Specialized exercise programs designed to heal the injury and get the injured worker back to work and daily activities.

The patient with a worker's compensation injury  has an injury which occurred at work.  Their insurance company will contact Sierra Physical Therapy and provide a written authorization for the treatments. 

The physical therapist does a thorough evaluation in order to determine the necessary treatment.  It is necessary to have a job description and understand the work that the patient does, in order to plan the return to work.  For example, if the injured worker is required to lift 50 pounds for their job, the therapist will set that goal for them to achieve in order to return to work. Or, a patient who has a desk job may need to be able to sit for several hours.  In that case, we will need to evaluate their work station and do an ergonomic assessment.  The physical therapist can often make recommendations in order to improve the dynamics, including improved posture, and decrease stress on the neck, shoulders, arms, wrist and hands. 

The injured area may present with many problems, usually:  Weakness, edema, pain, and/or stiffness. Specific physical therapy programs are established which correct the injured area and provide the patient with home exercise programs which will correct the condition and prevent re-injury.