What to expect if you have hurt yourself at work and have been referred to an Exercise Physiologist

How can an Exercise Physiologists help an injured worker get back to work and a normal way of life?

When you get injured at work it isn’t just your work life that is affected, your whole life can be turned upside down. Not only will you find that you may not be able to work and support your family, but you can struggle to do simple things that once gave you joy.

This is when an Exercise Physiologist can help you out. So, you have been injured at work and have just been sent to an Exercise Physiologist for treatment. What does this involve? And how can they help you get back to your old happy self?

What to expect

First off, you will undergo an initial assessment where your treating practitioner will get a full understanding of your injury, your day to day activities and how this injury has impacted you at both work and home. Using this information your practitioner will develop an individualised exercise program to rehabilitate you from your injury and help address some of the barriers that are stopping you from returning to full function. 

Over the following weeks, you and your practitioner will have regular reviews and progress you through your program as you become more functional and begin to start doing more at home and at work.

Throughout this whole process, there will be continued communication between yourself, your doctor and anyone else involved in your rehabilitation. This is to ensure that everyone is on the same page and you are getting the best treatment possible.

When can I go back to work?

This is a tough question to answer. The reason being is that everyone is individual, and everyone responds to exercise differently. As you go through your program with an Exercise Physiologist, they will continually review your progress and attend your doctors’ appointments to discuss with them your potential to return to work. Ideally, you will be able to work in some capacity through your treatment, but this is not always the case. This is when these meetings with your doctor come in handy.

The overall goal of the program is to get you back to work and doing the things that you love. An Exercise Physiologist will aim to make this process as effective and enjoyable as possible. Sometimes the thought of getting injured at work can be a daunting one but that’s where going to an Exercise Physiologist for your rehabilitation may be the best choice you ever make.