Article by: Josh Dollahite MEd., LAT/ATC / Advance Rehabilitation Physical Therapy – Industrial Medicine
Work Hardening/Work Conditioning programs are comprehensive, intensive rehabilitative programs with a team approach between Certified Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Physicians, Case Managers, and Insurance Adjusters, with a focus on returning an injured employee back to work at a pre-injury state. Treatment consists of an initial baseline evaluation of a patient’s functional abilities with progression to cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, strengthening, functional training, and job-specific demands.
The Difference Between Work Hardening and Work Conditioning:
Often work hardening and work conditioning are used interchangeably, but there are differences in implementation. Work Hardening focuses on work simulation of a specific job. These activities are geared toward the patient’s return to work in conjunction with physical conditioning. Activities are designed to increase productivity, improve work postures, safety instruction, and decrease symptom response to injury. While partnered with work hardening, work conditioning focuses on the components of physical activity, such as muscular strength/ endurance, aerobic capacity, range of motion, flexibility, and stamina which will prepare the patient to return to work successfully.
Differing from physical therapy, with focus on one injured body part, work hardening and work conditioning programs focus on the body as a whole, as well as the injured body part. The focus is to return an injured employee back to work in better physical condition than they were when they left. After an initial evaluation, patients are progressed to visits lasting 2.5 hours up to 4 hours in duration. Duration of work hardening programs varies from 2 to 3 visits weekly over a 4 to 6-week period. If not already provided, a job-site analysis may also be performed to ensure the critical demands of the job can be met to ensure a safe return to work.
What are the Benefits of Work Hardening/Work Conditioning?
- Teaches the patient to maintain productivity in spite of symptoms
- Improves the patient’s ability to respond to work demands
- Develops tools and job modifications that enable the patient to accomplish work tasks
- Sets physical goals for the patient
- Increases the patient’s strength, flexibility, and endurance
- Increases aerobic condition/cardio-pulmonary function
- Improves the patient’s work postures and body mechanics
- Increases the patient’s knowledge regarding safe maximum limits for many work activities
- Decreases functional limitations
- Establishes the patient’s safe maximum physical capabilities
- Increases the patient’s confidence in their ability to return to work and to productive activity
- Provide optimal psychosocial and cognitive reconditioning before a return to productive activity
For more information on work hardening and work conditioning programs at Advance Rehabilitation Physical Therapy, please contact us at workcomp@advancerehab.com.