"THE HEART OF THE MATTER"
a special program of the National Emergency Medicine Association (NEMA)

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Week: 587.4 

Guest: Dr. Lawren Daltroy, assoc. Dir., Arthritis Ctr. Brigham & Women’s Hospital 

Topic: Study on ‘back schools’ 

Host/Producer: Steve Girard  

NEMA: Back injury costs tough to avoid...coming up...  

SPOT: NEMA...the National Emergency Medicine Association...fights our worst health enemies - heart disease, stroke, trauma. Call 800-332-6362.  

NEMA: Many big companies set up ’back schools’ to try to stem the cost of worker injuries. Dr. Lawren Daltroy’s 5 year study indicates it was a good idea that didn’t pan out...  

DALTROY: We found after following people for 5 and a half years that there were no differences between controls and experimentals in the rate of injuries, the length of time off per injury, the cost per injury, or the likelihood that you would have a reinjury when you came back.  

NEMA: So, companies around the country were adding the cost of the schools to the 42 point 9 billion dollars spent on lost work and treatment...  

DALTROY: ...what I think it means is that back schools should be limited to people who have a current back problem and who are motivated...and other research shows that it really needs to be tied in with a good exercise program. But just to train everybody across the board really doesn’t appear to be a good way to spend out money.  

NEMA: Dr.Lawren Daltroy, associate director of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Some back saving work techniques... next time. I’m Steve Girard at The Heart of the Matter.