OUTCOME COMPARISON OF WORKERS COMPENSATION AND NONCOMPENSATION LOW-BACK-PAIN IN A HIGHLY STRUCTURED FUNCTIONAL RESTORATION PROGRAM

Low back pain is both common and costly. A paucity of information exis ts within the literature comparing workers' compensation and noncompen sation back-injured individuals. The intent of this study was to exami ne differences between the two groups-individuals injured and seeking compensation, and injured individuals not pursuing a compensation clai m. Sixty subjects referred to a functional restoration facility were i dentified and evaluated, and their progress was tracked. Demographic a nd return-to-employment data were collected. Of the 35 workers' compen sation subjects, 23 (65.71%) were not working during therapy, while on ly one of 25 noncompensation individuals was not working throughout tr eatment. Thirty-two compensation individuals (91%) and all of the nonc ompensation group members made successful returns to employment (p les s-than-or-equal-to .05). The authors conclude that while some differen ces existed between the two groups, a high return-to-work frequency wa s achieved (91%) (p less-than-or-equal-to .05). Results indicate high success outcomes as measured by return-to-work, increased function, an d reduced pain. These outcomes were obtained through highly structured , medically supervised functional restoration programs.