Work Related Rehabilitation in Patients With Low Back Pain

Low back pain is a usual conditions in the western countries and several treatments available for patients with "non-specific low back pain". According to the European guidelines are exercise and cognitive intervention effective on pain and function(www.backpaineurope.org), but it have no documented effect on return to work. In addition, there is no documentation that treatments which focus on a single treatment, is effective with regard to return to work for sick-listed patients. The challenges for health personnel is not cure of the patients back pain, but to build up rehabilitation programs which focus on disability and work incapacity, in patients which are at risk of loosing their work. Dr. P. Loisel, Montreal, Canada", has since 1995 treated patients with back pain according to the "The PREVICAP model - (PREVention of work handICAP)", where the main purpose with work-related program is to prevent prolonged disability and to help patients back to work. Loisel demonstrated that the PREVICAP models accelerated the "return to work" factor by a factor 2.4 (p=0.01). The PREVICAP model have also been evaluated in Amsterdam, by Dr. Anema with the same results. At the Back Clinic, Ullevål University Hospital we have evaluated several exercise programs with good effect on pain and function, but not on the return to work rate. We are planning to do a randomized controlled trial after the PREVICAP model. All included patients in both groups, will have an clinical examination by specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and an exercise program. Patients will be randomized to a work-related rehabilitations program or to usual care by the general practitioner. Hypothesis Main hypothesis: Sick-listed patients with back pain, who will be randomized to the work-related rehabilitation programs, will return to work faster than patients randomized to usual care by the general practitioner. Second hypothesis: A cost-benefit analysis will favor the exercise program and