Pain Make Patients Less Likely to Go Back to Work

When you experience extreme body pain, it can sometimes be enough to make you stay home from work or be unable to fulfill your obligations because you can’t function properly. And, if you experience chronic pain, it makes it even more difficult to be able to return to work.  But, did you know that the degree to which you express your pain affects how likely you are to return to work effectively?

A recent study showed that patients with chronic back pain that display pained behaviors are less likely to go back to work right away, given the impression they left on their observers. Employees that display signs of pain in their body and in their facial expressions tend to send a message of negativity to their superiors, which could ultimately be detrimental to their job if it happens regularly.

The study also revealed that patients who exhibit protective or communicative pain behaviors are in more pain than patients who do not. Facial expressions, guarding the affected area, and constantly tending to a specific area of the body are signs that a person is in pain.  When a superior observes a person demonstrating this level of pain, they will be able to get a good feel for the person’s attitude toward work based on how they continue.

Pain behavior, depending on how it is displayed, can sometimes create an impression of being less dependable, less likable, and less ready to work. Superiors may even feel that patients who show signs of pain in their body are less effective than those who show no signs at all.

Better pain management is needed for patients to be sure they remain effective at work and to not jeopardize their jobs. Going through care treatment will help each patient deal with the symptoms of pain properly and also help reduce the cause of the pain.  Chiropractic Manhattan consults with patients before beginning treatment to be sure that everything is well-tailored to the person’s specific condition.

Study Author: Martel MO, Wideman TH, Sullivan MJ. Pain 2012;153(4):843-9. Epub 2012 Feb 9

Source: The Spine Journal

http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/elsevier/patients-who-display-protective-pain-behaviors-are-viewed-as-less-wvuJ5tr7qa

-Dr Sid
Esprit Wellness