Last reviewed: 3 November 2026
Short answer: Yes, if the injury comes from your work. Under PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme, an employee hurt at work, or travelling between home and work, gets free treatment at a panel or government facility and, once doctor-certified leave reaches four days, 80% of assumed daily wage. Gradual back or neck pain from desk work is much harder to claim.
What does PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme cover for back and neck injuries?
It covers employment injuries, including commuting accidents, and occupational diseases listed in the Fifth Schedule of the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969, according to PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme (Lindung Pekerja) page. A lifting strain on a warehouse floor, a fall at a work site or a collision while driving on duty are the kind of events that fit an employment injury.
That page does not set out who is covered, the wage ceiling or how contributions work, so I cannot state those here. Ask your HR department or PERKESO whether you are covered before assuming anything. The page carries a 1 June 2024 date for one benefit change, and an older version of the page shows lower benefit caps, so check the figures below against the live page.
Are accidents on the way to work covered?
Yes. PERKESO covers journeys between home and workplace, journeys connected to employment, and the trip between work and a meal place during authorised recess. An accident during an interruption or deviation is not covered.
For a KL commuter, that means a collision on Jalan Kuching or the Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway on a normal route to the office can qualify, while a side trip for personal errands may not. Neck pain after such a crash is common; our guide to whiplash after a road accident in Malaysia explains what to expect and when to be assessed.
What benefits can you receive?
PERKESO lists medical care, temporary and permanent disablement benefits, a constant attendance allowance and rehabilitation. The table below summarises the figures on the current page; all come from PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme (Lindung Pekerja) page.
| Benefit | What PERKESO states |
|---|---|
| Medical care | Free treatment at a panel clinic or government clinic or hospital until fully recovered |
| Temporary disablement | 80% of average assumed daily wage; minimum RM30, maximum RM158.67 per day; doctor-certified leave of at least 4 days including the day of the accident |
| Permanent disablement | 90% of average assumed daily wage; minimum RM30, maximum RM178.50 per day; assessed by a Medical Board; claim within 12 months |
| Constant attendance allowance | RM500 per month for total permanent disablement needing constant attendance, certified by a Medical Board |
| Rehabilitation | Physical (such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy) and vocational training, at stipulated rates and conditions |
Is back or neck pain from desk work a recognised occupational disease?
I could not confirm that it is. PERKESO says occupational diseases are those listed in the Fifth Schedule of the Act, and I could not open the schedule itself.
A 2013 International Labour Organization case study, using PERKESO data, reports that the occupational disease schedule was updated in 2008 and grew from 88 to 226 diseases. The musculoskeletal items it names are thoracic outlet syndrome, rotator cuff syndrome, medial and lateral epicondylitis, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, all upper-limb conditions (ILO case study). It does not mention general back or neck pain. It also reports PERKESO-recorded musculoskeletal cases rising from 77 in 2008 to 449 in 2012. This is a 2013 document, so the current list may differ.
In practice, a sudden injury is easier to link to work than pain that builds up over years of sitting. If your problem is gradual, ask PERKESO directly. Our articles on carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis and golfer’s elbow cover two of the listed upper-limb conditions.
Can PERKESO benefits pay for chiropractic care?
Not on the information PERKESO publishes. Its page describes free treatment at panel clinics or government clinics and hospitals, and says costs at a non-panel clinic can be reimbursed subject to conditions set by PERKESO, without stating those conditions or rates. Its rehabilitation section names physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and does not mention chiropractic.
Do not assume a chiropractor’s fee will be reimbursed. Ask PERKESO first, in writing if possible. Chiropractic in Malaysia is regulated under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 (Act 775), whereas physiotherapy falls under the Allied Health Professions Act 2016 (Act 774); see chiropractor vs physiotherapist in Malaysia and how to check a chiropractor is registered. At Chiropractic House, in Suria @ North Kiara off Jalan Kuching, a first session costs RM250–RM410 and follow-ups cost less. It is a cash-pay clinic that does not bill insurers directly, and it issues receipts and clinical documentation for patients who wish to claim themselves. Our insurance coverage guide explains private cover in more detail.
What should you do first after an injury at work?
Report it to your employer the same day and get assessed at a PERKESO panel clinic, a Klinik Kesihatan or a government hospital. Ask the doctor to record that the injury happened at work, and keep every medical certificate and receipt.
As a general sensible order of steps, rather than a statement of PERKESO procedure: report, get examined, keep documents, and ask your employer or HR how the claim is notified to PERKESO. I could not confirm the forms or deadlines from PERKESO’s published pages. Note one deadline that is on the page: a permanent disablement claim must be made within 12 months from the last date of temporary disablement.
When is a back or neck injury an emergency?
Go to a hospital emergency department, not a clinic appointment, if you have new weakness in a leg, numbness around the groin or inner thighs, loss of control of your bladder or bowels, severe pain after a fall or crash, fever with back pain, pain that is unrelenting at night, or chest pain. These can signal nerve compression, fracture, infection or a problem unrelated to the spine.
Chiropractic does not cure most conditions and the evidence for treating back and neck pain is modest. It may help some mechanical pain, and a chiropractor should refer you to a doctor when the picture suggests something else. Where a work injury needs imaging, surgery or specialist care, that route goes through a doctor, not a chiropractor.
How we can help: after an assessment of your work-related back or neck problem, we may recommend chiropractic adjustment, dry needling, sports massage or shockwave therapy, and we issue receipts and clinical documentation for your records.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim PERKESO for a back injury at work?
Yes, if it is an employment injury. PERKESO’s Employment Injury Scheme provides free treatment at a panel clinic or government facility, and temporary disablement benefit if a doctor certifies at least four days of medical leave.
Does PERKESO cover an accident on the way to or from work?
Yes. PERKESO lists journeys between home and work, journeys connected to employment, and the trip between work and a meal place during authorised recess. An accident during an interruption or deviation is not covered.
How much does PERKESO pay while I am on medical leave?
Temporary disablement benefit is 80% of your average assumed daily wage, with a minimum of RM30 and, on the current PERKESO page, a maximum of RM158.67 per day. It is not paid for days you work and earn wages.
Is desk-related back or neck pain a PERKESO occupational disease?
I could not confirm that it is. PERKESO covers diseases listed in the Fifth Schedule of the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969, and the musculoskeletal items in a 2013 ILO case study were upper-limb conditions. Ask PERKESO or your HR department.
Does PERKESO pay for chiropractic treatment?
PERKESO’s page does not mention chiropractic. It describes free treatment at panel or government facilities, and says non-panel clinic costs can be reimbursed under conditions set by PERKESO. Confirm with PERKESO before paying for care you hope to recover.
Can I claim chiropractic fees from my own insurer instead?
That depends entirely on your policy. Chiropractic House is a cash-pay clinic that does not bill insurers directly, but it issues receipts and clinical documentation so you can submit a claim yourself.
Eugene Gan, Chiropractor, Bachelor of Science (Hons) Chiropractic, accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia (CCEA). Chiropractic House, Suria @ North Kiara, Segambut, Kuala Lumpur.
