BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims at determining the clinical profile of patients in paid activity or medical leave seen in the chronic pain service, involving socio-demographic characteristics, pain intensity, major physical evaluation changes and therapy proposed to each case. METHOD: This is a transversal study which has retrospectively analyzed the medical charts of patients seen by the chronic pain outpatient setting of the University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão (HU-UFMA). A total of 308 patients were evaluated through information obtained by protocol-records existing in the service, and which contained data related to the objectives of this research. RESULTS: There has been predominance of females in the activity group (52.5%) and of males in the medical leave group (65.5%) (p = 0.028). Mean age of patients was 49.34 ± 14.01 years. Primary diagnoses were low back pain in 100 patients (32.61%), followed by osteoarthritis in 23 patients (7.76%). Chronic pain intensity was not significantly different between groups (48.6% vs. 60.9%) and strength, movement and sleep changes were not observed in both groups. Loyalty to treatment was higher in the active group (86.4% vs.64.3%) and analgesics were the most common drugs used by both groups. CONCLUSION: Patients in medical leave were predominantly males with pain intensity and physical evaluation changes similar to those in activities, however with lower adherence to treatment.
Chronic pain; Labor activity; Medical leave
