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A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is an objective, functional evaluation of a series of tests administered to help determine current functional and physical status of a patient/client. Not all worker compensation cases need a FCE. Some injuries don’t limit work duties and many times physical and/or occupational therapy provides the healing and assistance to return a patient to work safely. But there are many benefits of a FCE:
Industrial rehabilitation is a type of rehabilitation program aimed at helping an injured workers return to work safely and effectively and to help with prevention and reduction of work-related injuries. 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. This type of program may include some if not all of the following types of programs/tests: physical and/or occupation therapy (worker compensation focused), Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE), Work Conditioning, Work Hardening, Ergonomics, Job-Site Analysis, or Post-Offer Employment Test (POET).
ProActive Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine prides itself in providing patient care that is focused on returning a patient to his/her previous level of function. It may be a patient who needs to tolerate sitting at a computer work station for 8 hours a day, a grandmother who wants to hold her grandchildren free of debilitating back pain, or the athlete who wants to return to her/his sport ASAP. This article will focus on returning the athlete to his/her previous level of function for a specific sport.
Ever have neck and low back pain with pain and/or tingling and numbness down one or both arms or legs? If you have experienced this, you could have spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a broad term that refers to any decrease in the openings in the spinal canal; it can occur along the entire length of the spine. The most common areas for its occurrence are in the cervical spine (neck) and the lumbar spine (low back) regions. Spinal stenosis can occur in the central spinal canal, putting pressure on the spinal cord, causing central stenosis. Lateral stenosis, where the spinal nerves exit the central spinal canal laterally, through openings called spinal foramina, is the most common form of spinal stenosis.
Summer is just around the corner, and temperatures will soon be heating up. Be smart with your training regimen in the hot days of summer to avoid a heat-related injury, some of which can be life threatening. It is especially important to know your training environment here in San Diego where the temperatures during the summer can vary from the 70°-80°s at the coast; 90°-100°s several miles inland and over 110° in the deserts. Not only is the temperature important but also the humidity level, which, again, can be moderate to high near the coast and very low further inland and arid in the deserts.
Have you had difficulty with knee pain lately? Do you feel pain underneath and around your patella/kneecap after increasing mileage during runs or after training on hills? Do you have pain and difficulty going up/down stairs and curbs? After sitting through a movie, do you have to wait a few minutes before you can get up and walk out of the theater comfortably? If so, you may be suffering from patellafemoral pain, and we, at ProActive Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, can help you.
Americans spend an average of 2.7 hours a day on their cell phones. It is not uncommon for people to send dozens or even hundreds of text messages per day. This is common for both adults and teens. Recently a 14 year old ProActive PT patient was treated for texting thumb secondary to sending an average of over 300 texts per day. Mobile phone users are beginning to notice pain, tingling or numbness from excessive texting. Our dependency on texting to keep up with the Social Media has become a vital part of our life. “Giving your thumbs a rest” may not be a realistic solution in resolving symptoms associated with texting thumb for many of you.
People are always talking about posture – stand up straight, don’t slouch, watch your back! However, good posture is easier said than done. Good posture is really a very general term because so many factors go into achieving this goal. You must strengthen some of the smaller muscles of your body – namely some of the core muscles discussed in the last few weeks – and these muscles must be toned for endurance to last through an 8 hour workday or any other activity. Yet even focusing on increasing strength of these muscles is insufficient without first achieving proper alignment of the body.
Our last article discussed the “core” and its importance on stability of the spine. Without strong muscles to stabilize the spine during movements, exercise or to support when just sitting still, a person may find himself cracking his back, fidgeting when sitting or standing for long periods or develop pain. These are all signs of spinal instability.
It seems that everywhere you go, you hear people talking about strengthening your “core”. But what IS your core? Essentially, your core consists of your lumbar spine, pelvis, abdominal muscles and back muscles. When we talk about strengthening your core, we are referring to your abdominal and back muscles which help stabilize your spine so when you perform your activities – getting out of a car, bending down to lift a box or play basketball – your spine is protected and does not shift. If your core muscles are not strong enough to keep your spine stable, you will often get pain with activities.