Association between clinician-assessed lifting ability and
workplace tolerance and patient self-reported pain and disability following
work conditioning
Affiliations: President, Hart Ergonomic Consulting, 551 Yopps Cove
Road, White Stone, VA, 22578, USA | REHAB AT WORK, Rockville, MD, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dennis L. Hart, PhD, PT, Hart
Ergonomic Consulting, 551 Yopps Cove Road, White Stone, VA 22578, USA. Tel.: +1
804 436 9727; Fax: +1 804 436 9328; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective: We investigated the association between
clinician-assessed performance-based measures of improvement in lifting ability
and workplace tolerance and patient self-reported improvement in pain and
perceived disability following work conditioning (WC). Methods: A sample of 76 patients (42 ± 9 yrs, 21 to 60 yrs,
74% male) was selected from a retrospective database because they had lumbar
spine impairments and received treatment in a WC program. Patients completed
self-report surveys for perceived disability (Oswestry), pain intensity (visual
analog pain scale – VAS), and pain concerns (McGill short form) before
initial functional capacity evaluation (FCE) and after termination of the WC
program. During the FCE and during the WC, therapists assessed patient
workplace tolerance (WT) and ability to lift from floor to waist (PDL). Results: Over the WC program that averaged 19 (6 SD) days, Oswestry
and VAS scores improved (P< 0.05), but the McGill scores did not (P=0.334).
72% of patients improved their PDL, and 64% met their WT goals. None of the
associations between patient self-report scores and performance-based measures
were significant (P>0.05). Conclusions: In spite of continuing pain complaints, patients
decreased their perceived disability and pain intensity, increased their
lifting ability, and improved their workplace tolerance while participating in
a work-conditioning program.
Keywords: Functional capacity evaluation, work conditioning, perceived disability, pain
