Exercise for Return to Work
At Integral Performance Exercise Physiology, we understand that injuries can significantly impact your ability to work productively, as well as your emotional wellbeing. We believe in helping you recover to your fullest potential and will work alongside your care team to see the best possible rehabilitation for your full return to work.
Have you Hurt Yourself at Work?
Did you know, musculoskeletal injuries occur for about 65% of all workers’ compensation claims, many of them occurring due to:
Slips, trips and falls
Hazardous manual tasks
Collision with another person, vehicle or other object
You may find that in your work you need to complete tasks that involve repetitive and sustained straining, pushing, pulling, reaching, bending, and awkward postures - all of which may expose you to muscle injury, falls, or chronic pain. Or, you may have completed a task that required high amounts of force, or were in an area where there was awkward terrain. You may even have been in a motor vehicle accident that has kept you from working to your fullest.
Workplace injuries don’t just hurt our bodies, they also hurt our mental wellbeing. Worrying about your future employment security, whether you will be able to enjoy activities you once loved, or whether your pain will go away, can be incredibly distressing.
Luckily, there are numerous strategies in which exercise physiologists are educated to help you not only return to full physical capacity, but to also feel psychologically ready for employment knowing full well you can actively manage your own rehabilitation for the long term.
How does Exercise Physiology Differ from Physiotherapy in Workplace Rehabilitation?
While we work in similar scopes of practice and are both extremely beneficial to your overall return to work, there are a few key differences between the roles of physiotherapists and the roles of exercise physiologists. Physiotherapists will assess, diagnose and manage your injury and pain with hands-on treatment and initial stage exercise prescription, in what is called the Acute Stage of injury rehabilitation. Exercise physiologists will prescribe clinical rehabilitative movement programs to restore your function, reduce the risk of re-injury, and prepare you for returning to work by considering the physical demands of your workplace and your personal circumstances. Furthermore, they can implement health education modalities to prevent and manage injury or illness, focusing on lifestyle behaviour interventions, educating patients on the role of pain in their rehabilitation, and by providing self-management strategies to ensure patients can remain independent after their rehabilitation is completed.
Both professions are trustworthy, working with you and each other to promote your recovery journey. It is just important to know the distinctions between what you can get out of each professional depending on what you need help with.
Let’s delve a little more into how exercise fits into your rehabilitation plan:
How does Exercise Physiology help with Return-to-Work Rehabilitation?
Exercise physiologists play a crucial role in your Return-to-Work care team. We work under the premise that you are the expert of your own body, your own injury, and your own work demands, so we may identify the areas we may need to focus on in our sessions together. In your initial appointment, we focus on asking you the questions that allow you to answer on these aspects of your life- it is important to know these concerns so our prescriptions are sustainable and align with your long term goals. We will also complete a detailed movement assessment which will guide our exercise prescription further.
These exercise programs can be home- or gym-based, depending on your preferences, and will usually include a combination of:
Strengthening weakened areas of the body
Stretching and mobility
Body awareness exercises that can aid in the management of bodily pain
Technique correction movements
Cardiovascular training (for those whose jobs require a high level of fitness)
Each program we prescribe will reflect your goals, your specific concerns of our injury, and the demands of your workplace, to prevent further injury and ensure you can hit the ground running when you return to work.
Along the way, your progress will be measured and evaluated. Not only does this help us advocate on your behalf, but also so you can see how well you’re doing in your recovery journey. We will consult with your rehabilitation coordinators, service providers, general practitioner, and workplace health and safety officer, to discuss your return-to-work options. By doing so, the process puts you at the centre of your rehabilitation journey and prioritises your recovery to create a safer work environment for when you return.
Who Do We See?
The Integral Performance team provides services to anyone seeking workers’ rehabilitation under
WorkCover QLD
CTP Insurance for MVAs (including NRMA, Suncorp, Allianz, and QBE)
Interstate WorkSafe providers
If you would like to enquire about our services, please do not hesitate to contact us here.
