Forsyth Medical Center 
Workplace Health
Work Conditioning Program
| Therapists experienced in treating injured workers create individualized programs based on job requirements. |
In our Work Conditioning Program, therapists experienced in treating injured workers and helping them return to maximum work performance create individualized programs based on job requirements to condition a worker to return to work. Therapists work cooperatively with clients to set return to work goals together.
Injured workers need a Work Conditioning Program when:
- Traditional physical therapy for the injury has been completed, but he/she still has functional deficits that prevent them from performing some of their specific work tasks.
- He/she is medically stable (vital signs and cardiac function are within an acceptable level and there are no other diagnoses to impede progress) and can function at a level that shows potential to improve work tolerance.
- They are willing to participate and want to return to work.
- They need to improve flexibility, strength and/or endurance to be able to perform required work tasks.
What occurs in a Work Conditioning Program?
- Injured workers come to the Martinat Outpatient Rehabilitation Center for at least two hours a day over a six week period, with a treatment goal of returning to previous work conditions.
- The program is designed to allow the worker to continue working for the rest of the day with a restricted duty assignment while continuing treatment.
- Each day is structured to include flexibility exercise, cardiovascular training, weight training, education on body mechanics, lifting techniques and job-specific task simulation.
- At the beginning of the program, the injured worker must sign a contract to abide by the rules of the program.
- Treatment is directed by a physical therapist through referral from a physician and may include other professionals based on the injured worker's needs.
- The therapist and case manager provide regular communication regarding the worker's progress to the referring physician and insurer.
- At the end of the program, a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) test may be performed on the injured worker to determine work tolerance for his/her specific job.
- At the end of the program, the work place and physician will have a suggested plan for returning the worker to full-duty.
Other Martinat Outpatient Rehabilitation Services to reduce workplace injuries include:
- Job Demands Analysis, which provides information on functional demands of the job in order to write job descriptions that include physical demands.
- Post-offer Screenings for new workers before placing them on the job. This screening will identify workers at risk for injury on the job.
- Ergonomic Consulting to analyze jobs and workers performing jobs for risk factors for injury and make recommendations to lessen or eliminate these risks.
- On-site physical therapy services to treat injured workers at the job site (and reduce lost work time for rehabilitation), and provide job demands analysis, individual job coaching to reduce injury risk or ergonomic consulting services.
For More Information
Work conditioning is available at the Martinat Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, 1903 S. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem. For more information, call (336)718-6759.
| Forsyth Rehabilitation Center Facilities | |
