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Dose–response association between multi-site musculoskeletal pain and work ability in physical therapists: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

Purpose

Multi-site musculoskeletal pain (MP) is common among health care professionals and is considered a threat to work ability and thereby a long and healthy working life. However, literature is scarce regarding these associations among physical therapists (PTs). This study aims to quantify the prevalence of local and multi-site MP among PTs, to investigate the associations between pain intensity and number of pain sites, respectively, with the level of work ability.

Methods

We conducted a survey among 1006 PTs about pain the previous month in different body areas and work ability. Work ability was measured using the Work Ability Index (WAI) including its seven categories. The odds of having lower level of work ability as a function of pain intensity (0–10) and multi-site pain were determined using binary logistic regression controlled for relevant confounders.

Results

The neck (36.3%) and the low back (32.3%) were the most commonly affected body areas. Furthermore, a dose–response relationship was observed between the number of pain sites and lower work ability (trend test, p < 0.001). With low pain intensity as reference, a moderate to strong association existed for lower levels of work ability in PTs who reported pain intensity of > 5 in one to two body regions (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.27–3.60). This association was stronger when participants reported pain in three to four sites (OR 4.02, 95% CI 2.36–6.82) and even stronger when pain was experienced in five or more sites (OR 6.13, 95% CI 3.31–11.38).

Conclusions

Multi-site MP is strongly associated—in a dose–response fashion—with lower levels of work ability among PTs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants for their contribution to the study.

Funding

No funding or grant from any commercial source was involved in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, Universitat de València, C/ Gascó Oliag 5. CP 46010, Valencia, Spain

    Yasmín Ezzatvar, Joaquín Calatayud & José Casaña

  2. National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Joaquín Calatayud, Lars L. Andersen & Jonas Vinstrup

  3. Sport Sciences, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Lars L. Andersen & Jonas Vinstrup

  4. Department of Physiotherapy, European University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Jorge Alarcón

Authors
  1. Yasmín Ezzatvar
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  2. Joaquín Calatayud
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  3. Lars L. Andersen
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  4. Jonas Vinstrup
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  5. Jorge Alarcón
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  6. José Casaña
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joaquín Calatayud.

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Conflict of interest

The authors of this study declare that they have no conflict of interest and no funding or grant from any commercial source was involved in this study. The authors thank the participants for their contribution to the study. By responding to the questionnaire, each participant was giving consent to participate in the study and permission for the results to be published.

Ethical approval

This study received ethical approval by the University of Valencia’s Ethical Committee (H1530736596718) and has been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Ezzatvar, Y., Calatayud, J., Andersen, L.L. et al. Dose–response association between multi-site musculoskeletal pain and work ability in physical therapists: a cross-sectional study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 93, 863–870 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-020-01533-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-020-01533-6

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