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43740
Garfield Rd.
Clinton Township, MI 48038
586-228-0270
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facts about injuries
THE FACTS ABOUT INJURIES
LOW BACK PAIN
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Over 80% of the general population will experience back
pain at some point in their lives.
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Back pain represents 30% of all workers' compensation
boards' claims by injured workers (more than twice the
percentage of any other complaint). Because of the acknowledged
poor medical management of this complaint and the huge
cost of chronic cases, these 30% of claims generate 60%
of total compensation costs.
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Approximately $14 billion is spent annually on medical
care and absenteeism directly related to back pain. In
1985 alone, $6 billion was disbursed by workersÕ
compensation boards for the treatment of low back pain.
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The Division of Labor Statistics and Research - California
Work Injuries and Illnesses (1984) indicated that 373,600
back injuries were lost time injuries.
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Of all industrial injuries incurred in California for
one year, the back was the most frequently injured body
part, comprising 21% of all lost time injuries.
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Surgery and chemonucleolysis have been subject to high
failure rates and unacceptable costs, and are now used
rarely, with under 1% of patients.
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Bedrest, which promotes illness behavior and huge compensation
costs, has now been proven ineffective.
HEADACHES
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There are an estimated 45 million Americans who suffer
from chronic headaches.
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They make more than 50 million office visits a year to
doctors and spend more than $400 million on over-the-counter
pain relievers.
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Industry loses at least $55 million a year due to absenteeism
and medical expenses caused by headaches.
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CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
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More than 60% - about 223,600 cases - of all reported
work place illnesses are attributed to repetitive strain
disorders caused by improper or overuse of hand and arm
muscles.
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In 1992 alone, nearly 90,000 people in private industry
missed work, often six weeks or more, because of repetitive
motion injuries.
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Of all the work related injuries reported in this country,
those that relate to repetitive motion-carpal tunnel syndrome,
tendonitis, and bursitis-top the list.
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Carpal tunnel surgery has become the most common operation
among people claiming workers' compensation. However,
a 1991 study of 60 people with CTS presented at the annual
meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons,
showed that more than half of those who had undergone
carpal tunnel operations reported a return of symptoms,
usually pain, starting on average of two years after surgery.
Of these, 30% rated their results as "poor to fair."
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