Physical Therapy for Injured Workers

Experiencing an injury at work can be a significant life stress and result in pain that affects your ability to perform simple tasks and provide adequate income for you and your family.

At Pinnacle Physical Therapy, our top priority for you as an injured worker is to ensure your pain is relieved quickly so you can safely return to work as soon as possible. Our team has advanced training in work injury management and understands the complexities of the workers compensation system. We work closely with Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington physicians to communicate fully; comprehensively handing your injury and recovery therefore producing the best results for all parties involved.

We emphasize the following when it comes to your recovery after a work-related injury:

  • Relieving your pain quickly and identifying the source of the symptoms

  • Restoring normal range of motion to the affected joints

  • Enhancing strength, flexibility, and endurance to the injured area of the body

  • Ensuring a complete recovery after surgical procedures and working closely with your surgeon

  • Providing education regarding the appropriate ergonomic, postural, and work method modifications to safely manage your injury and the return to work process

  • Prevention actions to prevent future occurrences

We will communicate with your employer, safety coordinator, HR representative, or case manager regularly to discover how we can help you recover quickly from your injury and get back to work safely!

We provide specialized services for injured workers that include:

 
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Work Conditioning

Work conditioning is performed during the course of post-injury therapy and focuses on incorporating the complete resolution of your specific orthopedic injury or post-surgical rehabilitation in combination with general physical conditioning, spinal and core stabilization, functional extremity stabilization, and specific functional work task simulation as part of routine therapy treatment. Work Conditioning programs typically mandate 3-5 days per week at 1-2 hours of treatment and exercise per session.

We regularly communicate with vocational rehabilitation counselors and other members of your work injury process during your Work Conditioning program to achieve successful return to work outcomes. Our goal is to physically match injured workers to future work demands emphasizing the need for future injury prevention.

Work Conditioning is an ideal way to get a recovered patient back to work while minimizing the risk of re-injury. 

Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE’s)

This is a highly specialized service performed by our WorkWell Certified FCE evaluators. FCE’s encompass an extensive, subjective, musculo-skeletal examination and physical capacity testing to answer the following questions: 

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  1. Can this person return to work safely?

  2. How functionally limiting are the worker’s injuries ?

  3. What type of job can this person physically perform safely in the future?

  4. What are this person’s safe lifting, material handling, and functional activity tolerances?

  5. What are this person’s tolerances for standing, sitting, and walking and other posturally challenging activities seen in work situations?

  6. What accommodations need to be made to allow this person to return to work?

  7. What ergonomic workplace modifications are needed to ensure safe and productive return to work?

  8. What is the next step for physical therapy treatment, i.e is work conditioning needed?

  9. What are this person’s tolerances for standing, sitting, and walking and other posturally challenging activities seen in work situations?


We can typically get FCE’s scheduled within 1-2 weeks and complete comprehensive reports in 48-72 hours. Contact us to schedule today.

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Case Managers, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants, Employers, and HR Representatives:

We offer a variety of comprehensive ancillary programs for injured workers to help them recover quickly and safely. Once a worker has been injured, it is our goal to restore him/her to optimal function for safe and efficient job performance in a timely manner. We provide effective case management, detailed and timely reports, and positive communication between health care providers, workers, and case managers for the worker’s compensation case.

We assess the worker’s current functional abilities and gather information regarding his or her job requirements. Treatment is both evaluative and restorative. Therapy utilizes a combination of manual therapy techniques, therapeutic exercises, functional stabilization, strengthening, body mechanics/posture training, modalities, patient education, and home exercise program participation.

We also off preventative care programs such as:

  • Onsite Job Analysis

  • Onsite Ergonomic Evaluation And Modifications

  • Pre-Work Screens

Which assist both employees and employers in the following ways:

  • Decreased Staff Turnover

  • Ensure Fitness For Employment

  • Increased Worker Productivity

  • Encourage A Safer Work Environment

  • Decreased Incidence Of Cumulative Trauma Musculoskeletal Disorders

  • Reductions In Lost Time

Call us for a comprehensive and specialized injury prevention, work conditioning, pre-work screens, and injury prevention programs at 208.777.4242 or use the contact form and we will get back to you ASAP.