Chronic Pain – Why Should Employers Care About the Issue of Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is a silent affliction that affects more than 20% of the global population every day. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that the European Federation of Pain Societies recognized it as a specific healthcare issue—a standalone disease. While acute pain is rightly considered a symptom of illness or injury, chronic pain is entirely different. It doesn’t serve a protective function but rather slowly drains a person’s body, leaving them unproductive.

How Does Chronic Pain Affect a Person’s Health?

Chronic pain can occur in various areas of the body; however, working-age individuals most commonly experience pain in the lower back, shoulders, neck, and arms. This pain may not necessarily be related to injuries or traumas but can develop gradually due to degenerative spinal conditions, poor posture, and neurological or peripheral nerve disorders.

For example, acute pain arises from external or internal injuries, with its source generally easy to pinpoint. Acute pain serves as a warning sign of a protective function breach. Imagine a person injures their hand—both the cause and location of the pain are clear, and appropriate treatment can be applied to relieve it. In contrast, chronic pain does not perform a protective function, and its cause is often challenging to determine. It can persist for over 12 hours a day, and while its intensity may fluctuate, it is nearly always present, wearing down the body, depleting psychological resilience, and impairing a person’s productivity.

How Does Chronic Pain Impact Productivity?

According to the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, every employer must care for employee safety and health, a responsibility that many take seriously. Safe work environments are created, and all necessary equipment is provided to ensure safety, minimizing workplace risk. However, it is often forgotten that individuals can suffer from more than acute injuries at work; they can also fall victim to chronic conditions. With sedentary jobs becoming increasingly common, it is worth asking whether enough is being done to prevent chronic ailments, such as chronic back, neck, shoulder, or headache issues, among employees.

A 2019 study published in Front Public Health demonstrated the relationship between sedentary work, back pain, and psychological and social behavior. The findings indicate that employees with sedentary jobs are more likely to experience adverse effects such as back pain and mental health issues. Therefore, ensuring the well-being of employees requires creating conditions that minimize sitting time and encourage physical activity through various wellness programs. Such initiatives should be viewed as preventive measures that help avoid back pain, injuries, and mental health complications.

A person who suffers from chronic pain daily loses not only physical functionality and activity but may also become apathetic and passive, potentially developing depression and other adverse effects, such as anger, stress, fear, insomnia, and apathy. All these factors significantly impair the ability to perform assigned tasks or even engage in daily activities.

Chronic pain is challenging to define. Often, both the patient and their relatives and employers do not pay enough attention to it, thinking, “It will pass” or “Take a pill,” thus relegating this ailment to a secondary role and overlooking its negative psychological, physiological, and economic consequences. Additionally, many people suffering from chronic pain hide it from those around them, especially if it is difficult to specify what, when, and why it hurts. Concern about job security also plays a role, as individuals don’t want to burden their employers by frequently complaining about pain. However, it is clear that someone suffering from chronic pain is either unproductive or significantly less productive, as evidenced by work performance.

The Employer’s Role in Protecting Employee Health

An employer who values every employee as an essential team member should prioritize employee health and well-being.

Here’s what an employer can do to support their employees:

• Promote a responsible approach to mandatory health check-ups;
• Encourage employees to choose preventive health insurance programs;
• Provide additional health insurance;
• Foster a positive emotional environment;
• Arrange on-site or work-time physical therapyand massage sessions;
• Educate employees on health issues;
• Create a safe environment where employees can discuss their health concerns;
• Ensure that HR staff are well-trained to refer employees to appropriate specialists.

By paying attention to opportunities to improve employee health, employers demonstrate responsibility, build an attractive employee motivation system, support employees during challenging periods, and foster strong interpersonal relationships.