Return-to-work status 1 year after muscle reconditioning in chronic low back pain patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate return-to-work status 1 year after a physical deconditioning program in manual laborers with chronic low back pain.


METHODS
In this open prospective study, a questionnaire was sent to 125 patients and their physicians (115 men and 10 women, mean age 40 years). Mean sick leave duration at program initiation was 4 months. All participants had followed a physical reconditioning program 12 months earlier. The program for the present study included 6 h of physical and occupational therapy each day, 5 d a week for 3 weeks.


RESULTS
One hundred and nine questionnaires were evaluable. Fifty-seven patients (52.3%) were working, 39 (35.8%) full time and 18 (16.5%) part time. The remaining 52 patients were on disability leave. Among the study variables, only a favorable subjective evaluation by the patient at completion of the program and absence of clinical evidence of nonorganic pain at study inclusion significantly predicted return-to-work within 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
This intensive reconditioning program for low back pain patients had positive effects on return-to-work status after 1 year.
Casso
Gabriele
G
Anesthesiology Department, Lausanne Teaching Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Cachin
Claude
C
van Melle
Guy
G
Gerster
Jean-Charles
JC
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation