Workplace Injury

We offer a comprehensive industrial and occupational work therapy program approved by the State to treat employees who have been injured on the job. We work closely with your physician to offer an individualized rehabilitation program to each one of our patients, with the goal of restoring your pre-injury level of function and getting you back to work. Each patient receives one-on-one personal care each and every visit.

Why choose an RET Physical Therapy clinic for your work injury rehabilitation and physical therapy?

• Same day or next day evaluations.
• Close coordination of care with your physician and L&I case manager.
• Aquatic/warm water pool therapy programs available.
• We’ll work with L&I to have your claims paid so there is no out of pocket expense to you.

By providing workplace rehabilitation, education of safe work habits, and creating environments where injuries are preventable, RET Physical Therapy Group will get you back to work safely and efficiently. From the time of your injury through case closure, our rehabilitation services work in a cost-effective and timely manner for everyone involved. Your work therapy will start with a detailed evaluation with one of our licensed physical therapists, and an appropriate treatment plan of care will be determined.

Treatment may include manual therapy techniques including joint mobilization and manipulation, stretching, instruction in proper body mechanics and posture, restorative exercise, and modalities such as therapeutic ultrasound, electric stimulation, and the application of hot and/or cold packs.

Not only do all of our locations work with the injured worker, some of location also offer the following specialty programs...

Work Conditioning

Work Conditioning is a multi-disciplinary treatment program that is highly individualized to help each and every patient return to work. The program uses real and simulated work activities along with general conditioning tasks to improve the injured worker’s physical condition so he or she can return to work.

Work Conditioning is usually the first step in an injured worker’s return to work rehabilitation program. Treatment sessions are 1.5 -2 hours per day for 1-4 weeks, with return to work as the end goal. If the injured worker is unable to return to work after completing the work conditioning program, they may be an appropriate candidate for the more intense, more comprehensive, work hardening program.

Work Hardening

Work Hardening consists of a progression of real or simulated work activities, used to restore job-related functions. This program requires longer hours than that of Work Conditioning, and are also held more days during the week. Our Work Hardening program is an individualized, job specific program of activity with the goal of returning our patients to work.

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) focuses on determining an individual’s capacity to perform work activities related to his or her participation in employment. The FCE process compares the individual’s health status, and body functions and structures to the demands of the job and the work environment. (Similar types of testing may also be called a Functional Capacity Assessment, Physical Capacity Assessment or Evaluation, or Work Capacity Assessment or Evaluation.)

FCE may be used to determine:

• Ability to safely return to work status (including full duty, modified duty, or transitional duty)
• Work ability status for vocational rehabilitation
• Worker’s compensation case settlement
• Disability status
• Ability to meet job demands as part of a hiring process (pre-work/post-offer employment testing)
• Ability to meet the demands of other activities (i.e. being a student, volunteering)

Post-Offer Functional Employment Testing (POET)

The least costly injury is the one that never occurs. Post-Offer Employment Testing (POET) focuses on determining whether an individual is physically capable of performing a specific job to proactively minimize the risk of injury. (POETs have also been called Physical Abilities Tests, Pre-Placement Tests, Pre-Work Screens, Fitness for Duty Tests, Physical Demands Tests and Worker Selection Tests.)

POET testing can help employers:

• Decrease work-related injuries & accident rates
• Reduce worker’s compensation costs
• Lower turnover
• Increase productivity by hiring elite workers, ready to contribute
• Decrease healthcare costs
• Lower disruption to production when skilled workers become disabled

Are you an employer and want to be confident that the next employee you hire is capable of meeting the physical demands of their job? RET Physical Therapy can help you mitigate liability risk through functional employment testing. For details, email [email protected].

Go the RET Way and Reap the Benefits:

• Save your company thousands of dollars in healthcare costs and get your injured worker better, faster
• Reduce your company’s reserve allocations
• Improve your loss run reports