Working with pain. Sustainable work participation of workers with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain

PhD ceremony: Mr. H.J. de Vries, 14.30 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Working with pain. Sustainable work participation of workers with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain

Promotor(s): prof. J.H.B. Geertzen, prof. J.W. Groothoff, prof. M.F. Reneman

Faculty: Medical Sciences

This thesis is one of the first to focus on people who continue labour participation with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain (CMP). It contains unique data concerning sustainable work participation of workers with CMP. A large range of characteristics was collected of workers with CMP who continued to work despite pain, which has added to our understanding of sustainable work participation in people suffering from CMP. Comparison of workers who continued to work with CMP, with sick listed workers with CMP who were admitted for rehabilitation, revealed that these groups differ significantly on several factors. In this thesis, evidence was found that the workers’ motivation to work, self-management skills, and the attributed importance of pain on their (working) lives are important factors to manage staying at work with CMP. We recommended to be aware that CMP itself is often not the reason for sick leave and disability, in contrast to personal and environmental factors that play an additional decisive role. Because such factors can be influenced, they offer opportunities to promote staying at work. In the process of guiding workers back to work, the results of the project ‘Working with pain’ are useful. The findings of this thesis may contribute to the promotion of sustained work participation and prevention of sick-leave in workers with CMP. The efficacy how workers in this project coped with CMP and remained productive, may inspire others in their efforts to stay at work. Finally, this thesis offers a new reference for rehabilitation-, occupational-,and insurance medicine.