How Rehab Can Get You Back to Work Safely
Industrial rehabilitation is rehabilitation aimed at helping an injured workers return to work safely and effectively and to help with prevention and reduction of work-related injuries. A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a major tool in industrial rehabilitation. A FCE is an objective, functional evaluation of a series of tests administered to help determine current functional and physical status of an employee. We must remember that industrial does not automatically mean that it is labor intensive; it includes jobs that are repetitive or that may involve awkward positions or motions.
Ergonomics have really progressed over the years from different sitting postures to sit-stand stations. Ergonomics (per OSHA) is the study of work and is based on the principle that the job should be adapted to fit the person, rather than forcing the person to fit the job. Ergonomics includes restructuring or changing workplace conditions to make the job easier and reducing/stressors that cause cumulative trauma disorders and repetitive motion injuries. In the typical upright sitting posture desk set up, the employee’s torso and neck are approximately vertical and in-line with each other, their thighs are approximately horizontal, and the lower legs are vertical. In the typical standing posture, the employee’s legs, torso, neck, and head are approximately in-line and vertical.