Return to work interventions for chronic pain: a systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Pain Management
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Chronic pain (CP) is a significant cause of work absence.
• Tertiary return to work (RTW) interventions aim to enhance capacity in sick-listed workers.
• The efficacy of these interventions for CP sufferers remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine which tertiary interventions effectively promote RTW for individuals with CP.
• To synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of RTW interventions for chronic pain.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) across eight databases.
• Assessment of methodological quality using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.
• Narrative synthesis of findings due to study heterogeneity; meta-analysis was not feasible.

Main Results:

• Thirteen trials involving 16 papers were included; interventions varied in type, delivery, and follow-up.
• Most interventions were multidisciplinary, incorporating psychological, physical, and workplace factors.
• Five trials indicated that multidisciplinary tertiary interventions promoted RTW for CP workers; however, three of these had high risk of bias.

Conclusions:

• No definitive evidence supports a specific tertiary RTW intervention for CP.
• Multidisciplinary interventions are a potential strategy for promoting RTW in CP.
• Workers' compensation policies are crucial for RTW policymakers to address.