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Related Experiment Videos

Workers' Compensation and return-to-work in low back pain

Rollin M Gallagher1, Rebecca A Williams, Joan Skelly

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8101 USA Department of Psychiatry, San Diego VAMC, San Diego, CA 92161 USA Departments of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 USA Biostatistics, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 USA Center for Population and Family Health, School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032 USA.

Pain
|May 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

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Workers' Compensation and legal action did not improve return to work for most low back pain (LBP) patients. However, compensation aided those with external locus of control, indicating emotional distress impacts compensation receipt.

Area of Science:

  • Occupational Medicine
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Psychosomatic Medicine

Background:

  • The impact of Workers' Compensation and litigation on low back pain (LBP) outcomes remains unclear.
  • Understanding factors influencing compensation receipt and employment is crucial for managing LBP disability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate characteristics of disabled individuals seeking Workers' Compensation or legal counsel.
  • To identify predictors of compensation receipt and assess the influence of compensation/litigation on employment outcomes in LBP patients.

Main Methods:

  • 169 unemployed LBP patients underwent medical, physical, biomechanical, and psychiatric evaluations.
  • Data collected included application for, receipt of, and legal representation regarding Workers' Compensation.

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  • Employment and compensation status were reassessed at 6-month follow-up.

    • Main Results:

    • Neither compensation status nor lawyer involvement significantly predicted 6-month employment outcome.
    • Compensation receipt improved outcomes for individuals with an external locus of control.
    • Factors predicting failure to obtain compensation included lower education, reduced spinal flexion, limited daily activity capacity, and affective inhibition.
    • Emotional distress, not neurological dysfunction, reduced the probability of receiving compensation.
    • Compensation and legal representation did not decrease return-to-work rates but improved them for high-risk groups.

    Conclusions:

    • Workers' Compensation and litigation do not universally improve return-to-work rates for LBP patients.
    • Emotional distress significantly influences the likelihood of receiving compensation, challenging purely physical evaluation systems.
    • Targeted support may be needed for high-risk LBP patients, considering psychological factors in compensation and return-to-work strategies.