There's a funny thing about pain. You don't realize it's gone until it comes back. When it does, you get an 'oh yeah, I remember this,' feeling.

Getting out of my car recently after an unusually long ride gave me such a moment of realization. After sitting for several hours, my hips hurt; my legs were in agony; my back was screaming; there was some sort of pain radiating throughout all kinds of areas. Basically, I hurt from sitting

I realized I hadn't had those aches and pains for months. Apparently, the stand-up workstation I was using had effectively erased the musculoskeletal discomfort I'd had for the better part of two years.

The idea for this new desk had been in my mind for some time, after reading and writing about research showing why sitting through work has become the mortal sin of the decade. There is evidence that five hours of sedentary sitting is the health equivalent of smoking a pack-and-a-quarter of cigarettes! Researchers also say sitting continually for long periods potentially increases risk factors for chronic diseases – like diabetes and heart disease – as well as musculoskeletal disease development. And studies have also shown that idle sitting is an independent predictor of disease, regardless of exercise done before or after work.

The bottom line is that sitting all day is bad for your health. Speaking of the bottom line, there is also research showing workers are more productive when they stand up.

But stand-up workstations can be costly, even upwards of several thousand dollars. At least that's what I thought, until I read a blog post by Bob Wilson several months back. Bob was bragging (complete with selfie) about his new standing work station, which he got for something like $360. After contacting Bob for the specifics, I got my own, scaled-down stand up desk for a mere $195 – including tax and delivery.

Initially I found that standing on tile would not work, so I also purchased an anti-fatigue mat – for an additional $50. So, for less than $250, I had my very own stand-up workstation.

I'd planned to get a chair to allow me to sit, since the experts say a combination of standing and sitting is ideal. However, after nearly 3 months, I've found the occasional 'sit break' works just as well.

Friends ask all sorts of questions:

"Doesn't your back hurt after a while?" No, surprisingly. Seems the anti-fatigue mat takes care of that.

"Don't you get stiff standing there?" No, I move my knees around apparently enough to eliminate stiffness.

"Are you able to concentrate?" Absolutely. In fact, a friend who also has a stand-up workstation (his with a treadmill, no less!) says he works better now than when he was sitting. I think I do too, or at least as well.

I relate my story of the stand-up workstation to illustrate a point: there are easy, relatively cheap ways to address concerns about aging workers. I am an aging baby boomer with some excess weight (truth be told, I've been trying to lose 15 pounds since I was 12, but those bastards Ben and Jerry keep getting in my face!). I'm also female which, according to the latest research, makes me more – not less – susceptible to injury risk. Seems the belief we've had that older workers are less likely to be injured at work only holds true for men.

There's also relatively recent research showing that we aging baby boomers are not going anywhere anytime soon. Pensions (where they exist) and Social Security don't quite cut it; technology has reduced the amount of physical labor required for many jobs, along with minimizing injury risk; medical technology allows many older workers with physical limitations, as well as disabled persons, to continue working – especially since they often don't need to go to an office and can work at all different hours; finally, life expectancy is expected to continue to increase, leaving many of us with lots of time to re-enter the workforce, if we have even retired. All of this is great news for employers concerned about a mass exodus of experience and institutional knowledge from the workforce. Clearly, there will be a plethora of workers available.

That said, workers' comp practitioners need to be cognizant of several issues in order to best manage the changing workforce. For one thing, along with the aging process is an increase in comorbidities. Diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension and other chronic illnesses often go hand in hand with the aging process. This can complicate things when the lines are blurred as to what constitutes a compensable injury v. a condition of aging. And, of course, there is the overweight/obesity issue, since metabolisms seem to slow down as we age.

Then there are the specific types of injuries. Slips, trips and strains seem to be the biggies for older workers.

Looking at age as a factor by itself is a mistake. Experts say gender and ethnicity are closely tied in with age and often create pockets of disparity with respect to the types of comorbidities present, risk of and types of injuries, and the recovery process.

Women, as I mentioned, have an increased risk of injury compared to men, especially after the age of 50. Older women also have a higher risk for obesity (lucky us!).

Payers can take a variety of measures to address this so-called 'aging' workforce. The adjustable work station is just one way to help keep aging – and younger – workers healthy, and perhaps even more productive.  Worksite wellness programs can be implemented, often for a nominal fee by working with a TPA, insurer or even through local resources.

Payers need to understand this multifaceted scenario of the aging workforce and embrace this new reality. The sooner they do, the sooner they will see how this might impact their business from a claims perspective, where there might be more costs, and where they should focus their efforts.