A goal of the PD Policy Advisory Committee is to increase the numbers of workers promptly returning to sustained work.

The Commission wants to facilitate injured workers’ recovery and subsequent return to the workplace as soon as it is consistent with recovery from their injuries.

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability for people under the age of 45 and the second leading cause of industrial absenteeism.

There appears to be a wide variation in the time workers stay on disability benefits and remain off work even if they had suffered similar injuries.

The primary objective of this project is to identify characteristics of the primary treating physician which help to facilitate a safe and timely return to work after low back injury.