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Therapeutic Treatment of Injured Workers to Accelerate Their Return to Work

What Is It?

Simply being off work due to injury or illness does not automatically mean that an employee is recovering.

Often when home, people develop maladaptive coping mechanisms, get out of a “work-ready” routine, and become deconditioned.  Much like you can’t put an injured athlete back in the game without rehabilitation and training, therapy while people are off work can prevent the secondary problems that are often created when people are out of their usual routines, and can reduce the disability and recovery cycles.

This therapy can include, for example:

  • Cognitive rehabilitation for people with a brain injury or stroke
  • Physical reactivation for those with a soft tissue or orthopedic injury
  • Counselling and emotional therapy to reduce mental illness

Occupational therapists are one of the only professions that are able to assess and treat these three pillars of disability (physical, cognitive, and emotional), and we often take a case management approach to our practice to make sure that any gaps in rehabilitation are addressed through referrals to other professionals.

Getting people the help they need when off work will reduce the length of their absenteeism and will get them back to their regular job more quickly.

Who Needs It?

Any employee off work due to injury or illness would benefit from therapy and rehabilitation to recover.

While some problems may naturally repair themselves (like a broken bone), the consequences of being inactive for several weeks while that happens results in other, preventable, issues.

Why?

For every day that someone is off work, they are losing their work skills, physical strength, and abilities, and could suffer the mental health consequences (such as increased anxiety and depression) of being unable to participate in daily roles.

All of these issues escalate over time and become exponential problems to overcome when returning to work becomes possible. Having therapy and rehabilitation in place during an absence, versus introducing this to facilitate a return, is a proactive way to get people back to work sooner and more successfully.

How Does It Help?

When people remain “work-ready” while at home and recovering from a physical, cognitive, or emotional issue, their return to work process is faster, less complicated, and more likely to be successful. 

Absenteeism is reduced, as is risk of re-injury or relapse after they return.

Start today. Contact us for a complimentary consultation.