How We Help Workers Compensation Patients Get Back to Work Faster
Who We Are:
You get injured on the job. You can’t work. Now you have to deal with the never ending medical drama around your workers compensation case. Here at BAR Physical Therapy we are there for you through your entire case from surgery, rehab, functional work performance and maintenance after physical therapy. BAR Physical Therapy is an outpatient physical therapy clinic located in Ahwatukee, Arizona conveniently located just off the I10.
Worker’s Compensation Process:
Worker’s compensation starts when an employee gets injured at work or work related events. The employee then needs to notify their employer and it usually goes through their HR department. Every company is slightly different with where they want you to report the work injury. For example, if you are a firefighter you will report it to the chief of your station. We recommend notifying your employer in person and in writing so you have a paper trail of your communication. The employer is legally required to report the injury to the workers compensation insurance carrier. Your employer will then give you a claim form to fill out about your work injury. The insurer will then approve or deny the claim. If they approve it congrats, you can now be treated for your injury from work. We will go over the medical part of workers compensation here
Initially, you will be seen by a primary care provider (PCP) whether it is your PCP, urgent care or another provider that your work recommends. You will then most likely have 2 options that depend on the severity of your injury. Surgery or rehab with physical therapy. Let’s talk about the surgery part first.
If your medical provider sends you to a specialist and they believe that surgery is the best course of action for you then they will help you get set up for a surgery date. Here at BAR Physical therapy we actually sit in on all of our workers compensation patients surgery’s. It gives us a great comprehensive idea of what the surgeon actually did, it continues to build great relationships with your surgeon and it allows us to give our patients comprehensive answers to any questions. After the surgery you will then soon start physical therapy.
Physical Therapy:
After the surgery you will then be referred to physical therapy to start your rehab process to get back to work. Your surgeon will most likely give you a referral to traditional physical therapy that you get to barely work with the actual physical therapist. However, you actually have the right to choose who you want to have as your providing physical therapist.
YOU have the right to choose where you want to go.
When selecting a physical therapy clinic for your rehab back to work remember to look for these things: a facility that can actually replicate your job responsibilities, a clinic where you get to work with your physical therapist for your entire plan of care and not a tech, and that you have 1-on-1 time with the physical therapist to actually progress your care. At BAR physical therapy we actually do all of this and more! We give our patients 1 hour, 1-on-1 care, tailored treatment plan of cares, and our facility has specialty equipment that allows us to replicate any job. All you need to do is give the referral of physical therapy to us and we will get everything squared away for you.
Physical therapy will then work with your adjuster or case manager to make sure they give you the best possible outcome with physical therapy authorized visits. As you progress and get closer to being able to go back to work you will be subjected to IME’s or independent medical exams. IME’s are where you are examined by a doctor who has nothing to do with your case so they have more of an unbiased view of your work related injury. There they will determine if you need more physical therapy or are ready to go back to work medically. From there you will either be awarded more physical therapy, be done with medical related work, or be further screened for more serious issues.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, workers compensation cases for work related injuries can be a really big process from filing a claim, working with the adjuster or case manager to get the health care you need and dealing with IMEs. If you are thinking about filing a workers compensation claim or are on workers compensation and want better care, then let us be your preferred physical therapists. We work with our patients every step of the way from observing any surgeries to maintenance after they get back to work. Book a free consultation with BAR physical therapy today as we can only take on 5 new patients a week and we do not want your injuries to linger or get worse.
Wesley Desrosier PT, DPT, CSCS, Cert. DN