Return-to-work status 1 year after muscle reconditioning in chronic low back pain patients.

Objective: To evaluate return-to-work status 1 year after a physical deconditioning program in manual laborers with chronic low back pain.

Methods: In this open prospective study, a questionnaire was sent to 125 patients and their physicians (115 men and 10 women, mean age 40 years). Mean sick leave duration at program initiation was 4 months. All participants had followed a physical reconditioning program 12 months earlier. The program for the present study included 6 h of physical and occupational therapy each day, 5 d a week for 3 weeks.

Results: One hundred and nine questionnaires were evaluable. Fifty-seven patients (52.3%) were working, 39 (35.8%) full time and 18 (16.5%) part time. The remaining 52 patients were on disability leave. Among the study variables, only a favorable subjective evaluation by the patient at completion of the program and absence of clinical evidence of nonorganic pain at study inclusion significantly predicted return-to-work within 1 year.

Conclusion: This intensive reconditioning program for low back pain patients had positive effects on return-to-work status after 1 year.