Research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that work-related injuries and accidents average over 880,000/year, costing U.S. firms more than $62 billion in 2018. Many of these injuries are musculoskeletal disorders and are usually preventable with early intervention and rehabilitation. 

Recognizing this, many companies have implemented injury prevention measures as an investment in employee well-being and productivity. Many have discovered that adding an onsite physical therapist (PT) is an essential component of an effective wellness program. With their skills in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal injuries, onsite physical therapists can screen employees for pain or discomfort, then recommend appropriate first aid or corrective exercises to improve a patient’s strength and minimize muscle damage.

How Onsite Physical Therapy Services Deliver Value

This trend explains why onsite physical therapy services are gaining in popularity. By focusing on injury prevention and treatment, onsite PT can help employees avoid injuries and minimize worker compensation claims. Also, by increasing your employees' health, a successful onsite PT program can lower medical bills and the cost of providing healthcare insurance. Onsite PT services offer many benefits, such as:

• Measurable ROI - An effective injury prevention and wellness program can reduce the amount employers spend on workers’ compensation claims. By placing trained physical therapists onsite, they can uncover workplace and behavioral risks that could injure employees and/or delay their recovery. By identifying and mitigating risks, the onsite therapist can stop injuries from occurring in the workplace and keep employees fully productive.
• Better employee morale – By providing onsite services to help employees feel better and work more safely, your company is sending a strong signal that it is committed to employee well-being. In turn, that message can enhance trust between employees and their employer, helping workers feel happier and more productive. And with a higher level of job satisfaction, these workers are more inclined to stay with their employer and work harder at their jobs.
• Faster recovery times – Being onsite enables the physical therapist to identify and treat workers’ injuries early on to stop injuries from getting worse. With an onsite physical therapy clinic, employees can more quickly and easily get treatment for injuries right at the workplace. By providing convenient, easy access to onsite therapy services, injured employees are more apt to show up for their appointments and get the treatments they need, leading to faster healing. 
• Fewer Days Away from Work (DAFW) – Absenteeism can drive up a company’s productivity costs, but onsite PT can shorten injured employees’ recovery times. By getting staff back to work more quickly, onsite therapists help improve the bottom line for employers.
• Fewer injuries per worker –Onsite physical therapists can contribute to injury prevention as well; they are trained to look for and evaluate the root cause of workplace injuries. As part of the work environment, the onsite PT can analyze each job function, identify the job's risk factors, and even redesign job activities to decrease or eliminate these risk factors. They can also coach employees on how to perform each task better to minimize the risk of injury. Without the fear of repeat injuries, recovered employees are more inclined to return to work. 

Onsite Therapists are a Smart Enhancement to Corporate Wellness Programs

A workplace safety program enhanced with onsite physical therapists can deliver numerous services focused on injury treatment and prevention. By relieving workers’ discomfort, the onsite therapist can help employees work more productively and keep strains from becoming full-blown injuries that take them out of the workforce. The physical therapist can also proactively work with at-risk employees on therapeutic exercises, evaluate workplace ergonomics, and train workers to safely perform strenuous tasks such as lifting heavy loads. 

At Workwell, we’re a worldwide industry leader who delivers training, coaching, and education services focused on workplace injury prevention. We have trained over 10,000 therapists in our proven injury prevention program.

Successfully operating an onsite PT clinic is easier when you partner with an expert in occupational health services that has done it before. Learn more about why you should partner with an MSK managed services provider for your program by downloading the brochure below.

Click below for more resources you may 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
• How to Boost Employee Productivity and Retention
• Why Does it take 170 Steps to Onboard a Successful Onsite PT Program?