For National Spinal Health Month in June, the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) launched a campaign to encourage workplaces to consider the numerous ways that back pain affects workers.
In particular, many men are not actively taking care of their spinal health, with men’s GP consultation rates falling by 20 per cent since 2024. Without proper treatment, there’s the increased risk of chronic back pain and secondary issues, resulting in decreased productivity and high healthcare spending.
Chronic back pain: the flow-on effect
Both extensive movement or lack of it can lead to back pain, making it common to contract from physically demanding labour or even desk jobs.
Experiencing back pain is not easy; it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, and treatment can be expensive.
When back pain sets in, employers and even workers themselves are often not considering the flow-on effects. Ignoring small conditions can lead to increased severity, and take pain from being a manageable inconvenience to a chronic injury.
When chronic back pain sets in, the impact goes beyond functional limitations, increasing a worker’s risk of mental health conditions while also threatening the operation and productivity of the company where they are employed.
With many men avoiding or even refusing medical care, more healthcare involvement is eventually needed, and it’s often businesses paying the price.
“Early care can provide workers with an opportunity to resolve their problems with less intervention and more conservative care,” says President of the Australian Chiropractors Association(ACA) Dr Billy Chow.
“The flipside of this is an expensive mix of complex treatment, possibly a leave of absence, and also the risk of mental health issues.”
With early intervention and the treatment of acute pain, workers are protecting themselves from worsened consequences, and also financially protecting their employer.
Acting early rather than post-injury
With such high numbers of reported back pain and evidence of its effect on workplace activity, the problem goes beyond the individual, and employers should be proactively trying to identify and deal with cases as early as possible.
“Employers can’t diagnose or treat workers’ conditions, but they can shape an environment that makes seeking help easier,” says Chow, adding that managers can ensure workers are comfortable with voicing their health concerns, no matter how small they consider them to be.
As suggested by Chow, a simple approach is observing workers’ behaviour. Examples could be changes in movement or increased irritability, and signs of physical or mental struggle.
Further, he says that an employer who recognises that physical and mental wellbeing are equally as important is more likely to reach a worker who may otherwise stay silent.
Additionally, employers can be more communicative and flexible, because often workers avoid addressing back pain because they’re unaware of available resources, or perhaps their hours don’t allow time for the necessary appointments and the resulting treatment.
Taking a reactive perspective is what continues this pattern of poor spinal health and back pain.
Chow says: “The picture is mixed. Some employers act early, while many still react only after an injury.”
For workers in roles that are physically demanding, further impairment is difficult to manage as role-specific tasks can strain the spine even after early treatment. With more risk involved, employers in these fields are encouraged to employ more specific measures.
Chow suggests that a business can run task-based risk assessments, which essentially measure and identify tasks that require repetitive movement, unnatural postures or heavy lifting. This allows employers to adapt the work environment to better support spinal health. An example of this is reducing manual handling through mechanical aids.
Absenteeism and presenteeism: the consequences of back pain
According to the ACA’s Spinal Health survey, 93 per cent of employed Australians have had or are experiencing back pain, and over 20 per cent reported productivity impairment. This presents a real danger of back pain going beyond an individual’s spinal health. The worker is at risk of further strain and ongoing expenses, and the business is too.
Even the slightest decline in efficiency can disturb a business and lead to financial loss. According to the ACA, if preventative measures aren’t put in place, an estimated $638 billion in lost productivity will occur over the next decade.
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