The Real Cost of Desk Pain to Employers

Ask most HR leaders about their biggest health costs, and they’ll name diabetes, heart disease or cancer. Few would guess the real answer.

$134.5 billion was spent on low back and neck pain in the US in 2016, more than any other condition.Dieleman et al., JAMA, 2020

Low back and neck pain topped US health care spending in 2016, at an estimated $134.5 billion, more than any other condition, according to a landmark study in JAMA. Around 60% of people with low back or neck pain are of working age, which means a large share of that cost lands on employers and their health plans.

For desk-heavy workforces, that’s not an abstract number. It’s the engineer who’s been “managing” a stiff neck for a year, the manager who works from the couch because their back is sore, and the analyst who’s on their third round of imaging.

Where the costs show up

Health plan claims. Imaging, specialist visits, injections and surgery add up quickly, especially when simpler, earlier care is skipped. For self-funded employers, every dollar comes straight from the plan.

Lost productivity. In 2023, the CDC found that 8.5% of US adults had chronic pain that frequently limited their life or work activities. Much of the cost of pain isn’t absence. It’s people at work who can’t focus, work slower or avoid tasks.

Injury claims. Liberty Mutual’s 2025 Workplace Safety Index found that overexertion from handling objects was the leading cause of serious workplace injuries, costing US businesses $13.7 billion a year. That matters for any employer with warehouse, lab, facilities or field teams alongside office staff.

Retention. People in pain are less engaged, and for many employees, visible support for their health is part of why they stay.

The problem with late care

Most workplace pain follows a familiar path: mild discomfort that’s ignored, a flare that’s rested, a return, and eventually a doctor’s visit, a scan and a referral. By the time someone reaches a physical therapist, the problem has often been building for months.

The Lancet’s 2018 back pain series found that care often jumps to imaging and medication instead of guideline-recommended first steps like exercise and staying active. That’s more expensive and usually less effective.

What forward-thinking employers do

1. Make early access easy. Every state has some level of “Direct Access”, where employees can see a physical therapist directly, without a physician referral, for an initial period of care. Many don’t know this. Learn how direct access works.
2. Offer virtual options. Research shows that physical therapist-guided virtual care can deliver outcomes comparable to in-person care, and it removes the barrier of time off work.
3. Go beyond equipment. A good chair helps, but exercise and regular movement have stronger evidence for reducing neck pain in office workers.
4. Bring expertise onsite. Workstation reviews, movement sessions and quick screens catch problems early, before they become claims.

How BreakThrough helps employers

From our base in Sunnyvale, California, BreakThrough helps employers with corporate ergonomics, wellness and injury prevention programs, onsite and virtually, wherever their teams are. We tailor each program to your team and your workplace.

To talk about a program for your team, visit breakthroughpt.com/corporate or call 408-736-7600.