Preventing Sprain, Strains, OSHA Recordables, and Medical Spend with Rural, Remote, and Distributed Workforces
If you’re involved in safety, work in a physically demanding industry, have a rural, remote, or geographically distributed workforce, and routinely sigh at how local providers manage minor injuries – this one is for you.
You know the same things we do – sprains and strains make up about 40% of injuries and lead to a litany of unnecessary healthcare, administrative, and operational costs, not to mention OSHA Recordables, lost time, etc. Our goal is to help employers change their destiny by shifting their approach to the prevention and management of ever-present minor aches and pains, such as low back pain and sore shoulders and necks. We use many of the same tools; we just use them in a way that most don’t (or won’t).
Occupational Therapy And Workers’ Compensation: What’s The Difference?
You may have heard the terms “Occupational Therapy” and “Workers’ Compensation” before but may be confused about their meaning, and more importantly, how they differ. Below, we take a closer look at each service line and explore how they can support patients to get back to doing the things they love.
Everything You Need To Know About Work Conditioning
Have you ever been injured at work? Have you ever had to file a Workers’ Compensation claim with your employer? If so, then you may have heard the term Work Conditioning before and wondered, what is that? Today we will break down the layers of Work Conditioning to help identify the what, when, why, who, and how so you can determine if this is a service that may be right for you, or someone you know.
On The Job: Here’s What Workers’ Compensation Physical Therapy Looks Like From Start To Finish
Injuries happen, and when they do, our team is here to help injured workers get back to their regular work routine without limitations while preventing future injury. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the entire workers’ compensation process from start to finish and the important role of physical therapists throughout recovery.
Occupational Therapy Or Hand Therapy? How To Decide Which Is Best For You
Occupational Therapy
When you think of Occupational Therapy, do you think “work”? Many do! But that is too narrow. Occupational Therapy focuses on returning the student, client, or patient to daily tasks they need/want to do throughout their life. These functional tasks are labeled “occupations” and include feeding, dressing, bathing, house and yard chores, meal preparation, school work, driving, caregiving, recreation, and work too! This list is not exhaustive, and the different “occupations” importance varies with age, injury/illness, and individual goals. For example, in pediatrics, an Occupational Therapist obviously will not work on driving skills with a preschooler. Occupational Therapists evaluate and collaborate with the individual to implement a customized treatment plan and re-evaluate with functional outcome measures to assess progress toward the individual’s goals.
Tips for Better Ergonomics at Work
Every job presents its own set of physical and mental challenges. However, no matter what demands our ergonomics or how we use our bodies while interacting with our work environments and surroundings, it affects how we feel during and after the day. It can be helpful to think of our bodies as tools with specific jobs and purposes and should be used as efficiently as possible to prevent injury and pain.
Thinking about ergonomics from a few fundamental themes can help keep safety and efficiency at the forefront of our minds. Themes such as posture, positioning, and performance are married to ergonomics, and if we think of these ideas proactively, we can stay safe while at work.
Return to Sport vs. Return to Work
The American Physical Therapy Association describes Physical Therapists as “movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.” As physical therapists, with our patient’s help, we shape their goals around what improves their specific quality of life. Often, we picture athletes returning to sports or patients relearning how to walk. Less commonly, we think about the importance of injured workers returning to their jobs without limitations. It’s easy to understand why the rehabilitation process for return to sport is so intense and personalized for a patient. The rehabilitation process for return to work should be just as intense and personalized to assist the employee in reaching their goals.
Importance of Work Conditioning For Employers and Employees
In 2019, the CDC estimated that 2.4 million workers sustained work-related injuries. Work injuries carry a unique set of stress for the injured worker combining the recovery challenges with the unknown ability to return to work.
Many patients are prescribed physical or occupational therapy to address pain and loss of function associated with their injury. Often, the injured workers can fully recover and return to their prior physical ability. Yet achieving this goal only addresses one of the two concerns for the injured worker. After regaining function, the injured worker is often left wondering if they will be able to make a full return to work.
