'If it's very burdensome on the person, it's going to be burdensome to the workplace'
Chronic pain may be the reason your workers are not performing at an optimal level at work.
And pain affects all parts of a person's life, says one expert.
“From quality of life to their general health, to their mental and emotional health, to their risk of suicide, difficulty with cognitive function, fatigue, exhaustion, sleep problems, difficulty engaging in their normal activities of daily living, absenteeism, social connection, healthcare utilization,” says Demetry Assimakopoulos, senior chiropractor at the Pain and Wellness Centre, in talking with Canadian HR Reporter.
“Across the board, it's very burdensome on the person. And if it's very burdensome on the person, it's going to be burdensome to the workplace.”
And millions of Canadians suffer from chronic pain, he notes.
According to data from the federal government, one in five Canadians lives with chronic pain. Also, two thirds of Canadians living with chronic pain report their pain is moderate (52 per cent) to severe (14 per cent), and 50 per cent have lived with chronic pain for over ten years
This is very costly to employers.
“The total cost of chronic pain in 2019 was anywhere from between $38.2 billion to $40.3 billion just for that year,” says Assimakopoulos, citing data from Ottawa.
“Factoring in the indirect cost – absenteeism, lost production – and it's going to be even higher, at about $31.5 billion.”
Seven in 10 (70 per cent) of workers who were injured on the job in Ontario still experience pain 18 months after the incident, according to a previous report from the Institute for Work and Health (IWH).
Chronic pain linked to mental health
Chronic pain is not only a physical health problem, says Assimakopoulos. In fact, chronic pain and mental health problems go hand-in-hand, he says.
According to data from the federal government, chronic pain often results in anxiety and depression and can nearly double the risk of suicide. And 28 per cent of people living with chronic pain have seriously considered suicide.
“Chronic pain and mental health have a huge relationship… and those two things are found together,” says Assimakopoulos.
“Because of that… the odds of having a comorbid mood disorders when you have chronic pain is about three, three and a half times the odds.”
How to support those suffering from chronic pain at work
For employers looking to support workers suffering from chronic pain, tapping the services of chiropractors can be a big help, says Assimakopoulos, as their “bread-and-butter” is treating people’s problems with the musculoskeletal system.
Chiropractors can also screen workers with chronic pain for other comorbid conditions, including a mental health disorder, he says.
“That could mean giving your workers extended benefits that they can use to help with their challenges.”
When it comes to providing this support, accessibility should be employers’ top priority, Assimakopoulos says.
Employers should also prioritize “accessibility in pairing workers with corporate wellness programs, with wellness teams on site and with opportunities for people to exercise and get their mental health challenges looked at by people on site.
“Accessibility is helpful, making the workplace more person-centred.”
Employers can also support workers suffering from chronic pain by ensuring that “the workplace is suited for the worker doing the job, instead of suiting the worker for the job,” says Assimakopoulos, adding that opportunities for breaks also help.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, employers provided paid time-off for workers to get checked for possible infection and vaccine shots.
“A similar argument can be made for persistent pain as well,” says Assimakopoulos.
“It's just about providing workers with the necessary support and access so that they can undergo or self-manage their condition in the workplace, [to] allow them to continue working.”
