Low back pain in compensated Australian workers: a retrospective cohort study

Objectives To describe incidence, duration, and patterns of working time loss claims in compensated Australian workers with low back pain (LBP), and compare this with other musculoskeletal conditions. Methods The National Dataset for Compensation-based Statistics (NDS) was used for this study. Any accepted workers9 compensation time loss claims for LBP, limb fracture or limb soft tissue disease occurring between July 2010 and June 2015 were included. Demographic information, occupation, and total cumulative time loss data were extracted. Counts, rates per 10,000 covered workers, the relative risk and median duration of time loss were calculated. Multivariate Cox and quantile regression models were used to determine factors affecting time loss duration and patterns. Results There were 56,102 LBP claims, 42,957 limb fracture claims, and 18,249 limb soft tissue disease claims. The relative risk of a claim for LBP was significantly greater than limb fractures after adjustment for all covariates (RR 1.30, 95%CI 1.29 - 1.32, p < 0.001). LBP claims had longer median time loss (9.39 weeks) than limb fracture claims (9.21 weeks). Quantile regression demonstrated that LBP claims were more likely than limb fracture claims to resolve within seven weeks, and to persist for periods beyond seven weeks. Conclusions There were differential patterns of time loss in LBP claims and limb fracture claims. The interaction between conditions, and policies and practices may contribute to these patterns. The findings should reiterate to workers9 compensation stakeholders the importance of returning a worker to work as soon as practicable, to avoid future delays or challenges.