Work Related Rehabilitation and Industrial Rehabilitation

Our highly trained staff of licensed professionals get results.

Do you have a work related injury?

Our highly trained staff of licensed professionals get results.

We have assembled a dedicated team of qualified professionals so that your clients can get the very best care from a single source. 512 Physical Therapy prides itself on delivering personalized, effective and cost-efficent care to each patient. Robert J O'Dell, P.T., is a graduate of the U.T.M.B Galveston Physical Therapy program and has over 20 years of experience in rehabilitiation. He is a McKenzie certified specialist with specialized training in manual therapy (Cyriax and Maitland based), occupational health and rehabilitation testing and Golf rehabilitation and performance. He is fluent in Spanish and excels in communicating with and motivating his patients to complete their treatment plans.

Our Front office staff is highly effective in communicating with employees, employers, insurance providers, and medical professionals. Our documentation is thorough and our reports are delivered in a timely manner while remaining in constant communication with you throughout the healing process of your patients.

In returning individuals to work subsequent to medical treatment, reliance has historically been placed upon the physician to determine the residual abilities of the worker. In cases with limited or no residual disability, the answer is usually quite easy to obtain. However, injuries with a noticeable impairment and corresponding disability present a significant issue to the insurance company, the employer and the employee. The overwhelming tendency is for the medical community to present the worker's condition in technical, impairment-based medical terminology. What does a 30-degree loss of abduction and a 15-degree loss of internal rotation of the right upper extremity mean to a carpenter? To the employer, employee and the insurance company, this does not tell us whether the carpenter can safely perform the job. And, if the worker does have some limitations, what functions will they be capable of safely performing?

A functional capacity evaluation is a clinical process that should be driven by the nature of the referral question. If an evaluation is requested, the answer to the question must be provided in a format understandable to all parties in the case. 512 Physical Therapy stresses the ability to address the referral question. Whether the question is can an individual return to work (modified or not), what is the impact of the injury upon the individual, or what is the extent of progress in the rehabilitation program, the question must be addressable and answered. 512 Physical Therapy also recognizes varying complexities in the evaluation of function, and the need to address each issue on a customizable basis. We believe in advanced, peer-reviewed protocols and unbiased technology to address the referral question on a point-of-intervention.

Application:

This evaluation is performed when the disability determination requires an outline of the capacity of the individual in relation to the impairment or impairments. It is a comprehensive evaluation used to determine the impact of an impairment on the individual's residual capacity for work-related activies.

Evaluation

Test to capacity with due consideration given to the nature of impairment(s).

Reporting Requirements

  1. The report generated will provide raw scores of ability for directly matching the worker's physical abilities to the demands of any occupation in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act.
  2. The Report will outline performance limitations and abilities, in order to identify the extent to which work activities are feasible.
  3. If a residual functional analysis is required, the report will outline whether or not the worker meets the physical demands and other worker trait requirements of any occupation.

Benefits to Employer/Employee

  1. Identifies if claimant is capable to return to work in the usual and customary occupation and the impact of the impairment on all occupations.
  2. Establishes a baseline of functional ability that may be used on subsequent occasions to determine if disablity has diminished or increased.
  3. May be used when a significant discrepancy exist between evaluating physicians as to the extent of disability attributable to the impairment. Narrows the gap and allows for the expedient resolution of the case.

Application

This test is performed, in compliance with the Americans with Disablities Act, subsequent to the offer of employment by the employer to the job candidate. In the United States, the offer is considered conditional until the employee demonstrates the ability to perform the physical demands of the essential functions.

Format:

Testing Prerequisite

  1. An essential job description must exist.
  2. The Employer must have a policy for testing for the job.

Reporting Requirment

  1. Decisions concerning placement based on testing remain the domain of the employer, not the evaluator.
  2. This report is part of the Corporate Human Resources file as regulated by Human Rights Policy in "Employment Related Medical Information."

Benefits to Employer/Employee

  1. Identifies whether or not the worker is available to meet the physical demands of the position.
  2. Establishes a baseline of ablity for performing the physical demand of the position.
  3. Provides a comparative report basis, once an injury occurs, as to the worker's pre-injury abilities and the requirements of the position. This will help to establish expedited communications for return to work potential and the identification of medical apportionment not attributable to the injury in question.
  4. Provides the ability to develop appropriate alternate or modified functions on a more expedient, cost-effective basis if the worker is unable to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work hardening and Work Conditioning programs are designed to restore an individual's capacity to the point he or she is able to return to work either at the pre-injury position or a new occupation for which the residual abilities are appropriately matched. Work hardening programs are specifically matched to the occupation that is under consideration through the development of simulated work tasks that replicate those physical demands tha will be encountered during the performance of the usual and customary job duties. Although it would be ideal to replicate the exact function or task required, the limitation commonly encountered is the ablity to provide the resources to perform the identical tasks.

Work Conditioning programs are designed to improve the worker's overall aerobic and physical demand capacity in order to enhance the likelihood a return to work will be successful. During the course of a recovery period, many workers become deconditioned to the extent they are at risk of re-injury due to diminished endurance capability. A work conditioning program is specifically designed to make certain the worker will be able to perform the physical demands over a sustained period without the risk of injury attributable to physical deficits.

In commencing either a work hardening or work conditioning program, a functional intake evaluation is performed in order to establish a baseline of ability and to structure those activities that will enhance the performance capabilities without a risk of injury during the course of the program. The evaluation will also provide a basis for determining the likelihood of structuring modified or alternate work that could be performed at the employer's site while the in-clinic treatment continues.

As the work hardening or work conditioning program continues it is important to monitor the results achieved through progress analysis on a functional basis. If progress in not being made, the value of continuing in the program is questionable. If progress is being made, the planning for a re-entry to alternate or the usual and customary work needs to be addressed. The employer should be notified of workers performance and a determination should be made if accomodations need to be made for a return to work or increased work hours in a shared work conditioning/job site program.

Upon the discharge from either a work hardening or work conditioning program, a discharge assessment should be preformed in order to document the worker's capabilities. The discharge assessment may be used to establish the objective quantification that could be used in litigation pertaining to the extent of permanent disablity in a case. It can also be used in the case of a subsequent injury claim to document the extent of the worker's capablities in order to avoid adverse findings of medical apportionment.

Application

This type of testing is performed when a determination needs to be made as to the functional limitations/abilitites of the individual directly related to the impaired body part of system. The test components may also be used in conjunction with a doctor's report of impairment as independent third-party measurements that the physician may cite on an objective basis.

Evaluation

Test to capacity with due consideration given to the nature of the impairment(s).

Testing Prerequisite

  1. A prescription to perform the testing from the physician.
  2. Medical reports indicating the nature of the impairment(s) in order to take appropriate measures to ensure functional evaluation safely.

Reporting Requirments

  1. The report may only require the technical data of the evaulation.

Benefits to Employer/Employee:

  1. Allows the physician in a case to have a more detailed depiction of the patient's abilities prior to making a disability determination.
  2. Strengthens the report of disability by using a third party testing for the doctor's citation in the impairment report.

We look forward to working with you in the near future. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at 512-669-2162.

Call 512-699-2162 To Experience Professional Physical Therapy Services.

The 512 Physical Therapy and Golf Performance Center fitness center operates in Austin and draws customers concerned about personal fitness from the surrounding area.

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