WPC optimizes an employee’s recovery and return to work. Our tool box includes immediate, post-injury physical and occupational therapy, job simulation, work hardening, functional testing, and transitional duty programs.

THERAPY: Physical, Occupational & Hand

After an injury, therapy is often prescribed by the physician as the first line of recovery. Industrial clinics are specially designed to address the needs of the ‘industrial athlete’. Injured workers are started immediately on restoring their job functions, just as a sports athlete is treated. This speeds recovery and return to work. Exercises lead directly to job simulation tasks and return to work.

JOB SIMULATION

This is the most important component of an industrial therapy clinic. The goal is to return each worker to their full time duties, as quickly and as safely as possible. This is accomplished by simulating their jobs in the clinic. Job tasks may be broken down into component parts, but the workers start with job simulations within the first week of therapy. This prevents de-conditioning and keeps their minds on returning to the job. The same equipment is used in the clinic as on the job, whenever possible. The clinic operates as a work environment.

WORK HARDENING

Work Hardening is an intense, daily program that combines injury-specific rehab, endurance conditioning, and job simulations. Injured workers complete their actual job tasks in the clinic, under the supervision of experienced industrial physical & occupational therapists. Each worker’s program is designed for their specific injury and their specific job requirements.

The question of 'when' an injured worker is ready to return to work is answered through work hardening. Work hardening is the step between acute therapy and returning to work. When the injured worker's clinic performance matches the actual job tasks, the worker returns to the physician with the documented evidence of the worker’s functional capabilities.

FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY EVALUATION

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) measures an individual’s total body, functional (or purposeful) abilities. It is designed to be an objective assessment of a person’s total ability to function, including but not limited to, lifting, carrying, climbing, pushing, and pulling. The FCE also measures posture, gait, flexibility, overall strength and grip strength. It is usually employed at the end of rehabilitation to measure a worker’s ability to return to his/her job. The FCE often includes specific job tasks for return-to-work comparison.

TRANSITIONAL DUTY

Transitional duty is a progressive, individualized, on-site rehabilitation program Workers stay on the job remaining productive and involved with the work place. A therapist works with the employer and employee to plan the work duties that will "transition" the employee from limited duty to regular full time duty.

Transitional Duty keeps injured workers performing meaningful and productive work, within their prescribed restrictions.

Transitional Duty benefits include:

• controls lost time
• prevents replacement and re-training costs
• promotes employee/employer communication
• keeps employees actively involved with the job
• speeds progression to full duty, no restrictions.

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