[Can the chronically ill become the chronically healthy?]

Sick leave from work is on the increase throughout the Western world, despite improvements in welfare and the continual mechanization of heavy industry. By means of early, active rehabilitation measures in cases of musculoskeletal disorders, the duration of sick certification can be reduced and extended absence from work prevented. This has been demonstrated in a successful cooperative project involving the health and social services where, after two years in operation, the saving in costs to the community is calculated to have been SEK 4.5 millions. A brief outline of the project is given in the article.