What is Industrial Rehabilitation?

Industrial rehabilitation is a specialized service designed to aid an injured worker in safely returning to employment following an injury, illness or surgery.  It is a team approach with physical and occupational therapists collaborating with the injured worker, their employer and claims manager to optimize a successful return to work.

Treatment typically includes:

- Identifying barriers to returning to work including strength, flexibility and pain.

- Identifying critical job duties and ensuring the injured worker can complete those tasks safely.

Evaluating the ergonomics of the work environment to try and reduce factors that may have contributed to the original injury or that may lead to future injury.

Help the injured worker navigate through the injury process, communicating with your physician, claims manager and employer.

Components of Industrial Rehab:

Traditional physical and occupational therapy, working on addressing pain, restoring mobility and strength, instruction in improved workplace and home ergonomics to prevent future injury.

Work conditioning: A work conditioning program focuses on preparing the body to physically be able to complete the tasks required at work.

Work hardening: A work hardening program is designed to transition an injured worker back into their workplace safely including work simulation tasks, work on improved ergonomics while performing work tasks and identifying safety barriers which may impede a successful return to work.

Functional Capacity Evaluations: These are a comprehensive physical exam, which looks at a worker’s ability to complete tasks they may be required to do on the job.  The essential tasks required to complete a person’s job are identified and tested to make sure they can safely be completed prior to a worker returning to work and can also be used to determine the possible need for retraining.

To learn more about Industrial Rehab or to inquire about our Industrial Athlete Program contact industrialathlete@irgpt.com.