Rehabilitation may involve a health care professional who will help you recover from or manage your physical and/or psychological injuries, or a vocational rehabilitation provider who will help you return to work.
Many injured workers make a successful recovery and return to work without the need for rehabilitation, for example when the injury is not especially severe and the employer is able to make some adjustments for a period of time. In these cases, the case manager may decide that rehabilitation assistance is not needed.
If your case manager decides that using a rehabilitation specialist is a good idea, they will talk to you about it.
Rehabilitation may involve working with:
- a physiotherapist, chiropractor, psychologist or similar health provider
- a medical specialist who is referred by your doctor
- a vocational rehabilitation provider who will help you get back to work
- an occupational therapist who will help with your physical work habits and decide what you can and can’t do
- a rehabilitation and return to work plan that documents what will happen and when.
You may find some of these phrases used:
- Worksite assessment – A visit by a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or vocational rehabilitation provider to assess your fitness for duties and the suitability of your workplace for a return to work
- Functional capacity evaluation (FCE) or job analysis – A test to assess which general physical activities you are capable of doing, or which activities within your normal working role you are capable of doing
- Work simulation (or work hardening) – A return to a working environment that gradually increases your fitness for work; it can be with your existing employer or a different employer
- Vocational assessment – A test that looks at what skills a job requires compared with what you are able to do, considering factors like aptitude, experience and qualifications.
If you are unsure of what these terms mean ask your practitioner or view our glossary.