English version - Fit for Work Europe

Figure 3.3. Site of chronic pain and site of most persistent pain
Proportion of respondents
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Neck
Shoulder
Elbow & surrounding areas
Hand
Overall arm
Work and MSDs in Japan
which is almost twice as many as the 45 cases in 2005 (MHLW, 2008a). In the vast majority of
patients with back pain no specific diagnosis is given.
Back pain is common, episodic, often recurrent and generally self-limiting. It is defined as
recurrent if several episodes occur in one year for a duration of less than six months, acute if an
episode lasts for less than six weeks, sub-acute (7-12 weeks) and chronic if it endures for over
12 weeks. Back pain is a recurrent problem for many people, although this does not necessitate
that symptoms will worsen. For the majority of people pain will disappear of its own accord
within four to six weeks. In a European study of people visiting their family doctors because of
back pain, 65 per cent were free of symptoms within 12 weeks (van der Hoogen et al., 1998 in
Bekkering, Henriks, Koes, Oostendorp, Ostelo et al., 2003).
In Japan 61.4 per cent of individuals reporting back pain are in employment (Fukuhara et al.,
2003). Recorded absence is greatest amongst the minority of individuals whose condition is
chronic or recurrent. Most people who are affected by back pain either remain in work or return
to work promptly. About 85 per cent of people with back pain take fewer than seven days off,
yet this accounts for only half of the number of working days lost. The rest is accounted for by
the 15 per cent who are absent for more than one month (Bekkering et al., 2003). In Japan, the
Fit For Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Japanese Labour Market 21
Back
Low back
Hip & surrounding area
Knee & surrounding area
Site of chronic pain Site of most persistent pain
Foot
Overall leg
Source: Nakamura et al. (2011)