A recent study published in the British Medical Journal demonstrates that employees that are part of a “integrated care” program return to work on average 4 months earlier than those receiving more conventional care.
Studies like this seem to prove what I would consider to be obvious: strong rehab with progressive exercises leading up to job specific exercises, would be the obvious choice when a worker is injured.
At InjuryFree, we have found that employees are not only able to return to work quicker, but are at a reduced risk for re-injury (if employees are given progressive exercises that are job specific). At the same time, considering only the job tasks of the employee also leads to an “imbalance” rehab. An employee is made up of ALL they do, and to have them working at full capacity and reduced risk, all aspects of their lives must be taken into consideration.
I sincerely hope that studies like get us closer to understanding the best way to rehab work injuries, but even more so, how can industry avoid injuries altogether.
Source: BMJ-British Medical Journal (2010, March 16). Integrated Care Can Cut Chronic Back Pain Work Disability by Four Months. ScienceDaily.
