Elevated burnout predicts the onset of musculoskeletal pain among apparently healthy employees

Musculoskeletal (MS) pain is highly prevalent in the working population, often resulting in chronic disability. Burnout represents accumulated exposure to work-related stresses and therefore could predict the incidence of MS pain. We investigated prospectively the extent to which changes in the levels of burnout over time predict new cases of MS pain. Participants were 1,704 apparently healthy employed men and women who underwent periodic health examination at three points of time (T1, T2, and T3), over a period of about three years. We used the T1 to T2 changes in the levels of burnout, depressive symptoms, and anxiety to predict the onset of new cases of MS pain between T2 and T3, while controlling for possible confounders. Logistic regression results indicated that the T1-T2 change in burnout levels was associated with a 2.09-fold increased risk of MS pain (95% confidence interval = 1.07-4.10). No support was found for the possibility of reverse causation; that is, that MS pain predicts subsequent elevations of burnout levels. It was concluded that burnout might be a risk factor in the development of MS pain in apparently healthy individuals.