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The Benefits of Physical Therapy After a Workplace Accident

Most employees who suffer a workplace accident begin their medical treatment with a visit to their local ER. Workers who suffer a spinal cord injury, a traumatic broken injury, compound fractures, and other serious injuries often need immediate surgery. Workers with chronic pain or acute pain often need to visit with a pain management doctor. In addition to treatment by physicians, these workers and most injured workers also need to treat with physical therapists.

One of the aims of physical therapy is to strengthen some parts of your body to minimize the pain in other parts of your body. Experienced physical therapists can workers select the correct exercises for their injuries and help workers manage their pain and recover from their injuries.

What is physical therapy?

Physical therapy is a rehabilitation process in which therapists evaluate your physical abilities and limitations. Physical therapists generally have some medical training but they are not physicians. Physical therapists respond to your concerns by developing a plan of exercise, massages, and other methods to help you recover from your injuries.

In addition to addressing your pain issues, physical therapists focus on your range of movement and your ability to functionally use various parts of your body. Physical therapists also focus on helping you regain strength and endurance. Once there’s a clear plan (which may be adjusted as you work with the therapist) – you may work with the therapist as his/her location. You will likely also be able to do some exercises and activities at your home.

Many therapists include stretching exercises among other exercises. The therapist may also provide hands-on treatments in addition to continually encouraging you to stay with the treatment plan.

How does Physical therapy help injured workers?

According to Medical News Today, physical therapy is used to treat many different types of conditions (many of which may be due to work) including:

Some of the benefits of physical therapy include:

  • Better mobility. Many workers have difficulty with simple tasks. They find it hard to stand, move, walk, or sit – prerequisites for doing most jobs. Some activities like driving may not be possible if, for example, one of your arms or legs is in a cast. The inability to perform routine tasks also affects your home life too.

Physical therapists help you regain movement and functionality through exercises that generally strengthen your joints and muscles and stretch them so you can move more freely. While you’re exercising and receiving treatments, your physical therapist may also help you with assistive devices. For example, a physical therapist may help you walk using a cane or crutches.

Physical therapy is often used when workers suffer chronic pain or repetitive stress injuries. 

  • Helping you avoid surgery. Many employees who suffer workplace accidents understand that their options for managing their pain generally include medications and physical therapy. If these treatments still cause an unbearable amount of pain, the employee will likely review whether there are any surgical solutions to their pain. Surgeries include risks. Most people prefer to avoid surgery if at all possible. One aim of physical therapy is to help reduce your pain so you can live with the exercise and treatment routine instead of having surgery.

According to Medical News Today, other benefits of physical therapy include:

  • Improving your balance
  • Pain management
  • Preventing falls
  • Age-related disorders

Physical therapists may also help with arthritis.

Insurance companies and physical therapy

Most employers understand that workers do need physical therapy to help them recover – so workers can do their job again. Unfortunately, most insurance companies for employers often fail to appreciate just how many sessions an employee needs with a physical therapist to see improvement. Many insurance companies, after a specific number of visits (such as 10 visits) or a specific period of time (such as 3 months) will request that the worker undergo a defense independent medical examination (IME). Usually, the doctor who conducts the IME is a company doctor who will quickly say that your injuries have healed well enough that you should be able to return to work.

Experienced workers’ compensation lawyers help injured workers who need continual physical therapy when employers try to terminate their medical care and force them back to work – in two ways.

  • First, we advise workers on what to expect at the IME. For example, we review which questions are likely to be asked and what physical tests the physician is likely to conduct
  • Second, we work with your authorized treating physician. Normally, a doctor recommends that you receive physical therapy. We show your physician the report from the doctor who conducts the IME. Often, your doctor can point out the flaws in the medical report. Often, your doctor will be able to explain why you still need to treat with your physical therapist. In any event, both the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission and the North Carolina Industrial Commission typically favor the reports of your treating doctor over the defense IME doctor. 

In some cases, your physician may allow you to return to work – but with restrictions. These restrictions can include such things as not being required to lift items that weigh more than 20 pounds. The restrictions may also be conditioned on your right to continue your physical therapy visits.

One of the things that can ruin a workers’ comp case is where an injured worker treat his or her  prescribed physical therapy in a casual way, by missing physical therapy appointments and failing to re-schedule. This is a huge mistake and could lead to an Application to Terminate Benefits in Virginia or a Form 24 in North Carolina from the defense due to your failure to follow your doctor’s medical treatment plan and that could mean the end of your case.  Accordingly, please make sure you attend all of your PT appointments to the best of your ability. 

North Carolina and Virginia workers’ compensation lawyer Joe Miller has been fighting for injured workers for 31 years. He’s helped thousands of employees obtain full recoveries including payment of the medical bills they need to recover. In many of these cases, the workers need to treat with a physical therapist. To discuss your work injury claim with a seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer, call lawyer Joe Miller, Esq., at 888-667-8295. or fill out my online contact form to schedule an appointment. 

Employees in North Carolina and Virginia can also now fill out our New Electronic Case Review. The link is a new way of communicating with clients that we’re offering – to allow workers to contact us remotely during the pandemic.