Specific LBP , higher disability levels , older age , female gender , more social dysfunction and more social isolation , heavier work , and receiving higher compensation were identified as predictors for a longer duration of sick leave .
A history of LBP , job satisfaction , educational level , marital status , number of dependants , smoking , working more than 8 hour shifts , occupation , and size of industry or company do not influence duration of sick leave due to LBP .
Many different constructs were measured to identify psychosocial predictors of long term sick leave , which made it impossible to determine the role of these factors
BACKGROUND The percentages of patients with acute low back pain ( LBP ) that go on to a chronic state varies between studies from 2 % to 34 % .
In some of these cases low back pain leads to great costs .
AIMS To evaluate the evidence for prognostic factors for return to work among workers sick listed with acute LBP .
The Intensity of Work Recovery in Low Back Pain
The intensity of work recovery in LBP has been studied using the National Health Register . Nine hundred forty men , 40 - 47 years old , were selected r and omly from the census register of the city of Göteborg , Sweden .  Sickness absence data were obtained from the Health Register , in which all sickness absence from age 16 is recorded . The rate of return to work decreases as expected with an increase in absence period . Different rates were found for different diagnoses , however , with low return intensities in patients with sciatica compared with those with back pain , ie , return to work was slower in patients with sciatica . Men with manual work had a significantly longer average sickness absence than white-collar workers . The intensity of work recovery was lower in blue-collar workers during the first 20 days of absence , while the reverse was true after 20 days of sickness absence , ie , the white-collar workers who were absent more than 20 days had a slower rate of recovery than blue-collar workers who had been absent for 20 days . Data as presented here can be used to study the effect of intervention ( for example , manual therapy ) on the natural course of work recovery . It also can be used , as above , to study differences in sickness absence patterns between different diagnoses and work groups
Specific LBP , higher disability levels , older age , female gender , more social dysfunction and more social isolation , heavier work , and receiving higher compensation were identified as predictors for a longer duration of sick leave .
A history of LBP , job satisfaction , educational level , marital status , number of dependants , smoking , working more than 8 hour shifts , occupation , and size of industry or company do not influence duration of sick leave due to LBP .
Many different constructs were measured to identify psychosocial predictors of long term sick leave , which made it impossible to determine the role of these factors
BACKGROUND The percentages of patients with acute low back pain ( LBP ) that go on to a chronic state varies between studies from 2 % to 34 % .
In some of these cases low back pain leads to great costs .
AIMS To evaluate the evidence for prognostic factors for return to work among workers sick listed with acute LBP .