What is Work Conditioning and What Are Its Benefits?

Work conditioning is a customized program for the injured worker designed to help the worker regain strength, mobility, motor control, aerobic capacity, and functional skills to safely return to work. The worker simulates work tasks, progressively increasing their functional abilities and capacity over time under the guidance of the physical therapist. Upon completion of the work conditioning program, the physical therapist conducts a functional capacity test with the injured worker to determine readiness to return to work. Work conditioning reduces the risk of a worker’s re-injury and provides the worker and employer the confidence that the worker can make a safe, sustainable return to the demands of their job.

What is Work Conditioning?

Work conditioning is a full-body intensive program designed to help a worker regain strength, mobility, aerobic capacity, and functional skills to safely return to work. A work conditioning program is implemented after physical therapy for the acute injury, focusing on restoring the ability to perform the specific demands of the job over an extended period of time. A work conditioning program is a progressive program in which the injured worker attends sessions 2-4 times a week for up to 2-3 hours a session.  

At the start of treatment, the physical therapist performs a functional baseline test to evaluate the injury and assess the injured worker’s physical capabilities and tolerances. The test compares the worker’s health status and function to the demands of the job and work environment. From there, the therapist designs a treatment program customized to the worker’s work-related needs and goals.

 A work conditioning program is a circuit-style approach in which work tasks are simulated to increase strength, mobility, motor control, endurance, tolerance, and functional abilities. The therapist also works with the injured worker to engage correct body mechanics and safe movement patterns. The simulated work tasks are graded over subsequent sessions such that the worker steadily increases their functional abilities and capacity over time to return to work. The worker also engages in medium to high-intensity cardio and strengthening exercises as well as stretching and mobility conditioning that is tailored to the worker’s job tasks. The objective is to have the injured worker simulating typical work tasks for up to 50% of their normal work schedule.

Following completion of the work conditioning program, the physical therapist completes an FCE, or a functional capacity test, which is a four-hour standard test to assess the functional abilities of the worker as they perform the spectrum of work tolerances that are related to the physical demands of the job. The FCE provides analytical data on the patient’s progress and readiness to safely return to work to the worker, employer, and referring provider.

What are the Benefits of Work Conditioning?

Workers are industrial athletes. A work conditioning program is like an athlete’s conditioning prior to competition, preparing the industrial athlete for the physical demands of their job by restoring strength, mobility, aerobic capacity, and function progressively and safely. A work conditioning program is specific to each worker and their specific job demands and tailored to the worker’s deficits to increase their tolerance to activity and their physical abilities in order to achieve job-level performance.

The work conditioning program and FCE test give both the worker and the employer confidence in maximum improvement for a safe and sustainable return to work and the ability to perform job demands. Work conditioning also helps to reduce the likelihood of re-injury in the worker.

 Professions that can benefit from a work conditioning program after a work injury include police officers, firefighters, electricians and plumbers, correction officers, mechanics, construction workers, healthcare providers, painters, delivery drivers, post office employees, chefs, and labor-intensive professions.

Are you an injured worker or an employer looking to support an injured worker? At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our industrial rehabilitation physical therapist is here to guide you through the rehabilitation and work conditioning process to ensure a safe, sustainable return to work.