Physical therapy can be very helpful for people who have a workplace injury, and unfortunately, this category of people is much larger than you might think.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were 2.8 million work-related injuries and illnesses reported by private companies in 2019. A physical therapist can take steps to help treat your workplace injuries, and they can even help you find ways to prevent such injuries in the future.
Some steps that your physical therapist can take to help your workplace injury
A work-related injury can cost you a lot. In fact, it’s estimated that musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic injuries lead to up to $20 billion in direct costs per year. Such injuries can also decrease your productivity and cause you to lose time at work.
Physical therapy can be effective for people with workplace injuries. One study found that 94% of people with same-day physical therapy access returned to work the same day or the next day. Three steps that your physical therapist can take to help you include:
- Reducing your symptoms — Work injuries can cause pain, swelling and other symptoms. The first step your physical therapist will take is to decrease these symptoms. One study of carpal tunnel syndrome shows that physical therapy was very effective at reducing its symptoms. This study shows that physical therapy led to improvements in hand function and grip strength. It also helped significantly reduce pain.
- Conditioning you to return to work — Your physical therapist can also help you prepare your body for the rigors of normal work activities. This preparation is known as work conditioning. Typically, it’s performed near the end of your therapy process, and it involves you performing a work task for a set amount of time. For instance, a painter may be asked to do overhead painting movements for five minutes.
- Working to decrease your risk of future injuries — Once you’ve injured yourself at work, the odds are high that you’ll do so again. However, your physical therapist can help reduce your risk of a future work injury. This is often accomplished with ergonomics training. Such training can involve:
- Evaluations of your workspace and movements.
- Exercises to strengthen muscles and improve posture.
- Recommendations about tools and techniques that can help increase the safety of your workspace.
Find top-notch treatment for your workplace injury at Peak Performance
Not sure where to turn for effective physical therapy for your workplace injury? Our team at Peak Performance offers to work injury therapy that you’re looking for. We can perform a free screening on you to pinpoint the injury you have and underlying issues that caused it. In addition, our physical therapists excel at creating individualized therapy plans designed to reduce your symptoms and get you back to work as fast as possible. We even offer virtual therapy sessions that allow you to get work injury treatment from your home.
Contact us today for more information about the help we offer for work injuries or to schedule an initial appointment.
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