Hundreds of thousands of Australians suffer a work related injury each year. For musculoskeletal injury (joint, ligament, tendon, muscle, disc injury) physiotherapy is often required to help workers with return to work as quickly and safely as possible.
The following points are important to consider:
Your doctor and physio working together
Early assessment and treatment is very important. It is a good idea to involve both your doctor and your physiotherapist in the management of a musculoskeletal work injury. A thorough assessment will rule out more serious injury. A combination of medical and physiotherapeutic modalities will enhance recovery.
Overuse injury
Overuse injuries are common and they usually occur in the upper limbs and involve damage to soft tissues such as tendon or muscle. These conditions may also involve nerve irritation.
Overuse injury develops when a worker continually overloads his or her body during activities, such as repeated lifting, typing, gripping etc.
Back and neck pain
Back and neck problems are common. Fixed posture, inadequate muscle control and poor work set-up can contribute. Continual or unexpected lifting can lead to low back injury.
Sprains and strains
Many workers suffer ligament sprains or muscle strains. These can occur when a worker over stretches, twists or overloads a joint or soft tissue. These injuries are quite common and, if not severe, can respond well to management.
Return to work
Your physiotherapy treatment is focussed on supporting you to get back to work as soon as possible. An early return may be on modified duties.