Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a digital toolkit designed to support employees with self-management of chronic pain at work. The aim is to improve their ability to work and be productive at work.
Professor Holly Blake, Professor of Behavioural Medicine at the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, developed the Pain at Work (PAW) toolkit in partnership with people living with chronic or persistent pain, employers, healthcare professionals and the pain charity, Burning Nights.
This trial is one of six new research projects announced today (18 January 2023), which has been awarded funding from The Nuffield Foundation and Versus Arthritis. The two organisations have committed £1.94 million of funding to improve the well-being and working lives of people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.
We hope that, by using the toolkit, it will help employers retain people with chronic pain in the active workforce, improve the quality of people’s lives and reduce social inequality.
The PAW toolkit is an open access, free, online resource, for people working in any role, organisation and sector. It includes individual stories from those living with chronic or persistent pain alongside content covering topics such as understanding chronic or persistent pain, returning to work, reasonable adjustments in the workplace, physical and psychological self-management techniques, and employment rights.
Speaking about the importance of a workplace trial, Professor Blake said: “More than 20 million adults in the UK are living with chronic pain and this figure is likely to rise. Chronic pain impacts on people’s physical and mental wellbeing, as well as their ability to work or be productive at work. Sickness, absence, and reduced productivity costs the UK economy around £73 billion per year.
“Access to support to help people manage their pain at work varies. Many people living with painful conditions don’t get the support they need either from clinical services or their employer. We’ve developed a digital toolkit that aims to build people’s knowledge, skills and confidence to support and effectively self-manage a painful condition at work.
“The research will explore the practicality, usefulness and acceptability of the Pain at Work toolkit for employees and managers in different workplace settings. We hope that, by using the toolkit, it will help employers retain people with chronic pain in the active workforce, improve the quality of people’s lives and reduce social inequality.”
Dr Catherine Dennison, lead for the Oliver Bird Fund Programme at the Nuffield Foundation, added: “These six research projects align around issues that can make it very challenging for people with MSK conditions to enjoy full and rewarding lives.
“We are really delighted to be partnering again with Versus Arthritis to fund research that aims to address some of these barriers and find new and better ways to support people with MSK conditions.”
Dr Sarah Rudkin, Head of Research Strategy and Growth at Versus Arthritis added: “Many of the issues linked to living with an MSK condition such as the inability to work, strain on mental health, deprivation, or social exclusion, cannot be addressed by medical treatments alone.
“More research is needed to understand the social, economic, and psychological reasons why people with MSK conditions are more at risk of these issues and, crucially, what can be done to prevent this, so that we can better support people to live well with their condition.
“These six projects – that will ensure those with lived experience are involved at every stage – will advance our understanding in all these areas and make a real difference for people living with conditions like arthritis.”
For more information visit: www.nuffieldfoundation.org/news/1-94m-for-research-to-improve-work-and-well-being-for-people-with-musculoskeletal-conditions
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For further information, please email Holly Blake, Professor of Behavioural Medicine holly.blake@nottingham.ac.uk
Adam Mallaby - Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Maternity Cover)
Email: adam.mallaby@nottingham.ac.uk
Phone: 0115 748 5719
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About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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