Absent from Work: Nature versus Nurture
Authors: James Weinstein
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Editorials20 January 2004Absent from Work: Nature versus NurtureJames Weinstein, DO, MSJames Weinstein, DO, MSFrom Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-2-200401200-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Low back pain is common and costly. It is a leading cause of chronic pain and an inordinately frequent cause of disability and lost productivity. According to a recent survey of U.S. workers, those who lost time because of back pain in the previous 2 weeks reported losing an average of 5.28 hours of productive time per week (1). Back pain accounted for nearly $20 billion of lost productivity and ranked second only to headache as a reason for loss of productive time. According to this survey, most of the loss was not from absenteeism but from reduced performance at ...References1. Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lipton R. Lost productive time and cost due to common pain conditions in the US workforce. JAMA. 2003;290:2443-54. [PMID: 14612481] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Staal JB, Hlobil H, Twisk JWR, Smid T, Köke AJA, van Mechelen W. Graded activity for low back pain in occupational health care. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:77-84. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Deyo RA, Weinstein JN. Low back pain. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:363-70. [PMID: 11172169] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Cole DC, Ibrahim SA, Shannon HS, Scott F, Eyles J. Work correlates of back problems and activity restriction due to musculoskeletal disorders in the Canadian national population health survey (NPHS) 1994-5 data. Occup Environ Med. 2001;58:728-34. [PMID: 11600729] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Ostelo RW, De Vet HC, Vlaeyen JW, Kerckhoffs MR, Berfelo WM, Wolters PM, et al . Behavioral graded activity following first-time lumbar disc surgery: 1-year results of a randomized clinical trial. Spine. 2003;28:1757-65. [PMID: 12923460] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Ostelo RW, de Vet HC, Waddell G, Kerckhoffs MR, Leffers P, van Tulder M. Rehabilitation following first-time lumbar disc surgery: a systematic review within the framework of the cochrane collaboration. Spine. 2003;28:209-18. [PMID: 12567020] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Weinstein JN. The missing piece: embracing shared decision making to reform health care [Editorial]. Spine. 2000;25:1-4. [PMID: 10647152] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Lindström I, Ohlund C, Eek C, Wallin L, Peterson LE, Fordyce WE, et al . The effect of graded activity on patients with subacute low back pain: a randomized prospective clinical study with an operant-conditioning behavioral approach. Phys Ther. 1992;72:279-90. [PMID: 1533941] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Reiso H, F Nygärd J, S Jürgensen G, Holanger R, Soldal D, Bruusgaard D. Back to work: predictors of return to work among patients with back disorders certified as sick: a two-year follow-up study. Spine. 2003;28:1468-73. [PMID: 12838108] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: James Weinstein, DO, MSAffiliations: From Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: James Weinstein, DO, MS, Department of Orthopedics, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoGraded Activity for Low Back Pain in Occupational Health Care J. Bart Staal , Hynek Hlobil , Jos W.R. Twisk , Tjabe Smid , Albère J.A. Köke , and Willem van Mechelen Metrics Cited byAnalysis of Disk Volume before and after CT-guided Intradiscal and Periganglionic Ozone–Oxygen Injection for the Treatment of Lumbar Disk HerniationInjection Therapy for Subacute and Chronic Low Back PainInjection therapy for subacute and chronic low-back painThe Role of Ergonomics in Reducing Low Back Pain and Disability in the Workplace 20 January 2004Volume 140, Issue 2Page: 142-143KeywordsAnalgesicsDisabilitiesExerciseExercise therapyHeadachesLower back painMotivationOrthopedicsPsychologySurgery ePublished: 20 January 2004 Issue Published: 20 January 2004 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...