When an employee gets hurt on the job, they may not realize they have an issue. Some musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries build up slowly, causing gradual pain until it becomes debilitating. Other injuries like pulled back muscles happen quickly, causing severe pain. Untreated discomfort contributes significantly to absenteeism/presenteeism, where employees miss workdays or work less productively because of frequent pain. The result is less productivity and demoralized workers.

When someone is hurt on the job, it’s imperative to help them recover quickly and return to work. But often, it’s not feasible for people to take substantial time off to visit a clinic for frequent physical therapy appointments. They may be concerned about missing deadlines at work or disrupted personal time. The inconvenience, coupled with fears of complicated paperwork, unmet medical expenses, or lost wages, can prompt people to ignore their MSK symptoms, worsening a bad situation.

Even if workers receive treatment at the outside clinic, they may not get all the services they need. While the physical therapist (PT) can effectively treat the employee’s MSK condition, they may not have industrial expertise or understand the complexities of the patient’s job. Without this knowledge, PTs can’t advise patients accurately on the best ways to avoid job-related MSK injuries. And without a thorough understanding of the conditions and daily job tasks a patient faces, the outside clinic’s therapist may not be able to verify when the individual is healthy enough to return to work.

Onsite PTs Deliver Benefits for Both Employees and Companies

With their in-depth understanding of an organization’s work environment, onsite PTs help clients reduce workplace injuries with early intervention, ergonomic analysis and training, employee testing, and other services. PTs can increase their scope by providing onsite treatment of employees’ MSK injuries when the inevitable happens. Onsite PT treatments benefit both organizations and employees by returning workers to good health as quickly as possible. In the video below, Brian Boyle, PT, DPT talks about why you should consider adding on treatment to an onsite PT program.

• Employee Benefits - Receiving PT treatments without leaving the workplace or dealing with outside providers is an invaluable service that saves workers time, money, and effort. The onsite PT is a familiar, trusted face who can evaluate the injured worker’s condition and answer questions, easing their concerns. The PT can develop a personalized treatment plan that prioritizes decreasing pain/symptoms and restoring the employee’s strength, motion, and function, shortening recovery time. Their understanding of the company’s work environment helps PTs target each patient’s job challenges and recommend ways to reduce subsequent injury. They can also evaluate when the employee can safely resume their duties. Or, they can recommend accommodations to help the employee return to the workplace.
• Organizational Benefits –Today’s competitive job market has made retaining seasoned employees a business imperative. Employers who safeguard their employees’ well-being see improved workforce morale and commitment, along with increased productivity and lower costs from fewer job site injuries. Organizations can demonstrate their commitment to employees’ health and safety by providing easy-access onsite treatment for MSK ailments. This approach helps keep employees fully engaged on the job, reducing turnover. Onsite MSK health services can also help older hard-to-replace workers maintain their health and postpone retirement.

The licensed, experienced physical and occupational therapists working for WorkWell treatment services receive specialized PT training in occupational health and injury management. Download the ebook below to learn more about how companies are offering MSK services as part of total wellness programs to recruit and retain employees.

Below are more resources you might be interested in:

• Improve the Employee Experience by Offering a Holistic Onsite Physical Therapy Clinic
• Why Onsite Physical Therapy Services are a Smart Choice for Your Wellness Program
• Injury Prevention Dials into Employee Experience
• Why Managed Onsite Physical Therapy Clinics Deliver Better Results
• OSHA MSDs - Now What? How Onsite PT Can Help
• How Onsite Physical Therapists Can Reduce Occupational Stress
• 10 Benefits of Onsite Physical Therapy Clinics