Keep back pain sufferers at work, charity urges employers

The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance has called for employers to keep people with back and joint pain in work.

The charity, which encompasses 34 health bodies and charities, including the National Osteoporosis Society and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, called for additional training for managers, more flexible working conditions and more emphasis on what someone can, rather than can’t, do, reports the BBC.

While recent government initiatives, particularly those following Dame Carol Black’s 2008 recommendations, encourage preventive measures, the Alliance wants to see employers do more to help workers already suffering from poor health.

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Ros Meek, director of the Alliance, said: “By taking small steps employers can help transform the lives of people with musculoskeletal disorders and benefit their bottom-line by retaining valuable skills.”

Musculoskeletal problems cost the UK economy £7bn and 10m working days a year.