Working In Pain Takes Toll

Study Finds Many Employees Suffer From Pain, Affecting Productivity

(WebMD)  Pain was also linked to substantial declines in productivity. Lost productivity caused by healthy employees missing a day or not performing at 100 percent at work amounted to just more than a third of a day over the previous four weeks. But for those who were in pain, lost productivity from presenteeism and absenteeism totaled about four days.

Employees reporting the highest level of pain were also more likely to report one or more accidents at work in the last year compared with healthy employees.


Room For Improvement

Although employees said they used a variety of means to manage their pain — including medication, visiting a doctor, and exercise — many rated their current pain treatment approach as far short of optimal, leaving much room for improvement.

Researchers say the greatest room for improvement in pain management was found among those with musculoskeletal pain conditions, such as arthritis.

The results of the study appear in the July issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Source: Allen, H. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, July 2005; vol 47: pp 658-670.