Association between clinician-assessed lifting ability and workplace tolerance and patient self-reported pain and disability following work conditioning.

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.