third of all general practitioner (GP) consultations, and causes 9.5 million lost working days a year, according to the Work Foundation.

Some people who suffer from the musculoskeletal disorders - the most common occupational illness - usually stop working within five years of diagnosis of the disease.

The disorders include problems such as low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts. Many sufferers take long periods of sick leave or quit work altogether.

The study report argues that early intervention and an emphasis on keeping suffering workers in work, wherever possible, is likely to boost productivity.

According to Michelle Mahdon, senior researcher at the Work Foundation, “stress hogs headlines, but in terms of people affected, musculoskeletal disorders are the bigger problem, affecting more than a million people a year – and, of course, their families."

Work, Michelle Mahdon said, can be both cause and cure. It may cause or aggravate symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders, but evidence is amassing that with the right support arrangements work can also be part of the recovery by contributing to a person’s self-esteem and sense of being productive.

In his opinion, what urgently needs to change is the attitude of many and employers and general practitioners that a worker suffering from musculoskeletal disorders must be 100% well before any return to work can be contemplated. Too many see only incapacity rather than capacity.

Professor Alan Silman, medical director of the Arthritis Research Campaign, says that, in appropriate cases, a return to normal activities could lead to more rapid recovery, though fear of pain and lack of support from colleagues could make it daunting. However, work can be a major contributor to musculoskeletal problems through excessive loading, poor posture, repetitive movements, and other mechanical causes.

Each person needed to be assessed individually to evaluate whether the work place environment could be modified to encourage return to work, Professor Silman added.