Does the distribution of musculoskeletal pain shape the fate of long-term sick leave? A prospective cohort study with register follow-up

Doménech-García, Víctor ; Skovlund, Sebastian Venge ; Bellosta-López, Pablo ; Calatayud, Joaquín ; López-Bueno, Rubén (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Andersen, Lars Louis

Resumen: Abstract
Although multisite pain can markedly reduce work ability, the relevance of the bodily pain distribution as a predictor of long-term sick leave is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between musculoskeletal pain distributions and long-term sick leave in the general working population of Denmark and included 66,177 currently employed wage earners without long-term sick leave during the prior 52 weeks. Participants reported whether they had pain in the lower extremity (hips/knees), upper extremity (neck/shoulders), or the low back. The analysis controlled for age, sex, year of survey reply, educational level, occupational group, psychosocial work factors, body max index, smoking, leisure-time physical activity, and mental health confounders. The results demonstrated that the risk of long-term sick leave increased with the number of pain sites. Compared with no pain, localized pain in any body region increased the risk/hazard by 25% to 29% (HR [95% CI]: 1.29 [1.07-1.54] for pain only in the low back), whereas pain in 2 regions increased the risk by 39% to 44% (HR [95% CI]: 1.41 [1.18-1.69] for pain in the low back + hips/knees). Workers reporting pain in all 3 regions experienced a 72% increased risk (HR [95% CI]: 1.72 [1.55-1.91]). Thus, the number of pain regions seems to matter more than the exact pain location. The spatial extension of musculoskeletal pain in workers functions as a gradient system, where pain spread throughout the body is an independent indicator of the high risk of long-term sick leave.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003176

Año: 2024

Publicado en: PAIN 165, 8 (2024), 1875-1881
ISSN: 0304-3959

Factor impacto JCR: 5.5 (2024)

Categ. JCR: ANESTHESIOLOGY rank: 6 / 68 = 0.088 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: NEUROSCIENCES rank: 42 / 314 = 0.134 (2024) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: CLINICAL NEUROLOGY rank: 29 / 285 = 0.102 (2024) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 2.017 - Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine (Q1) - Pharmacology (Q1) - Neurology (clinical) (Q1) - Neurology (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Didáctica Expres.Corporal (Dpto. Expres.Music.Plást.Corp.)