Disability Management

A Return to Work Program or Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) would be useful if you or your client has sustained an injury and:

are in need of return to work planning
work modification suggestions
legal interpretation of the impact of injury and/or recommendations regarding ongoing rehabilitation

What Sets Us Apart

At Collegiate Sports Medicine we have a collaborative approach to our Return to Work Programs & Functional Capacity Evaluations. We have a team of Athletic Therapists, Physiotherapists and Kinesiologists working together to gain insight into each client’s injury and the effect it has had on them.

Our Return to Work Programs are created specifically for each individual client & mimic a typical work day.
Our FCE’s go beyond assessing function and ascertain the reasons for the functional limitation.

“We have a team of Athletic therapists, Physiotherapists & Kinesiologists working together to gain insight into each client’s injury and the effect it has had on them.”

What is a Return to Work Program?

Return to Work, or Work Hardening programs, are individual programs developed for people who have been off work due to an injury or limitation that has prevented them from completing their everyday tasks at work. Each program is different and is custom made for you. The programs aim to help redevelop strength and motor movements which allow you to return to the workplace safely, while limiting re-injury or putting others at risk. We develop our Return to Work programs with a team approach, including an assessment with an Athletic Therapist or Physiotherapist as well as one-on-one exercise rehabilitation with a Kinesiologist. These programs include exercises and activities that mimic your typical work day. We offer quick access to our Return to Work programs and can begin within one week of calling our clinic. We provide excellent communication and timely reporting throughout our programs. We also offer fully supervised and semi-supervised, 30, 45, & 60 minute exercise rehab sessions with a Kinesiologist, depending on your needs and budget. We take pride in offering Return to Work programs that often result in early discharges.

Common Injuries

Our Services

Contact Us

For Your Appointment

Wear comfortable clothes: bring running shoes, wear shorts and a t-shirt and any adaptive aids (eg. knee brace) currently used.
Do not change medical regimen prior to testing.
No caffeine or cigarettes one hour prior to testing.
Bring a light snack and water bottle as testing will go for 3 hours.

For more information or to schedule a program please contact us using the below form and we will get back to you within 1 business day. Or call the clinic and ask to speak to our Disability Management Coordinator. 403-314-4458 (ext. 3)

Our FCE & Workplace Evaluations Available in Red Deer

What You Can Expect:

The evaluation consists of a combination of musculoskeletal examination, work simulation, clinical observation, and standardized and non-standardized evaluations to determine your capacity to perform any of the following:

Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling capacity.
Reaching, handling and fine motor manipulation.
Hand strength and dexterity.
Medium and fine motor dexterity.
Climbing and balancing.
Sitting, standing and walking.
Work in various awkward body postures (stooping, kneeling, crouching, and bending).

What Is A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)?

FCE’s provide objective information about your current abilities to perform work tasks and activities of daily living. These tasks include activities such as lifting, pushing and pulling, repetitive tasks for the upper extremities, precision tasks such as finger dexterity, and postural tolerances such as sitting, standing and walking. Standardized measures of consistency of effort and symptom report are incorporated into the assessment protocol. The FCE comes with a comprehensive report with specific recommendations in one or more of the following areas:

return to work status
rehabilitation potential and plans
ergonomic equipment needs
work site and work practice modifications
graduated return to work schedules

FCE’s are generally requested by worker’s compensation boards, insurance companies, employers, or lawyers.

Photo credit: Metriks.ca[/caption]

Collegiate Sports Medicine has partnered with Metriks for its Functional Capacity Evaluation Software & Equipment. Metriks is known for it’s more time efficient method that results in cost savings and is equally thorough. The Metriks FCE protocol is based on peer-reviewed published research, including research published in the American Medical Association Guides to Impairment to new research at Sheridan College.

What is Included:

After completion of an FCE, a comprehensive, clear report will be submitted to the appropriate parties who have requested the FCE. The report will address the referral source’s questions and can include subjective and objective findings, test results, a summary of the participants abilities and limitations, comparison between job demands and physical ability, as well as the evaluator’s recommendations for return to work or future rehabilitation. Conclusions are also made regarding the client’s level of physical effort during the testing and the consistency of their subjective reports of pain and disability in comparison to objective test results. We work closely with the client’s referrer to ensure both the referrer’s and client’s needs are met. We strive to have minimal wait times and provide our reports within 10 business days of the assessment.