Work Hardening Program: An Overview

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Work Hardening is a highly structured, intensive, time-limited interdisciplinary treatment program designed to assist a patient in returning to work.

The work hardening program is tailored to the job that the patient is returning to. Typically, the Program aims to improve aerobic capacity, muscle strength, endurance, range of motion, and coordination. Treatment includes specific activities that simulate the patient's chosen vocation. The Program consists of specialized equipment, hand tools, a driving simulator, and various workstations to facilitate this process. 

Psychological treatment also addresses psychosocial barriers to returning to work.

After being referred to the Program, the patient will undergo a functional capacity evaluation and a behavioral health assessment. 

The assessments will develop a personalized treatment plan for the patient. At this point, the patient will get assigned a case manager who will coordinate treatments, monitor progress, and facilitate communication within the treatment team and with the referral source. The treatment plan will be reviewed weekly by the treatment team.

What are work conditioning and hardening?

Work conditioning and hardening are high-level therapeutic interventions used to help patients regain enough function to return to work. These therapies are ideal for patients who have progressed through traditional physical therapy but still do not have full function concerning specific job duties. 

Work conditioning and hardening use real or simulated work tasks to help patients prepare for a safe return to work while preventing new or worsened injuries.

Work conditioning

Work conditioning is a rigorous conditioning program that assists patients in regaining systemic, neurological, cardiopulmonary, and musculoskeletal functions. Strength, mobility, power, endurance, motor control, and functional abilities are all included. 

Work conditioning is a stage in the process of returning to work. A work conditioning program's goals are to restore the patient's physical capacity and functional abilities, prevent the same injury from recurring, and reduce the patient's fear of returning to work.

Work hardening

Work hardening is an individualized, highly structured program to help patients safely and quickly return to their pre-injury work level. It aims to assist patients in regaining biomechanical, cardiovascular, metabolic, neuromuscular, and psychosocial functions while performing work tasks.

The Program is a multidisciplinary process that includes the use of a physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, and vocational specialist. It includes exercises for strength and flexibility, cardiovascular conditioning, spine, and joint stabilization, and job task training.

Who can benefit from the programs?

- Police Officers
- Firefighters
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- FBI Agents
- Correction Officers
- Mechanics
- Construction Workers
- Healthcare Providers
- Painters
- Delivery Drivers
- Post office employees
- Chefs
- Any other labor-intensive professionals

Functional Baseline

During the initial visit, a therapist will assess the injury and the patient's needs concerning their job. The therapist will need to do the following to determine the patient's functional bassline:

- Determine the patient's current level of physical activity (sedentary, light, medium, or heavy).
- Assess the patient's aerobic capacity (poor, fair, average, good, or excellent).
- Determine the grip strength of the patient.
- Assess the patient's mobility, core strength, and joint-specific strength concerning their injury.

After determining the functional baseline, an individualized program will improve the patient's current physical abilities. It will be accomplished through medium to high-intensity cardiovascular and strengthening exercises, as well as stretching and mobility conditioning specifically tailored to the tasks required of the patient at work. 

Periodic progress updates will be provided to the referring physician and other authorized parties, documenting the patient's attendance, participation, and progression. Discharge orders are issued when a patient regains full function or reaches a plateau.

Difference between work hardening and Program

Definition

Work hardening is a goal-oriented, individualized program designed to help employees return to work with full capability. On the other hand, work conditioning is a goal-oriented and intensive program to restore musculoskeletal and neuromuscular function.

Scope

It focuses on restoring behavioral, physical, and vocational functions through simulated or real-world activities. In contrast, work conditioning focuses on restoring power, joint mobility, strength, cardiovascular endurance, motor control, and other functional abilities.

To Conclude:

Work hardening program helps employees return to work with full capability. It focuses on restoring behavioral, physical, and vocational functions through simulated or real-world activities. It’s primary goal is to restore power, joint mobility, strength, cardiovascular endurance, motor control, and other functional abilities.

However, both programs can help labor-intensive professionals such as cops, firefighters, plumbers, mechanics, construction workers, healthcare providers, and chefs, to name a few. If you have suffered injuries in an accident, make no delays in contacting the Advantage health system to recover and return to your daily life.