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Updated: Aug 29, 2025
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Effects of an early multidisciplinary intervention on sickness absence in patients with persistent low back pain-a
Annette Fisker1,2, Henning Langberg3, Tom Petersen4
1Department of Occupational and Social Medicine, Holbæk Hospital, part of Copenhagen University Hospital, Smedelundsgade 60, 4300, Holbæk, Denmark. fiskerannette@gmail.com.
Background:
Multidisciplinary rehabilitation is recommended to reduce sickness absence and disability in patients with subacute or chronic low back pain (LBP). This study aimed to investigate whether a 12-week coordinated work oriented multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention was effective on return to work and number of days off work during one-year follow-up when compared to usual care.
Methods:
This study is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of a 12-week multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation program in addition to usual treatment. 770 patients with LBP, who were sick-listed, or at risk of being sick-listed were included in the study. The primary outcome was number of days off work due to LBP. The secondary outcomes were disability, health-related quality of life, pain, psychological distress and fear avoidance behavior. Data were collected at baseline, at the end of treatment, and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Analyses were carried out according to the "intention-to-treat" principles.
Results:
A significant decrease in the number of patients who were on sick-leave was found in both groups at the end of treatment and at 6- and 12-months follow-up. Additionally, disability, pain, health related quality of life, psychological distress, and fear avoidance beliefs improved in both groups. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups on any of the outcomes.
Conclusions:
The coordinated multidisciplinary intervention had no additional effect on sickness absence, disability, pain, or health related quality of life as compared with that of usual care.
Trial Registration:
This study was retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (registration ID: NCT01690234). The study was approved by The Danish Regional Ethics Committee (file no: H-C-2008-112) as well as registered at and approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency.
