Chronic Pain in the Workplace: What Employers Should Know
1 in 4
of U.S. adults had chronic pain in 2023 [1]
$8,068
The additional cost in medical spend for individuals with chronic pain [2]
$2,923
Amount in lost productivity due to chronic pain [2]
Why it matters
Chronic pain, defined as pain on most days or every day over the past three months, rose from 20.4% of U.S. adults in 2019 to 24.3% in 2023 (most current data). High-impact chronic pain rose from 7.4% to 8.5% over the same period [1]. Compared with adults without chronic pain, those with it incur about $8,068 more in annual medical spending and lose about $2,923 more in productivity, which adds up to $530.6B in medical costs and $192.2B in lost work nationally [2]. Employers see this through medical and pharmacy claims, absenteeism, disability, and presenteeism [3].
Four data sources to help size the impact
Aggregate, de-identified data can show what chronic pain costs your organization without disclosing individual diagnoses:
- Health plan claims and utilization: pain-related diagnoses, physical therapy, and pharmacy trends.
- Absenteeism: sick days and intermittent FMLA patterns by leave category.
- Short- and long-term disability: claim volume and duration by condition category, typically available from carriers.
- Workers’ compensation: frequency and duration of musculoskeletal and pain-related claims.
What you can do
Once you understand the scope, make sure wellness programs and accommodations are in place. Options below are adapted from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a free, confidential service of the U.S. Department of Labor [4]:
- Flexible scheduling and remote/hybrid work
- Ergonomic setups: adjustable workstations, sit-stand desks, supportive seating
- Rest breaks and modified break schedules
- Formal ADA interactive process, using JAN’s SOAR database to find precedented solutions [4]
- Manager and HR training
- Leave flexibility
- EAP and behavioral health integration
- Job task modification
How Optimatum can help
Most employers now have a point solution for nearly every condition, but not every vendor shares the data needed to show results. Optimatum Solutions reviews your benefits, plan designs, and point solutions to confirm you are getting the outcomes you are paying for and funding the right programs for your employees and your operations. We also help you build clear employee communications that drive understanding and adoption of current and proposed benefits.