A new study looked at 127 Spanish adults with chronic pain to understand how pain, stress, and lifestyle habits affect their ability to work. Researchers found that people with chronic pain who also experience high stress and poor sleep struggle more at work—missing days or being less productive while present. The study discovered that pain intensity and stress together explain about 19% of work productivity problems. The good news? The researchers suggest that workplaces could help by offering stress management programs, better sleep support, and encouraging healthy habits like exercise and good nutrition. This research highlights how physical pain and mental health are connected and how supporting both could help people work better and feel better overall.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How chronic pain, stress, sleep problems, and lifestyle choices affect whether people can work effectively and stay productive
  • Who participated: 127 Spanish adults with chronic pain, mostly women (72%), with an average age of 48 years. Most had back or neck pain, and many struggled with sleep problems and spent a lot of time sitting at work
  • Key finding: Pain intensity and stress together explained about 19% of why people with chronic pain have trouble working. People with worse pain, higher stress, and poor sleep missed more work days or were less productive while at work
  • What it means for you: If you have chronic pain, managing your stress and improving your sleep might help you work better and miss fewer days. Workplaces could support employees by offering stress management help and encouraging healthy habits. However, this study shows a connection, not proof that fixing stress will definitely improve work—more research is needed

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers collected information from people at one point in time rather than following them over months or years. The 127 participants answered detailed questionnaires about their pain levels, work productivity, how much they exercise, their diet quality, mental health symptoms like depression and anxiety, sleep quality, and how much they use smartphones. Researchers used statistical analysis to figure out which factors were most strongly connected to work productivity problems.

The study focused on Spanish adults with chronic pain (pain lasting more than three months). Most participants had musculoskeletal pain—pain in muscles, bones, and joints—with lower back and neck pain being the most common. The researchers measured everything through validated questionnaires, meaning they used questions that have been tested and proven reliable by other scientists.

This approach is useful because it shows real-world connections between pain, stress, sleep, and work problems in actual people living with chronic pain. By looking at multiple factors at once, researchers could see which ones matter most for work productivity. Understanding these connections helps employers and healthcare providers know what to focus on when trying to help people with chronic pain stay productive at work.

This study has some strengths: it used validated questionnaires (proven reliable tools), included a reasonable sample size, and looked at multiple factors together. However, readers should know that the study was relatively small (127 people) and only included Spanish adults, so results might not apply to everyone. The study shows connections between factors but cannot prove that one thing causes another—for example, we can’t say that stress definitely causes lower productivity, only that they’re linked. The study was cross-sectional (one point in time), so we don’t know if these patterns stay the same over time

What the Results Show

The main finding was that pain intensity and stress together explained about 19% of the differences in how chronic pain affected people’s work productivity. This means these two factors are important, but other things also matter—which makes sense because pain and work are complicated.

The study found that people with chronic pain who also had depression, anxiety, or insomnia (serious sleep problems) were more likely to miss work days or be less productive while working. About 61% of participants had moderate to severe insomnia, which was strongly connected to work problems. Additionally, people who used smartphones more frequently reported higher depression and anxiety levels, which then affected their work performance.

Another important finding was that depression was linked to people exercising less and eating worse diets. This creates a difficult cycle: pain leads to depression, depression makes people less active and eat poorly, and these lifestyle changes can make pain worse and reduce work productivity even more.

The study found that high sedentary work (sitting most of the day) was very common—65.4% of participants had jobs requiring lots of sitting. This sitting time was connected to lower physical activity levels and worse mental health. The research also showed that most chronic pain in this group was musculoskeletal pain (affecting muscles and bones), with lower back pain (22%) and neck pain (15%) being most common. These types of pain are particularly affected by stress, sleep, and activity levels, which explains why addressing these factors could help.

This study confirms what other research has already suggested: chronic pain, mental health, and work productivity are all connected. Previous studies have shown that stress and poor sleep make pain worse, and this study adds evidence that these factors specifically harm work performance. The finding that smartphone use correlates with depression and anxiety aligns with other recent research about screen time and mental health. However, this study provides new information by looking at all these factors together in people with chronic pain, rather than studying them separately.

This study has important limitations to consider. First, it’s cross-sectional, meaning researchers took a snapshot at one moment in time—they didn’t follow people over months or years to see if these patterns continue. Second, the sample was relatively small (127 people) and mostly female (72%), so results might not apply equally to men or to larger, more diverse populations. Third, all participants were Spanish adults, so findings might differ in other countries with different healthcare systems and work cultures. Fourth, the study relied on people’s self-reports through questionnaires, which can be affected by memory or how people feel on the day they answer. Finally, while the study shows that pain and stress are connected to work problems, it doesn’t prove that one causes the other—there could be other factors involved that weren’t measured

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, people with chronic pain should consider: (1) Working with healthcare providers on pain management strategies, (2) Addressing stress through relaxation techniques, counseling, or stress management programs (moderate confidence—this study shows a connection), (3) Improving sleep quality through better sleep habits or medical help if needed (moderate confidence), and (4) Maintaining physical activity and healthy eating despite pain, as depression can reduce these healthy behaviors (moderate confidence). Workplaces should consider offering stress management programs, ergonomic support for sitting jobs, and mental health resources for employees with chronic pain.

This research is most relevant for people living with chronic pain who are concerned about work performance, employers managing employees with chronic pain, occupational health professionals, and healthcare providers treating chronic pain. People without chronic pain don’t need to apply these findings to themselves. However, the general principle—that stress and sleep affect how well we function—applies to everyone.

Realistic expectations depend on what you change. Sleep improvements might help within 1-2 weeks. Stress reduction benefits could appear within 2-4 weeks. Physical activity and diet changes typically show effects on pain and mood within 4-8 weeks. Work productivity improvements might take 2-3 months as pain and mental health gradually improve. Everyone is different, so some people may see faster changes while others need more time

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track three specific metrics weekly: (1) Pain intensity on a 0-10 scale at the same time each day, (2) Hours of sleep per night, and (3) Work productivity using a simple 1-5 rating of how productive you felt that day. This allows you to see if improvements in sleep and stress management correlate with better work performance over time
  • Set a specific goal to reduce stress through one daily 10-minute activity (like deep breathing, meditation, or a short walk) and track it in the app. Also set a sleep goal (like being in bed by 10 PM) and log your actual sleep time. These small, measurable changes directly address the factors this study identified as affecting work productivity
  • Use the app to create a monthly dashboard showing trends in pain, sleep, stress level, and work productivity. Look for patterns—for example, do weeks with better sleep show improved work performance? This personalized tracking helps you understand which lifestyle changes actually help your specific situation and keeps you motivated to maintain improvements

This research shows connections between chronic pain, stress, sleep, and work productivity, but it does not prove that changing one factor will definitely improve another. This study was conducted in Spain with a relatively small group, mostly women, so results may not apply to everyone. If you have chronic pain affecting your work, please consult with your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your treatment, exercise routine, or work situation. This information is educational and should not replace professional medical advice. Always talk to a doctor before starting new pain management strategies, especially if you take medications or have other health conditions.