THURSDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Workers on medical leave because of lower back pain are more likely to return to work if they receive reassurance and medical advice on how to stay active, according to a new study.

 

People with nonspecific lower back pain who avoid activity could delay their recovery, say researchers Dr. Marc Du Bois and Peter Donceel, at KU Leuven, a university in Belgium.

 

Their study involved more than 500 workers — mostly blue-collar — on sick leave because of low back pain. Workers who had symptoms of a serious back problem were not included.

 

The study was published in the Aug. 1 issue of Spine.