Positive Health programs are aimed at reducing the personal and financial cost of stress, pain, obesity and poor health in the workplace. In achieving this, it utilises the latest research and evidence based practice.

Some quick statistics to paint the picture...

The cost of pain to Australian business per year is over $3 billion AUS (VWA, 2000).

Obesity is estimated to cost Aust business over $1.3 billion AUS (Deakin University, 2006).

A conservative estimate of stress costs are over $200 million AUS (NHS Com, 2005).

The statistics above come largely from absenteeism and compensation claims. More recently, the concept of presenteeism has been recognised as a costly issue for business. This is essentially poor productivity levels while at work. Poor health is a major contributer to this phenomena which is estimated to cost Australian business a whopping $31.5 billion AUS per year (Gallup Poll, 2005).

The Positive Health team have studied extensively the ways these problems can be effectively tackled, based on research from around the world. The workshops and e-learning programs we deliver are based on the philosophies of...

1. Promoting prevention rather than reaction.
2. Providing interactive education focusing on belief systems and behaviour
3. Promoting an insightful and self empowering approach


1. Promoting prevention rather than reaction.

Always considered “better than a cure”, prevention is of particular importance in preventing the onset of pain and poor health in the workplace (17).

Significant workplace injuries in Australia, be they physical or psychological, are usually dealt with through claims to our “compensable” systems (like VWA). But these systems can be frustrating for clients (19), who in the majority of cases would prefer to have been able to prevent making this claim. Claims also can increase Workcover premiums for business, and cost the tax payer money. No one is winning!

Prevention is not just about preventing aches, pains and health issues – these are to some extent, part of every day life. Importantly, prevention is also about employees having the personal insight to prevent small issues becoming bigger problems requiring time off work!

In preventing small problems from becoming bigger “chronic” problems, education must focus on belief systems and behaviour (2,3,4,18). Positive Health focuses strongly on this.


2. Education focusing on belief systems and behaviour

Over the past generation, evidence for “education” in the workplace assisting in pain and poor health prevention is overall mixed. Some studies show it to be of little benefit (7,20). While other suggest a lot of potential for reduction of MSD’s with education (9,10,25).

More recent studies and programs however show encouraging signs regarding the potential effects for pain and disability reduction, with education based directly at attitudes, belief systems and behaviour (2,5,12,14,15,16).

A recent VWA initiative, “Back pain. Don’t take it lying down!” featuring famous sports people and the multi media was an excellent example. Its results were very pleasing (2). This approach may be compared to other community programs like “Quit” or “Slip, slop, slap” which directly seek to influence community behaviour.

VWA followed this up in 2004 with a “Clinical framework” for health professionals emphasising reassurance and education based on belief systems and behaviour (23).It appears that such behaviour change is far easier when implemented as prevention, or early in the course of MSD, than later when a problem has become more chronic (2,17).

Other recent studies suggest a link between behaviour and belief system intervention and reduction of the pain and poor health (21,24). There is also evidence that the style of education used in the Positive Health programs is most effective in smaller groups (6,10).

Positive Health uses interactive techniques to empower participants with knowledge and insight regarding their physical and psychological health.


3. A self-empowering approach

Empowerment comes not from being drilled in what to do!!

Rather, a sense of self-empowerment comes from having perspective, understanding and insight regarding your body’s health.

Positive Health uses simple examples and metaphors to educate people regarding the mind and body. This education can have significant and immediate effects on health perception, pain perception and belief systems (12,14,15).

The Positive Health workshops provide practical tips to promote self-management of health, both physically and mentally.

The combination of education and practical tips are combined in a format that is interactive, fun and informative, thereby encouraging learning!


Summary

Positive Health is designed based on the latest evidence based research. It aims to prevent the personal and financial costs of poor health in the workplace. It achieves this through informative and interactive workshops and e-learning programs that promote self-insights and understanding.


REFERENCES

1. Australian Government: National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. The cost of Work related Injury and Illness for Australian Employers, Workers and the Community. Courtesy of www.nohsc.gov.au
2. Buchbinder R, et al. Population based intervention to change back pain beliefs and disability: three part evaluation. BMJ 2001; 322:1516-1520.
3. Fritz JM, et al. The role of fear-avoidance beliefs in acute low back pain: relationships with current and future disability and work status. Pain. 2001 Oct; 94(1): 7-15.
4. Fritz JM, George SZ. Identifying psychosocial variables in patients with acute work-related low back pain: the importance of fear-avoidance beliefs. Phys Ther. 2002 Oct; 82(10): 973-83.
5. Gatchel RJ. Musculoskeletal disorders: Primary and secondary interventions. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology (14) 2004: 161-170
6. Gatty CM, et al. The effectiveness of back pain and injury prevention programs in the workplace. Work, 20(3): 257-66 2003
7. Gross AR, et al. Patient education for mechanical neck disorders. Cochrane Database System Rev. 2000;(2): CD000962.
8. Howards LA. The cost of back pain in the workplace. Journal Sentinel Online. Sept 11, 1998.
9. Mannix LK, et al. Impact of headache education program in the workplace. Neurology. 1999 Sep 11; 53(4): 868-71.
10. Martin SA, et al. A comprehensive work injury prevention program with clerical and office workers: phase I. Work, 21(2): 185-96 2003
11. May DR, et al. Employee reactions to ergonomic job design: the moderating effects of health locus of control and self-efficacy. J Occup Health Psychol. 1997 Jan; 2(1): 11-24
12. Moseley GL Widespread brain activity during an abdominal task markedly reduced after pain physiology education: fMRI evaluation of a single patient with chronic low back pain. Aust J Physiotherapy. 2005; 51(1): 49-52.
13. Moseley GL. Unravelling the barriers to reconceptualization of the problem in chronic pain: the actual and perceived ability of patients and health professionals to understand the neurophysiology. J Pain. 2003 May; 4(4): 184-9
14. Moseley GL, Nicholas MK, Hodges PW. A randomised controlled trial of intensive neurophysiology education in chronic low back pain. Clin J Pain. 2004 Sep-Oct; 20(5): 324-30.
15. Moseley GL. Evidence for a direct relationship between cognitive and physical change during an education intervention in people with chronic low back pain. Eur J Pain. 2004 Feb;8(1): 39-45.
16. Moseley GL. Combined physiotherapy and education is efficacious for chronic low back pain. Aust J Physiotherapy. 2002; 48(4): 297-302
17. Murray TJ. Chronic Pain report. Prepared for the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. Courtesy of www.pixelmotion.ns.ca.
18. Pulliam CB, et al. Psychosocial differences in high risk versus low risk acute low-back pain patients. J Occup Rehabil. 2001 Mar; 11(1): 43-52.
19. Roberts-Yates C. The concerns and issues of injured workers in relation to claims/injury management and rehabilitation: the need for new operational frameworks. Disabil Rehabil. 2003 Aug 19; 25(16): 898-907.
20. Skelton AM. Patient education for the millennium: beyond control and emancipation? Patient Educ Couns. 1997 Jun; 31(2): 151-8.
21. Symonds TL, et al. Absence resulting from low back trouble can be reduced by psychosocial intervention at the work place. Spine, 20(24): 2738-45 1995
22. Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 – 2005. Courtesy of www.dtf.vic.gov.au 23. Victorian Workcover Authority. Clinical framework for the delivery of Health services to injured workers. March 2004.
24. Winnay SS. Are your employees minding their behaviour? Empl Benefits J. 2004 Jun; 29(2): 37-40.
25. Yip YB, et al. Identifying risk factors for low back pain (LBP) in Chinese middle-aged women: a case-control study Health Care Women Int, 25(4): 358-69 2004