• Dwayne Van Eerd, Pierre Côté, Vicki Kristman, Mana Rezai, Sheilah Hogg-Johnson, Marjan Vidmar, and Dorcas Beaton.
• Institute for Work & Health † Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada. dvaneerd@iwh.on.ca
• Spine. 2011 May 20;36(12):977-82.

Study DesignCohort study.ObjectiveTo describe the course of lost-time claims involving neck pain in workers compensated by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).Summary Of Background DataThe prevalence of neck pain in workers varies from 27.1% to 47.8%. Very little is known about the course of work absenteeism related to neck pain.MethodsOur cohort included 5761 injured workers with an incident lost-time claim to the WSIB in 1997 and 1998. Claimants were followed for 2 years. We measured the cumulative time on lost-time benefits using the Kaplan-Meier method and described the number and duration of episodes on benefits.ResultsThe median cumulative time-on-benefits for the cohort was 13 days (95% CI: 13-14). The cumulative time on benefits was shorter for men than women and for younger than older workers. 14.2% of claimants experienced multiple episodes of work absenteeism during the 2 years after the initial claim. The median time on benefits for claimants with a single episode was 11 days (95% CI: 10-11). The median length of the first episode on benefits was longer for claimants with multiple episodes (19-22 days) compared with those with a single episode (11 days). Age was positively associated with longer time-on-benefits in claimants with a single episode of work absenteeism.ConclusionMost injured workers who make a workers' compensation claim that involves neck pain do not make a second claim in the subsequent 2 years. However, an important minority (14.2%) experience multiple episodes of work absenteeism and these workers accrue 40.4% of all lost-time days. Recurrent claims involving neck pain represent a significant burden of disability in Ontario.

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