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Workers Compensation
Advanced Center for Physical Therapy
offers a wide range of specialized programs designed to meet the needs
of both recovering workers and their employers. Work injury prevention
services include on-site educational seminars and assisting employers
with pre-work screening tools. These tools are developed by working with
the specific functions of a job, thus ensuring that potential employees
can safely handle the required physical demands of a given job.
Early referral for immediate active
post-injury care allows the recovering worker to be educated regarding
the healing and recovery process, provides recovering workers with the
appropriate expectations and encourages the desired amount of activity
at the proper time during healing. This approach minimizes the
frustration, fear, anxiety and depression that can occur following an
injury.
Early care may consist of:
- Passive
modalities (cold/heat therapy, electrical stimulation,
ultrasound, massage, spinal traction, etc.) for the management
of pain and inflammation.
- Therapeutic
exercise to restore mobility.
- Manual therapy
techniques for normal joint motion.
- Gradual more
advanced exercise and functional training to restore normal
movement patterns, strength, endurance and tolerance to daily
activities and allow for a return to work.
FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY
EVALUATIONS (FCE)
Consists of tests including medical/injury history, musculoskeletal
assessment and functional testing. Functional tests may include lifting,
carrying, pushing, and pulling (material handling), as well as tests for
bending, reaching climbing, crawling, kneeling, squatting, balancing,
sitting, standing and walking (non-material handling). The results of an
FCE allow the injured worker's functional abilities to be classified
using standardized terminology. Physicians, vocational rehabilitation
consultants, claims managers, nurse case managers and other
rehabilitation professionals can use the results to assist the worker in
safely returning to gainful employment.
WORK CONDITIONING
A program reserved for recovering workers who have progressed through
the early course of physical therapy care and are ready for more intense
training. In Virginia, work conditioning may be prescribed 3 to 5 days
per week, 2-4 hours daily.
Advanced Center for Physical Therapy Work
Conditioning Program consists of:
- Education and
training in proper posture and body mechanics.
- Muscle/joint
flexibility exercises.
- Strengthening
exercises.
- Cardiovascular
training.
- Material
handling training.
- Non-material
handling training.
WORK HARDENING
A program reserved for recovering workers who:
- Have completed a
previous work conditioning program.
- Have a specific
job to return to, or are in a formal rehabilitation plan with a
vocational rehabilitation consultant.
- Not ready to
return to work.
In Virginia, Work Hardening is a daily
program that lasts a minimum of 4 hours daily, up to a maximum of 8
hours daily. Increased emphasis is placed on real or simulated work
activities designed to restore physical, behavioral and vocational
functions.
Our facility offers a well-equipped
facility to provide workers a safe and varied environment in which to
recover.
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