Study Finds Shrinking Proportion of Low-Back Claims

Low-back pain may be losing ground as one of the top causes of workers’ comp claims, according to a new study that found lower-back injuries accounted for 15.4% of lost-time claims in 2015, compared to 22% in 2008. At the same time, the proportion of claims involving shoulder injuries, knee injuries or injuries in an “other” category crept up, although the increases did not rise to the level of statistical significance. The study included 20,203 claims with more than three days of lost time at an unidentified national beverage company. It was published in this month’s...