Pain has a significant impact on work in terms of presenteeism, sickness absence, and long-term incapacity for work
A bio-psychosocial approach is required in understanding pain-related disability and incapacity for work
Long-term absence from work is associated with a number of negative outcomes including; poverty, social exclusion and poorer physical and psychosocial well-being
Return to work can improve recovery for people with musculoskeletal complaints and pain
Interventions to reduce the impact of pain on work can operate at clinical, worker, workplace, and wider systems levels
A broader whole systems approach to pain management needs to be adopted, with a greater focus on work retention as well as rehabilitation
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