PHYSICAL THERAPY
The Functional Capacity Evaluation and Work Conditioning Programs at Ortho RI are designed for patients with work related injuries. The overall goal of both programs is to assist physicians, by providing information to help determine when a patient is ready to return to work and incidentally, in many cases, give patients the confidence in their ability to return to work.
The Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) Program at Ortho RI is staffed by Occupational Therapists who are Certified Functional Capacity Evaluators (CFCE). They are certified in the Bio-ergonomic FCE method. Ortho RI chose this particular type of FCE not only for its thoroughness in evaluating a patient’s ability to perform job tasks, but because it was designed as an evidence based and data driven evaluation tool. Some of the key features of this FCE include: medically researched protocols and reader friendly reports. Typically patients referred for an FCE have completed a traditional therapy course and possibly already participated in a work conditioning program.
An FCE takes approximately 4 to 5 1/2 hours to complete. It provides extensive data on the patient’s current ability to safely perform their full duty job demands. FCE’s also establish a patient’s general level of function if their injuries are significant enough that they won’t be able to return to their former job.
Our Work Conditioning Program’s goal is assisting patients to return to their full duty job. It is an intensive, goal-oriented conditioning program designed specifically to restore strength, power, and endurance. This program is meant to follow an acute rehabilitation program (such as post-operative rehab). It is a much more physically demanding program than traditional therapy that is individually tailored to the physical job demands of each patient.
Patients attend the program twice a week for two hour sessions for an average of 4 to 6 weeks. Therapeutic interventions include: increasing mobility, strength and flexibility, cardiovascular and muscular endurance, safety and ergonomics training, injury prevention and wellness education and increasing the patients overall tolerance to their physical work requirements. Patients can start directly into the work conditioning program or be transitioned into it after they’re acute rehabilitation phase is completed.
Our B.T.E. Primus is a unique piece of equipment utilized in both the work conditioning program and FCE testing. It can simulate thousands of work related activities. It captures real time data, from the initial evaluation and baseline measurements through the completion of a work conditioning program. Performance is automatically recorded and tracked as the worker progresses through work simulation activities. Objective reports are created to gauge the workers effort, and to review their progress.
During FCE testing, the BTE is utilized to evaluate strength through isometric testing. It can also test activity endurance with repetitive tasks.
Patients can be referred for FCE’s by physicians, insurers or attorneys. Our Work Conditioning program requires a referral by a physician or insurer. In order to perform an FCE or start a work conditioning program, Ortho RI must be able to obtain a current job description that contains the physical job demands of that position.
To schedule an FCE or make a referral to our Work Conditioning program please call: 401-459-4001 or, fax the referral information to: 401-459-4010.
