It can be quite tempting to get back to work as quickly as possible after suffering an injury on-the-job. After all, disability and workers compensation benefits will typically pay only a portion of your standard salary and can often take several weeks or longer to begin arriving at all. However, giving into this temptation before you are physically ready to return to work can often make your injuries worse in the long term. That is why it is so important to undergo a physical capacity evaluation before returning to work.
What Is A Physical Capacity Evaluation?
A physical capacity evaluation allows your doctor to determine how well you are able to perform certain work duties by simulating these activities in a clinical setting. For instance, your physician will determine how well your body is able to lift things by asking you to perform this task while monitoring your body's response to the work load. This will allow them to determine whether or not you are physically capable of performing this duty on a regular basis.
What Type Of Work Duties Are Tested By A Physical Capacity Evaluation?
This evaluation will test your physical capabilities to perform a wide variety of work duties by testing your:
If your job requires an unusual or very specific task to be completed, the evaluation will also seek to mimic this task in the clinical setting in order to measure whether or not you are physically capable of completing it.
What Happens If Your Fail A Physical Capacity Evaluation?
The answer to this question greatly depends upon your reason for participating in the evaluation. If your employer or potential employer has requested this evaluation in order to measure your physical capabilities, an inability to perform well during the evaluation could mean that you are prohibited from taking on certain job tasks.
If you or your physician requested the evaluation as part of your on-going recovering from a recent illness, failing this evaluation could simply lead to certain work restrictions being put in place. These test results could also help in the development of a targeted treatment plan in order to help you perform better on a follow up evaluation.
Finally, if you are taking the evaluation as part of a disability or workers compensation claim, your performance on this evaluation can ultimately serve as evidence regarding your inability to work at this time. Talk to experts like Northwest Return To Work for more information.
Share19 March 2015
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