A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY EVALUATING EARLY REHABILITATION IN PREVENTING BACK PAIN CHRONICITY IN MINE WORKERS

Study Design. This was a prospective study. Objectives. To evaluate th e results of education and early rehabilitation in the prevention of b ack pain chronicity in coal mine workers. Summary of Background Data. A new mine was established in central Queensland, Australia. Preventin g chronicity is important in the treatment of back pain in the industr ial setting, because back pain if often refractory to treatment. Back pain patients also constitute the majority of compensation claims. Met hods. A back pain program was instituted that comprised work force edu cation, early injury reporting, first aid at the mine, and changing wo rkplace psychosocial perceptions. Management employees were actively i nvolved. The time off work; number of claims per hundred workers, and costs per claim were compared with another mine in the area. Results. The median time to return to work was 10 days. In the study group the number of claims and costs per claim were significantly less (P < 0.01 ) as compared to the control group. Conclusions. This was an easy to i nstitute, inexpensive back pain program, which succeeded in preventing back pain chronicity in the studied group of mine workers with no wor ker being off work for more than 60 days.