After a workplace injury, your key concerns are how fast you will heal and whether you will make a full recovery. At our East Point injury center, you can be sure of the best approach for your healing: physiotherapy for work injury rehabilitation.
Let us discuss why we recommend this proactive approach and how it works.
Complete Bed Rest Is Never the Answer
Many injured workers are concerned about doing any kind of physical activity during recovery, especially if it involves the injured part. Just like every average person, they believe in the traditional approach of complete bed rest.
However, recent medical research has demonstrated the benefits of physiotherapy for recovering after workplace injuries. Waiting for an injury to heal on itself has many downsides:
- Loss of muscle strength and flexibility
- Development of scar tissue
- Risk of long-term chronic pain
- Loss of range of movements
Refraining from physical activity is actually not a good idea if you want to make a complete recovery.
A Physiotherapist’s Approach to Work Injury Rehabilitation
Physiotherapists are healthcare professionals who know how to restore an injured part to full functionality through various manual therapies, exercises and massages. The purpose of this type of treatment is to ensure complete healing, as well as to minimize the risk of re-injury in the future.
To this end, the physiotherapist will include not just therapies for treatment, but also advice to help the worker prevent future injuries. This advice relates to:
- Learning how adjust their workstation for ergonomics
- Learning how to perform certain job activities correctly, such as lifting weights, to avoid the risk of injury
- Managing pain in a safe and effective way
- Engaging in effective activities preparing the worker for the return to work
Benefits of Physiotherapy in Work Injury Rehabilitation
The physiotherapists at our East Point injury center know how important it is for injured workers to make a complete recovery as soon as possible. This is our approach to helping you return to work fully healed in the shortest possible time:
1. Rebuilding Strength
Special exercises are designed to help muscles rebuild strength and flexibility. The physiotherapist will create a personalized plan of exercises, taking into account all the important factors:
- Your age
- Your level of fitness
- The doctor’s recommendation for rehabilitation after the workplace accident
- Any health conditions and physical limitations you may have
The focus of this program is to promote safe and enduring muscle strength and resilience.
2. Functional Restoration of the Injured Body Part
Physiotherapy in work injury rehabilitation has a single final goal: making sure that you are able to use the injured body part to the same degree as before the accident. Functional restoration may involve:
- Specific massages
- Manual therapies
- Electrotherapy (E-STIM)
- Chiropractic adjustments
The physiotherapist will monitor the pace of your recovery, making all the necessary adjustments to ensure full healing without the risk of re-injury.
3. Adjustments in Work Activities to Accommodate Limitations
In some cases, you may not be able to make a full recovery. During the treatment, the physiotherapist will note your limitations and how they may impact your return to work. As far as it is safe and possible, the therapist will try to strengthen and mobilize the injured area, until it reaches maximum medical improvement.
From that point, the therapist will give you their honest opinion regarding your ability to return to your current job. In some cases, you will have to consider retraining for a new type of work, which accommodates your limitations.
4. Prevention of Future Injuries
Many workplace injuries are caused by repetitive movements and incorrect posture while performing them. Once the physiotherapist identifies the root cause of the problem, they will teach you how to adapt your work technique in order to avoid future similar injuries.
Come to Our East Point Injury Clinic for Treatment after a Workplace Accident!
The benefits of physiotherapy in work injury rehabilitation are matched only by the fact this is a safe and non-invasive type of treatment. You do not want to end up depending on pain medication or going through risky surgeries.
We encourage you to contact us at 1-800-HURT911 and schedule an evaluation appointment with an experienced physical therapist at our clinic!
