Return-to-Work Following Occupational Rehabilitation for Long COVID: Descriptive Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that worldwide, between 30% and 50% of those who are infected with COVID-19 experience long COVID (LC) symptoms. These symptoms create challenges with return-to-work (RTW) in a high proportion of individuals with LC. To tailor rehabilitation programs to LC sequelae and help improve RTW outcomes, more research on LC rehabilitation program outcomes is needed. OBJECTIVE: This study describes the characteristics and outcomes of workers who participated in an LC occupational rehabilitation program. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted. Descriptive variables included demographic and occupational factors as well as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs, ie, the Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS], the Post-COVID Functional Scale [PCFS], the 36-item Short Form Health Survey [SF-36], the Pain Disability Index [PDI], the pain Visual Analogue Scale [VAS], the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9], the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire [GAD-7], and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders Fifth Edition [DSM-5] posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] checklist [PCL-5]). The main outcome variable was the RTW status at discharge. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Logistic regression examined predictors of RTW. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 81 workers. Most workers were female (n=52, 64%) and from health-related occupations (n=43, 53%). Only 43 (53%) individuals returned to work at program discharge, with 40 (93%) of these returning to modified duties. Although there were statistically significant improvements on the pain VAS (mean 11.1, SD 25.6, t31=2.5, P=.02), the PDI (mean 9.4, SD 12.5, t32=4.3, P<.001), the FSS (mean 3.9, SD 8.7, t38=2.8, P=.01), the SF-36 PCS (mean 4.8, SD 8.7, t38=-3.5, P=.001), the PHQ-9 (mean 3.7, SD 4.0, t31=5.2, P<.001), and the GAD-7 (mean 1.8, SD 4.4, t22=1.8, P=.03), there were no significant improvements in the PCFS, the overall mental component score (MCS) of the SF-36, or on the PCL-5. The availability of modified duties (odds ratio [OR] 3.38, 95% CI 1.26-9.10) and shorter time between infection and admission for rehabilitation (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99-1.00) predicted RTW even when controlling for age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Workers undergoing LC rehabilitation reported significant but modest improvements on a variety of PROMs, but only 43 (53%) returned to work. Outcomes would likely improve with increased availability of modified duties and timelier rehabilitation. Additional research is needed, including larger observational cohorts as well as randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of LC rehabilitation.

Barriers to Physiotherapists' Use of Professional Development Tools for Chronic Pain: A Knowledge Translation Study.

Purpose: The Pain Science Division (PSD) is a special interest group of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association that serves physiotherapists who have an interest in better understanding and managing patients' pain. The PSD developed evidence-based resources for its members with the goal of improving patient care by supporting professional development. However, online metrics tracking access to these resources indicated that access was low. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers PSD members encountered to the use of PSD resources and to recommend interventions to address these barriers guided by the Theory and Techniques Tool (TTT). Method: We distributed an online survey to PSD members across Canada. We used the TTT, a knowledge translation tool, to guide the design of the questionnaire and identify actionable findings. Results: Response rates from 621 non-student members and 1,470 student members were 26.9% and 1.4%, respectively. Based on the frequency of practising physiotherapists' (n = 167) agreement with items in the TTT, the primary barriers to use of the PSD resources were forgetting that the resources were available and forgetting to use them. Conclusions: The TTT can be used to identify barriers to use of professional development tools.

Objectif : la division science de la douleur (DSD) est un groupe d'intérêt de l'Association canadienne de physiothérapie destiné aux physiothérapeutes qui souhaitent mieux comprendre et gérer la douleur des patients. La DSD a préparé des ressources fondées sur des données probantes pour ses membres afin d'améliorer les soins aux patients grâce au perfectionnement professionnel. Cependant, les mesures virtuelles qui surveillent l'accès à ces ressources ont révélé que cet accès était limité. La présente étude visait à établir les obstacles auxquels se sont heurtés les membres de la DSD pour utiliser les ressources de la DSD et à recommander des interventions afin d'écarter ces obstacles en fonction de l'outil Theory and Techniques (TTT). Méthodologie : les chercheurs ont distribué un sondage en ligne aux membres de la DSD du Canada. Ils ont utilisé le TTT, un outil d'application des connaissances, pour orienter la conception du questionnaire et déterminer les résultats réalisables. Résultats : le taux de réponse des 621 membres non étudiants et des 1 470 membres étudiants s'établissait à 26,9 % et à 1,4 %, respectivement. D'après la fréquence d'accord des physiothérapeutes en exercice (n = 167) avec les points du TTT, l'oubli de l'existence des ressources ou l'oubli de les utiliser étaient les principaux obstacles à l'utilisation des ressources de la DSD. Conclusions : le TTT peut être utilisé pour déterminer les obstacles à l'utilisation d'outils de perfectionnement professionnel.

Improving Cultural Knowledge to Facilitate Cultural Adaptation of Pain Management in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community.

Purpose: Health care disparities exist for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Addressing the cultural competence of health care providers could limit these disparities. The aim of this study was to improve cultural knowledge of and humility regarding pain in a CALD community. Method: This interpretive description qualitative study used focus group discussions (FGDs) to generate ideas about how South Asian culture could influence how health care providers manage pain. A total of 14 people with pain and of South Asian background (6 women and 8 men, aged 28-70 y) participated. Two investigators independently analyzed the data. This process involved repeatedly reading the transcripts, then manually sorting the key messages into categories. The investigators compared their categorizations and resolved differences through discussion. Next, similar categories and concepts were grouped into ideas (potential themes). These ideas, along with supporting categories and verbatim quotes, were presented to the full research team for feedback. After compiling the feedback, the ideas formed the thematic representation of the data. Results: The data from the FGDs revealed how pain management could be culturally adapted. The FGDs generated four themes about South Asian cultural perspectives that could influence the pain management experience for people living with pain: (1) cultural and linguistic impediments to communication, (2) understanding of pain in terms of the extent to which it interferes with function and work, (3) nurturing or personal attention as a marker of good care, and (4) value attributed to traditional ideas of illness and treatment. Conclusion: This study demonstrates how engaging with CALD people living with pain can lead to improved cultural knowledge and humility that can form the basis for adapting pain management. Through this process, it is more likely that a meaningful and client-centred pain management plan can be developed.

Objectif : les membres de communautés linguistiques et culturelles diversifiées (CLCD) font face à des disparités en matière de soins. Si les dispensateurs de soins acquéraient des compétences culturelles, il serait possible d'atténuer ces disparités. La présente étude visait à améliorer les connaissances et l'humilité culturelle au sujet de la douleur dans les CLCD. Méthodologie : étude qualitative descriptive et interprétative faisant appel à des entrevues de groupe pour générer des idées sur la manière dont la culture sud-asiatique peut influencer les modes de gestion de la douleur par les dispensateurs de soins. Au total, 14 personnes d'origine sud-asiatique qui souffrent de douleur y ont participé (six femmes et huit hommes de 28 à 70 ans). Deux chercheurs ont analysé les données de manière indépendante. Ce processus incluait la lecture répétée des comptes rendus, puis la catégorisation manuelle des principaux messages. Les chercheurs ont comparé les catégories et résolu leurs différends par des discussions. Ils ont ensuite regroupé les catégories et les concepts semblables en idées (thèmes potentiels). Les idées, de même que les catégories et les citations textuelles qui les appuyaient, ont ensuite été présentées à l'ensemble de l'équipe de recherche pour qu'elle y réagisse. Une fois les réactions compilées, les idées ont formé la représentation thématique des données. Résultats : les données tirées des entrevues de groupe ont révélé des manières d'adapter la gestion de la douleur à la culture. Les entrevues ont produit quatre thèmes sur les points de vue de la culture sud-asiatique qui pourraient influer sur l'expérience de gestion de la douleur des personnes qui vivent avec la douleur : 1) les obstacles culturels et linguistiques à la communication, 2) la compréhension de l'importance de l'entrave que représente la douleur pour le fonctionnement et le travail, 3) l'accompagnement ou l'attention personnelle comme marqueur de bons soins et 4) la valeur attribuée aux idées traditionnelles de la maladie et du traitement. Conclusion : la présente étude démontre que le fait d'engager un dialogue avec des personnes de CLCD qui vivent avec la douleur peut améliorer les connaissances et l'humilité culturelles sur lesquelles reposeront les mesures d'adaptation. Grâce à ce processus, il est plus probable d'établir un plan concret de gestion de la douleur, axé sur le client.

Low back pain and radiographic severity as predictors in hip osteoarthritis patients receiving steroid injection therapy.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the effects of lower back pain (LBP) on measures of pain, disability, and function in highly symptomatic hip OA patients receiving intra-articular steroid injection (IASI) therapy. We also investigated the effect of radiographic severity of hip OA for comparison to LBP. METHODS: 97 consenting subjects with symptomatic hip OA presenting for IASI were evaluated at baseline, assessed over an 8-week period, and followed at least 1 year later for new arthroplasty. At baseline and 8 weeks follow-up patient demographics, presence/absence of back pain, physical function tests, a single anteroposterior pelvis x-ray, and subjective scores of pain, stiffness and function (VAS and WOMAC) were collected. We also followed which subjects proceeded to obtain total hip arthroplasty in the examined hip. RESULTS: Cohorts with LBP reported significantly worse scores for all of VAS pain and WOMAC questionnaires but showed no difference in ROM and were not more likely to proceed to arthroplasty. Cohorts with severe radiographic OA had significantly worsened scores for stiffness (χ2 = 6.74, p = 0.009), decreased ROM (p < 0.01), and were more likely to proceed to arthroplasty (χ2 = 9.79, p = 0.044). DISCUSSION: Back pain has a substantial effect on clinical parameters relevant to assessment of severity of hip OA, especially self-reported pain and function. This finding highlights LBP as a significant confounding factor in hip OA patient assessments and will inform future studies to determine the most effective treatment strategies for hip OA patients.

Development and Persistence of Suspected Neuropathic Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Individuals With Osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the effectiveness of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis (OA), up to 20% will report knee pain 1 year after surgery. One possible reason is the development of neuropathic pain before or after TKA. OBJECTIVE: To longitudinally describe suspected neuropathic pain in patients pre- and post-TKA and to explore relations between pre-TKA suspected neuropathic pain and post-TKA outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Participants were recruited from orthopedic surgery clinics prior to inpatient elective primary TKA. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 135 patients were assessed for eligibility; 99 were enrolled and 74 completed the 6-month follow-up. METHODS: Participants completed the Self-Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS) and outcome measures at baseline (pre-TKA) and 1 and 6 months post-TKA by postal survey. Demographic variables included age, gender, and comorbidities. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the presence of suspected neuropathic pain at each assessment and course of outcomes for various suspected neuropathic pain trajectories. Further, t-tests were used to compare outcomes between those with and without suspected neuropathic pain at each assessment. Multiple linear regressions assessed the relationship between baseline suspected neuropathic pain and 6-month outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain (ICOAP), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. RESULTS: Suspected neuropathic pain was present in 35.5% of pre-TKA patients, 39.0% at 1 month, and 23.6% at 6 months post-TKA. Those with suspected neuropathic pain had higher scores for ICOAP total pain (P = .05), pain catastrophizing (P < .01), and depression (P < .01) at each assessment. After adjusting for potential confounding, pre-TKA suspected neuropathic pain did not predict ICOAP total pain or PHQ-9 depression scores at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although 14% of individuals with knee OA had suspected neuropathic pain that persisted 6 months post-TKA and those with suspected neuropathic pain had higher levels of pain, catastrophizing, and depression, the clinical identification of neuropathic pain remains enigmatic. Preoperative suspected neuropathic pain, as measured by S-LANSS, may have limited prognostic value for post-TKA outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Pain Assessment Recommendations for Women, Made by Women: A Mixed Methods Study.

Objective: To quantitatively describe women's priorities for pain assessment and qualitatively explain unique features of women's pain experiences. Design: Mixed-methods study that included a three-round Delphi study followed by in-depth interviews. Setting: Clinical research study. Participants: Twenty-three women with chronic pain recruited from three women's pain treatment facilities and one interdisciplinary chronic pain clinic. Methods: Phase 1 (Delphi) involved completion of a questionnaire that rated agreement with the importance of 32 commonly used pain assessment measures. Answers were compiled, and controlled feedback was provided after each round. This iterative process continued until acceptable stability was reached. Stability was defined as proportion agreement for each response that reached the a priori cutoff score of 75%. Phase 2 (qualitative) involved one-to-one telephone interviews that followed a semistructured interview guide partially informed from phase 1 findings. A descriptive approach summarized and described participants' perspectives while avoiding abstractions. Textual data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Phase 1 identified 15 pain assessments as important. Some commonly used pain assessment measures such as the numeric pain intensity rating scale did not reach agreement as important. However, no pain assessments reached agreement as unimportant. Ten additional women completed face-to-face interviews, and an overall theme of stigmatization emerged that highlighted the importance of soliciting the pain narrative and why some aspects of psychosocial pain assessment did not reach agreement. Conclusions: Priorities identified by women for the assessment of pain were largely consistent with expert recommendations; however, important differences were raised that merit consideration for clinicians to reduce stigma.

Effectiveness of psychological interventions delivered by non-psychologists on low back pain and disability: a qualitative systematic review.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Psychological treatments delivered by non-psychologists have been proposed as a way to increase access to care to address important psychological barriers to recovery in people with low back pain (LBP). PURPOSE: This review aimed to synthesize randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assess the effectiveness of psychological interventions delivered by non-psychologists in reducing pain intensity and disability in adults with LBP, compared with usual care. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review without meta-analysis was carried out. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials including adult patients with all types of musculoskeletal LBP were eligible. Interventions included those based on psychological principles and delivered by non-psychologists. The primary outcomes of interest were self-reported pain intensity and disability. Information sources included Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Registrar for Controlled Trials. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was used for the evaluation of internal validity. RESULTS: There were 1,101 records identified, 159 were assessed for eligibility, 16 were critically appraised, and 11 studies were included. Mild to moderate risk of bias was present in the included studies, with personnel and patient blinding, treatment fidelity, and attrition being the most common sources of bias. Considerable heterogeneity existed for patient population, intervention components, and comparison groups. Although most studies demonstrated statistical and clinical improvements in pain and disability, few were statistically superior to the comparison group. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the broader psychological literature, psychological interventions delivered by non-psychologists have modest effects on low back pain and disability. Additional high quality research is needed to understand what patients are likely to respond to psychological interventions, the appropriate dose to achieve the desired outcome, the amount of training required to implement psychological interventions, and the optimal procedures to ensure treatment fidelity.

Physical Functioning and Opioid use in Patients with Neuropathic Pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between opioid dosage and ongoing therapy with physical function and disability in patients with neuropathic pain (NeP). DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort. SETTING: Multicenter clinical NeP registry. SUBJECTS: Seven hundred eighty-nine patients treated for various NeP diagnoses. METHODS: The following measures were included: dependent variables. 12-month self-reported physical function (pain disability index [PDI] and medical outcomes study short form-12 physical function [PCSS-12]); independent variables: baseline opioid dose (none, ≤200 mg and >200 mg of morphine equivalent), ongoing opioid use; potential confounding variables: age, sex, baseline pain intensity, and psychological distress (profile of mood states). Analysis of covariance models was created to examine the relationship between opioid therapy and both physical functioning outcomes with adjustment for confounding. RESULTS: Complete data was available for 535 patients (68%). Compared with the lower and high dose opioid groups, NeP patients not taking opioids had statistically lower disability and higher physical functioning scores, after adjusting for disease severity. Compared with patients prescribed opioid therapy on an ongoing basis, NeP patients who were not prescribed had statistically lower disability and higher physical functioning scores, after adjusting for disease severity. Improvements in disability and physical functioning scores from baseline and 12-months in all groups were modest and may not be clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Physical functioning and disability did not improve in patients with NeP who were prescribed opioids compared with those who are not prescribed, even after adjusting for disease severity.

An adaptive role for negative expected pain in patients with neuropathic pain.

OBJECTIVES: To study the relationship between expected pain and future outcomes along with the moderating effects of expected pain in neuropathic pain patients. METHODS: Study participants were recruited for the Canadian Neuropathic Pain Database. To examine the relationship between expected pain and 6-month pain intensity, pain-related disability, and catastrophizing, multiple regressions were performed. These relationships were adjusted for potential confounding (age, sex, baseline pain intensity, and psychological distress). To evaluate the moderating effect of expected pain on the relationship between baseline pain intensity and 6-month outcomes, pain intensity×expected pain interaction terms were created. RESULTS: Complete data for analysis was available for 560 patients (71%). Expected pain was positively correlated with pain intensity and pain-related disability scores at 6 months. The relationship between baseline pain intensity and 6-month catastrophizing scores was moderated by expected pain (however, despite a similar trend, expected pain did not statistically moderate the relationship between baseline pain intensity and 6-month pain intensity or disability). At higher levels of pain, predicted catastrophizing scores were higher for those with low levels of expected pain than those with high levels of expected pain. An opposite relationship was observed for patients with the lower levels of pain. DISCUSSION: In neuropathic pain patients whose pain does not respond to therapy, high levels of expected pain may relate to relatively lower catastrophizing scores by shifting focus away from futile attempts at "curing" pain toward focusing on achievement of more realistic personal goals.

Predictive capacity of pain beliefs and catastrophizing in Whiplash Associated Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Beliefs about pain are known to be important factors in recovery, most notably in LBP. Relatively less is known about the role of pain beliefs in Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD). The widely advocated cognitive-behavioural approach to pain management necessitates cognitive factors such as pain beliefs be examined, even early after injury. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the predictive capacity of early post-injury pain beliefs and catastrophizing in patients with WAD. METHODS: Patients (n=72) undergoing treatment for acute WAD in physical therapy and chiropractic clinics were invited to participate in the study. Research participants were asked to complete measures of beliefs (Survey of Pain Attitudes (SOPA) and Pain Beliefs and Perception Inventory (PBPI)) and catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale) at baseline (within 6 weeks of injury), and 3 and 6 months post-injury. In addition, pain severity and self-reported disability using the Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) were recorded at each measurement occasion. Baseline belief and catastrophizing scores were examined for their relationship with future pain and disability using multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Expectancy beliefs (PBPI Permanence and SOPA Medical Cure) were negatively correlated with pain intensity at 6-months and uniquely accounted for 16% and 14% of explained variance, respectively, after controlling for baseline pain intensity, age, sex and history of WAD. Consistent with previous research, catastrophizing was also found to be predictive of future pain. The amount of unique variance explained by beliefs in the prediction of future disability was modest after controlling for baseline disability, age, sex and history of WAD. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that expectancy beliefs are potentially important constructs to include in future explanatory prognosis studies. The Medical Cure and Permanence subscales of the SOPA and PBPI are tools that could be used to measure these expectancy constructs.

Evaluating physical therapy students' knowledge of and adherence to the ambassador low back pain guideline.

PURPOSE: To examine a process for evaluating physiotherapy (PT) students' knowledge of and adherence to the Ambassador Low Back Pain (LBP) guideline using vignettes. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were PT students who had received information related to the guideline as part of their curriculum. Primary measures were responses to questions about the management of four clinical vignettes. Adherence to guideline recommendations was measured by comparing participant scores to a "guideline-based" set of responses from a physiotherapist involved in developing the Ambassador guideline, which was considered a criterion standard. RESULTS: A total of 74 respondents provided complete data, for a response rate of 89%; 65 (88%) reported no knowledge of the guideline. Overall consistency with the criterion standard was high (>70%). Respondents demonstrated high adherence when identifying red flags and deciding whether to refer to another provider. CONCLUSION: Despite known exposure, knowledge of the guideline was low in this sample of Canadian PT students. Nevertheless, in several key areas, unconscious adherence was high relative to the guideline-based criterion standard. With minor modifications, the vignettes are suitable for evaluating the Ambassador LBP guidelines in a larger study.

Objectif : Nous avons étudié un processus d'évaluation de la connaissance et de l'observation, chez les étudiants en physiothérapie (PT), du guide Ambassador sur la lombalgie. Méthodes : L'étude repose sur une enquête transversale. Les participants étaient des étudiants en physiothérapie qui avaient reçu de l'information au sujet guide dans le cadre de leur cursus. Les réponses aux questions sur la prise en charge de quatre cas cliniques ont constitué les principales mesures. On a mesuré l'observation des recommandations contenues dans le guide en comparant les résultats des participants à une série de réponses « basées sur le guide ¼ données par un physiothérapeute qui a participé à la création du guide Ambassador, considéré comme l'étalon critère. Résultats : Au total, 74 répondants ont fourni des données complètes, ce qui donne un taux de réponse de 89 %; 65 (88 %) ont déclaré ne pas connaître le guide. L'observation générale de l'étalon critère était élevée (>70 %). Les répondants ont démontré une observation importante lorsqu'il s'agit d'identifier les signaux d'alarme et de décider s'il faut référer le patient à une autre fournisseur. Conclusion : En dépit d'une exposition connue, cet échantillon d'étudiants canadiens en physiothérapie connaissait peu le guide. Néanmoins, dans un certain nombre de domaines clés, l'observation spontanée était élevée par rapport à l'étalon critère basé sur le guide. Avec quelques modifications mineures, les vignettes conviennent pour évaluer le guide Ambassador sur la lombalgie dans le contexte d'une étude de plus grande envergure.

If they can put a man on the moon, they should be able to fix a neck injury: a mixed-method study characterizing and explaining pain beliefs about WAD.

PURPOSE: To use quantitative data characterizing whiplash-associated disorder (WAD)-related pain beliefs over time to develop qualitative analysis exploring experiences informing these beliefs. METHOD: A mixed-method design was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently at baseline and 3 and 6 months postmotor vehicle collision. WAD-related pain beliefs were quantitatively measured in a sample of adults with acute WAD. A subgroup of participants participated in an interview after each survey. Descriptive statistics quantitatively characterized beliefs at each measurement. High or low scores from survey beliefs subscales informed the semistructured interview. The qualitative component explored experiences informing endorsement of beliefs reported on the surveys using a meaning-focused approach. RESULTS: Adjunctive meaning informing endorsement of beliefs related to cure, control, emotions and mystery was achieved. Qualitative analysis revealed a meta-theme labeled restitution, representing a desire to be "fixed". Stigma also emerged as a potentially important contextual descriptor of WAD meaning. CONCLUSIONS: Restitution was the dominant underlying pattern of belief endorsement. While this may be adaptive early after WAD, it is problematic for meaning construction later on. Based on contemporary views on pain, identification of this narrative is important as it represents an incompatibility in the conceptualization of pain between patient and provider.

Perceived injustice in injured workers: analysis of public responses to an injured worker who took Workers' Compensation Board employees hostage.

INTRODUCTION: Injured workers' perceived injustice can contribute to retaliatory, aggressive actions. Research also shows a relationship between persistent pain, anger and aggressive, maladaptive coping. AIMS: We took the unique opportunity afforded by a workers compensation board (WCB) hostage taking incident to address four questions: (i) What contemporary values, beliefs, and potential behaviours about the WCB system are reflected in the online postings of other claimants (or family members of claimants) in response to the hostage taking incident? (ii) To what degree do the narratives of people who posted online (PWP) in response to this incident, demonstrate the theme of perceived injustice and support retaliatory actions? (iii) How accurate is the information relayed by PWP about the WCB system where the hostage taking occurred? (iv) What is the quality and the public utility of the information this WCB makes available to the public through on-line posting? METHODS: We thematically analysed comments posted on a national news website in response to the hostage-taking. We focused on posted narratives from people who stated that they had personal involvement with WCB. We also assessed the accuracy of the comments about WCB made in these narratives against the information available on the WCB website. A standardized assessment tool was used to determine the readability and accessibility of the WCB website. FINDINGS: Emergent themes were: retribution, perceived systemic mistreatment, justice/injustice, empathy, disbelief, and loss. There were many inaccurate beliefs about the Workers' Compensation Board. The overall quality of readability and accessibility of the website was low. CONCLUSION: Narratives indicated perceived procedural injustice attributed to a flawed and uncaring compensation system. Inaccurate beliefs about WCB and poor quality of the public website may have contributed to suffering, miscommunication and perceptions of unjust, systemic mistreatment. Findings support a relationship between perceived injustice and aggressive retaliatory action.

Factors associated with calf muscle endurance recovery 1 year after achilles tendon rupture repair.

STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study. OBJECTIVES: To describe calf muscle endurance recovery and to explore factors predictive of poor calf muscle endurance recovery 1 year after surgical repair of an Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). BACKGROUND: ATR is a common sports-related injury and is often managed with open surgical repair. After ATR repair most patients return to usual activities 6 months after surgery. However, calf endurance impairment can persist up to 6 years, possibly impacting performance of daily activities and sport. METHODS: A secondary analysis of a 73-patient cohort from a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of early weight bearing after surgical repair of an ATR was performed. Calf muscle endurance recovery was measured by single-heel raises using a customized counting device at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Descriptive statistics were used to outline recovery of calf muscle endurance. Physical and patient-reported outcomes were examined for their association with calf-muscle endurance recovery. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore variables associated with recovery of calf endurance 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: Mean recovery of calf muscle endurance was 76% at 1 year. Multivariate regression analysis showed an association of being female, reporting no resting pain at 3 months, and physical functioning and calf endurance at 6 months, with better recovery of calf endurance at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Calf muscle endurance at 1 year remained impaired in a considerable portion of the sample. Pain, gender, and physical functioning are likely important factors in determining recovery of calf muscle endurance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognosis, level 2b.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2010;40(6):345-351, Epub 15 April 2010. doi:10.2519/jospt.2010.3204.

Opioid prescriptions in canadian workers' compensation claimants: prescription trends and associations between early prescription and future recovery.

STUDY DESIGN: Historical cohort study. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the prescription of opioids in injured Canadian workers to determine recent trends in use and the association between early prescription and future recovery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Opioid analgesia is effective for reducing chronic nonmalignant pain, and opioid prescriptions for musculoskeletal pain seem to have increased over the past years. However, recent evidence indicates early opioid use may be associated with delayed recovery in patients with back pain. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Alberta Workers' Compensation Board administrative database, and information was obtained on all time loss claims for sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, amputations, or burns between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2005. Information on all narcotic prescriptions was obtained along with demographic data and duration of time loss benefits. Injury severity was controlled for via nature of injury coding. Analysis included multivariable logistic and Cox regression. RESULTS: Data were obtained for 137,175 subjects. The majority were males ( approximately 70%) with back sprains (approximately 35%), and a mean age of 37 years. Between the years 2000 and 2005, all opioid prescriptions within the first year of claim decreased from 11.4% of claimants to 8.3%. Older males with fractures, dislocations, or amputations were more likely to receive narcotics. Claimants receiving early opioid prescriptions experienced delayed suspension of benefits. However, this association was also seen in claimants prescribed early non-narcotic analgesics. DISCUSSION: Prescriptions for opioid analgesia appear to be decreasing within workers' compensation claimants in Alberta, Canada. As expected, claimants with more severe injuries were more likely to receive opioids. An association was observed between early opioid prescription and delayed recovery, however, this is likely explained by pain severity or other unmeasured confounders.

A population-based survey of beliefs about neck pain from whiplash injury, work-related neck pain, and work-related upper extremity pain.

BACKGROUND: Beliefs about pain conditions appear to influence recovery in a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Little is known about population beliefs about neck and arm pain. AIMS: To evaluate population beliefs of three common musculoskeletal conditions: work-related neck and arm pain and whiplash injury (WAD). METHODS: Mail-out surveys were delivered to 2000 adult residents of two Canadian provinces cross-sectionally. To evaluate beliefs about the three conditions, the back beliefs questionnaire was modified yielding three comparable 10-item measures. In addition, we inquired about the belief about how quickly the condition settles. Respondents indicated their level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale with lower scores interpreted as negative or pessimistic. Overall and item specific descriptive statistics are reported. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to compare beliefs across conditions. RESULTS: Three hundred (15%) surveys were returned. Overall belief scores were different across conditions (p<0.001). Post-hoc tests revealed beliefs about whiplash injury were more negative compared to the other conditions (p<0.017). There were moderate levels of uncertainty in the responses, especially in regard to whiplash injury. For items related to active coping, over 55% of respondents agreed that remaining active and exercising was important. The sample was pessimistic in regard to recovery and resuming usual activities for all conditions, but more so in the case of WAD. CONCLUSIONS: Population beliefs related to neck pain, arm pain, and WAD in the two Canadian provinces sampled were consistent with the literature in regard to remaining active, but appeared misinformed relating to the prognosis of these conditions. Strategies for reeducating the public are indicated.

The influence of early weight-bearing compared with non-weight-bearing after surgical repair of the Achilles tendon.

BACKGROUND: The optimal rehabilitation protocol after surgical repair of an Achilles tendon rupture has not been well defined. The objective of this randomized study was to compare the effect of early weight-bearing with that of non-weight-bearing on early postoperative recovery following repair of an acutely ruptured Achilles tendon. METHODS: Between October 2003 and May 2006, 110 patients with a surgically repaired Achilles tendon rupture were enrolled from one of two major trauma-care tertiary hospitals. All patients were non-weight-bearing for the first two weeks postoperatively. At the two-week postoperative visit, patients were randomized to either weight-bearing or non-weight-bearing for an additional four weeks. Compliance was measured with a pressure sensor in the fixed-hinge ankle-foot orthosis given to each patient. Follow-up assessments were performed at six weeks, three months, and six months postoperatively. The primary outcome was health-related quality of life assessed with use of the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36). Secondary outcomes were activity level, calf strength, ankle range of motion, return to sports and work, and complications. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients (89%) completed the six-month follow-up. At six weeks, the weight-bearing group had significantly better scores than the non-weight-bearing group in the RAND-36 domains of physical functioning, social functioning, role-emotional, and vitality scores (p < 0.05). Patients in the weight-bearing group also reported fewer limitations of daily activities at six weeks postoperatively (p < 0.001). At six months, no significant differences between the groups were seen in any outcome, although both groups had poor endurance of the calf musculature. No rerupture occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Early weight-bearing after surgical repair of an acute Achilles tendon rupture improves health-related quality of life in the early postoperative period and has no detrimental effect on recovery.