Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Minnesota

Work Rehabilitation Center

The Mayo Clinic Work Rehabilitation Center helps employees with traumatic or overuse injuries that occur on or off the job. Program participants strive to increase their physical tolerance before returning to work. Established in 1983, the program is now available to all employers in Rochester and the surrounding area.

Physical therapists emphasize body performance and biomechanics. Occupational therapists focus on interaction of the body with the environment. Many work rehabilitation programs offer just one kind of therapist. The Mayo Clinic Work Rehabilitation Center program provides both to help ensure complete and timely recovery. Participation in the Mayo Clinic Work Rehabilitation Center program typically lasts from two to six weeks, depending on the employee's needs.

How It Works

The Mayo Clinic Work Rehabilitation Center offers five main services that support work-injury prevention and employee rehabilitation.

Functional capacity evaluation
The evaluation includes a musculoskeletal exam and uses objective criteria to observe and identify an employee's performance levels. The exam allows program staff to do the following things:

• determine an employee's response to the first day of testing
• verify reliability of an employee's effort and tolerance for work
• make accurate recommendations to employers and employees

Functional capacity evaluations address the whole person, including hand usage, body movements, posture and weight handling.

Return-to-Work Program (work conditioning and work hardening)
Rehabilitation through the Return-to-Work Program improves tolerance for work activities. It is an individualized plan incorporating aerobic conditioning, endurance, strengthening exercises and job simulation tasks. It usually includes a transitional return-to-work period.

Sometimes work rehabilitation is combined with work, depending on the employee's abilities, limitations and how much improvement is needed.

Functional job analysis (job-site evaluation)
As needed or requested, therapists observe an employee performing job tasks at his or her work site to evaluate job performance and determine physical job demands. For example, therapists may assess:

• if an employee is using correct posture
• if an employee sits at an appropriate distance when using a computer station
• if an employee is using proper body mechanics when doing job tasks

Therapists can then make recommendations for corrective or preventive measures — including changes in workplace design, work schedule and equipment use — to minimize the risk of injury.

Functional job description and pre-work screenings
Therapists can assist employers by providing information necessary to write job descriptions that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Information provided may include:

• job objectives
• essential functions
• equipment used
• work site measurements
• critical demands
• possible modifications or accommodations

In pre-work screenings, therapists measure the ability of a worker to do a job using specific evaluation techniques that address the job's critical demands. This information will be used to determine if an employee can physically perform a job safely, allowing employers to make hiring decisions in a legal, fair, and nondiscriminatory way.

Prevention services
Employees who are not physically fit or who are using their bodies improperly to perform work activities are more at risk of injury. Educating employees helps them take responsibility for prevention of work-related injuries. Therapists will come to a work site to lead group sessions and work with employees to correct body movements, posture and weight-handling. Therapists also can provide a range of educational audiovisual materials that promote injury prevention.

Key Features of the Program

Team approach
The team approach ensures that program staff, each with a particular area of expertise, work together to meet the needs of the individual employee. The team includes physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists as needed. Team members also can access the complete range of medical specialties available at Mayo Clinic.

Employees actively participate
Program staff work together with employees to establish practical goals. The employee then learns skills needed to meet these goals and resume normal work activity in a timely way. Goals are reviewed regularly to chart progress. Contractual agreements ensure the employee's participation within specific guidelines similar to those followed at work.

Reality-based work conditioning
Each employee's rehabilitation program addresses the physical requirements of actual work activities. Exercise and job simulations are designed to closely match these needs.

Therapists gather information about the employee's job tasks by working with the employer, supervisor and a case management consultant. A visit to the employee's job site will be arranged if needed.

Employees are encouraged to continue their conditioning program after they return to work. They have the option to receive instruction from their Mayo Clinic therapist at a location of their choice.

Contacting the Mayo Clinic Work Rehabilitation Center

If you would like information about services offered by Mayo Clinic Work Rehabilitation Center, please call (507) 284-4933.