Don't let back pain strain the profit chain

Still, there is no shortage of studies to support the relationship between stress and back pain. A particularly powerful piece of research was a 1991 longitudinal study at Boeing of 3,000 employees that showed that over a four-year period, 10% (300 employees) developed debilitating back pain. Emotional distress predicted onset of back pain better than any physical measures, including strength, flexibility, body mass index, or physical examination. No two people are alike when it comes to back pain. Each person in a population has a unique set of life experiences. A "one-size- fits-all" approach to back pain - be it a pamphlet, video or poster - falls short of the mark because it doesn't take into account each individual's fears, strengths and weaknesses. It doesn't provide tailored motivation and confidence-building techniques or teach the specific self-management skills a particular person needs to prevent and manage back pain. Finally, traditional materials do not typically address the critical role that stress plays in back health. * Among those taking the program to prevent back pain, 73% said they have improved their ability to prevent back pain as a result of the program. Among those suffering from back pain when they enrolled in the program, 62% reported improvement in their ability to effectively manage their back pain as a result of the program.