Remote work didn't lead to spike in workers' comp claims

As Americans made the move from offices to makeshift, home-based workstations during the pandemic, the possibility of a rise in soft-tissue injuries from working too long at kitchen counters or coffee tables became a new risk for workers’ comp pros to contemplate.

Did working from the couch and kitchen counter result in a spike in claims? According to Komodo Health, Inc., a software company that specializes in analyzing health care data, the answer is no. The company reported that claims have remained lower than a pre-pandemic baseline for most of the period it analyzed.

To determine the impact remote work had on workers’ comp claims, Komodo looked at data from January 2019-September 2021, and broke out common conditions related to office work and improper desk posture. These include neck and back pain, shoulder pain and stiffness, computer elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome and computer vision syndrome.

While the country was in lockdown due to COVID-19, a steep decline in claims was seen. Claims rebounded slightly in the fall of 2020, according to Komodo, which noted it anticipated the bounce back to be more significant for two reasons: The physical impacts of work-from-home trends and make-up visits for those missed during the lockdown.

Using claims related to carpal tunnel syndrome data as an example, only two age groups showed an increase in cases. People aged 18-34 and those 80 and older showed increases of 5.6% and 3%, respectively, above the 2019 average for the same time period, Komodo found.

Neck and back pain, computer elbow, and shoulder pain and stiffness saw similar results, according to the company, which reported: “In all three cases, we saw a consistent trend of sharply reduced claims between Q1 and Q3 of 2020, followed by a gradual return to pre-pandemic volumes for most age groups, with the exception of the under 18 population, which remained low throughout the pandemic.”

Regarding computer vision syndrome, Komodo reported health care visits related to the condition were significantly lower than historical averages across all age groups during the lockdown and stayed lower throughout the period studied.

Chiropractic, assistive therapy claims saw spring spike

In September 2020, 92% of chiropractors reported an increase in neck pain, back pain and other musculoskeletal issues during the pandemic, according to a survey from the American Chiropractic Association.

Komodo did find an increase in chiropractic visits, but it didn’t occur until the second quarter of 2021. During Q2 2021, chiropractic encounters for shoulder pain and stiffness increased 12.2% above the 2019 average. Visits for neck and back pain increased 7.4% during the same period. Similarly, assistive therapy professionals saw a 17.3% increase in shoulder pain and stiffness cases and a 12.3% increase in neck and back pain visits in 2021’s second quarter.

These increases moderated some in the following quarter and have since leveled off, according to Komodo.

Komodo noted WFH-related injury claims could have failed to materialize for a number of reasons, including less time commuting and spending on high-quality home office furniture.

However, the software provider does caution that there could be a number of workers that have forgone medical care for less severe conditions during the pandemic.

Related:

• What does workers’ comp look like for remote employees?
• German court rules workers’ comp covers remote-work ‘commutes’
• Remote work has dipped slightly in popularity