Therapy Services

CIS onsite therapy services has consistently returned injured employees to full duty faster and at significantly less cost to the employer than traditional clinic based therapy facilities. We provide on-site therapy for all injured workers regardless of the severity/type of the injury. We emphasize the importance of an injured worker returning to the work facility as early as possible. Even if an individual is not released to return to work, we can still provide them with therapy at the work facility.

CIS onsite is a preferred provider on many Workers Compensation PPO programs and all services provided are directly billed to the company’s Workers’ Compensation carrier. We mainly focus on providing services for individuals with work related injuries when therapy is prescribed by the physician. However, we also provide services for non-work related injuries at many of our clients locations.

We offer a full range of onsite
therapy services.

• Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy
• Work Conditioning / Transitional Return to Work
• Work Capacity Evaluation

Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy

CIS onsite provides onsite, one-on-one, functionally oriented treatment of acute work injuries. Therapy begins as soon as possible after an injury. Treatment utilizes modalities as needed, but is mainly functionally oriented, hands-on stretching, strengthening exercises and manual therapy programs. Our therapists have the opportunity to observe the employee’s job duties first hand and can develop a treatment plan specifically addressing the demands of the job. This approach ensures a timely and efficient return to work along with enhanced communication between all parties. All our equipment is portable, we only require a small, private non-permanent space (i.e., first aid office, unused office area, etc.). Services are provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer coverage on all employers’ shifts.

Advantages of Onsite Therapy Services

• All therapy is provided onsite at the employer facility. This significantly reduces the amount of time the injured worker is away from the job site.
  
• The onsite therapist performs a first-hand analysis of the employee’s specific job duties and work environment.
  
• The onsite therapist can design a treatment program that specifically addresses the actual demands of the injured worker’s job.
  
• The onsite therapist can utilize job-specific equipment and real work tasks in the treatment of the injured worker.
  
• Injured workers receiving onsite therapy typically return to full-duty faster and with better success than those receiving therapy in the clinic. This saves the employer both time and money.
  
• The injured worker can transition back to his regular duty or alternative duty job while under the direct supervision of the onsite therapist who ensures that safe work techniques are being used to prevent further injury. The worker is performing productive work for the employer during this transition.
  
• During the transitional return to work period, the injured worker is undergoing work conditioning specific to the demands of his job. This results in a more successful return to work.
  
• Treating the injured worker at the job-site allows the worker additional opportunities to maintain social contacts and can minimize the psychological and social problems that often accompany a lost-time work injury. This allows for an accelerated and more successful return to work.
  

Work Conditioning / Transitional
Return to Work

Subsequent to and in conjunction with acute therapy, the treatment focus is on progressing an employee from off-work or modified duty to full duty. Rehabilitation consists of the employee performing real work activities under the supervision of a therapist. This allows the therapist to modify the employee’s work technique in order to prevent further injury while conditioning the employee and ensuring a more successful return to work. By working with the injured employee directly at the job site the therapist provides recommendations for job site modifications, specific strengthening and stretching requirements, safe work methods, and a work transitioning program schedule.

COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM:

1. Physical Assessment: A licensed Physical or Occupational Therapist conducts a physical assessment of the injured client. The goal of this assessment is to determine the physiological factors preventing the client from performing his/her regular duty job tasks (decreased ROM, strength, endurance, pain, etc.). A client-specific daily exercise program is developed to address the deficits found in this assessment.
2. Job Site Analysis: A licensed Physical or Occupational Therapist performs a job site analysis of the injured client’s regular duty job. We observe the client performing each job task and evaluate both the workstation and the client’s work techniques.
3. Job Modification: Following the Job Site Analysis, we suggest workstation modifications to the employer and develop alternative safe work methods for the employee to use to prevent additional injury.
4. Work Conditioning: The therapist works with the client in the workplace, as he/she performs regular duty job tasks. The therapist ensures that the client’s workstation is set-up appropriately and that the client is using the safe work methods previously established. The therapist instructs the worker in the utilization of free weights, theraband, and job specific equipment to functionally strengthen and condition the worker’s body thus allowing the worker to build strength and endurance specific to his/her job activities, minimizing recovery time. The therapist is able to determine the client’s tolerance to the required work activities and make appropriate modifications along the way.
5. Work Transitioning: Depending on the client’s endurance and physical abilities, the therapist may recommend transitioning the client back to his/her regular duty job. For example, the therapist may suggest that the client perform the regular duty job four-hours a day for the first week, progressing to eight-hours a day the third week. This work transition often reduces the potential for re-injury and makes for a more successful return to work.
   

Work Capacity Evaluation (WCE)

This is an assessment that can be performed independently or in conjunction with Work Conditioning. The assessment determines an injured worker's ability to return to their previous job or alternate job. The WCE is performed by a licensed Physical or Occupational Therapist and includes: a physical assessment of the injured client, a job site analysis of the worker's position (or a variety of available RTW positions), and an evaluation of the worker's functional abilities directly in the workplace focusing on the specific job demands and utilizing actual work site job equipment/materials, thus no "job simulation". The assessment provides an accurate assessment, to all involved parties, of the worker's ability to return to work.

Advantages of Onsite Work Capacity Evaluation (WCE)

• Employee is evaluated in his/her actual work setting.
  
• Employee is evaluated while performing his/her specific job tasks with the actual equipment used on the job.
  
• Therapist is able to obtain a more complete understanding and evaluation of the employee’s specific job tasks in the actual work setting.
  
• Therapist is able to observe the actual work environment for external factors that may contribute to or hinder the employee’s successful return to work (i.e. workstation set-up, type or condition of frequently used equipment). The therapist can then make recommendations for improving the work environment to the appropriate party.
  
• In the actual work environment, the therapist is able to better observe employee’s posture, body mechanics and work habits. The therapist can make on the spot, specific recommendations for improved, safe work methods thus reducing the risk of re-injury.
  
• Therapist can make a specific Transitional Return to Work plan for the employee, if the WCE indicates the employee is not ready to return to work without restrictions. This facilitates a faster return to work.
  
• Therapist has direct, onsite access to the employee’s supervisor, occupational health, safety and/or human resources personnel for clarification of job responsibilities and work methods.
• Employer and employee can feel confident that the onsite WCE truly depicts the employee’s ability to perform his/her specific job tasks.