Returning to Work after Severe Back Pain

Employers would love to have a cure for back problems. Back pain causes many people in industrialized nations to miss work. For most, back pain goes away with time, and people return to work with no problem. However, a small number of people with back pain don't get better quickly. Sometimes back pain causes permanent disability.

This study from Norway tried to find a way to tell which back patients would have the hardest time getting back to work. All people studied had severe back pain that made them miss work and go to a special clinic. They all answered questions about their work, pain, function, and opinions about their health and how it would affect their jobs.

The authors found a few links to explain why some people needed a longer time to back to work: high pain, a low opinion of ability to work, and self-predictions of not returning to work within four weeks.

Beliefs that people have about their own pain and ability to function are important. They could be the key to knowing who needs the most help. This could give everyone involved a way to effectively use the limited resources that are available for helping people with back pain.