Occupational Therapy
A 55-year-old maintenance fitter referred himself to OHSxtra because he had injured his left shoulder at work. After injuring himself he had remained at work for four months, despite experiencing constant pain, until the pain increased to such a level that he could no longer carry out his duties.
He had been receiving physiotherapy, and after the second course of treatment he had noticed a slow and steady return to normal, but at the time of the occupational therapy assessment 11 months after starting sickness absence he was still unable to return to work.
An occupational therapist evaluated his physical abilities, which showed that he would be able to return to his usual duties if they could be modified to minimise his need to reach above shoulder height.
A graded return to work was recommended to allow him to develop his tolerance to the exertion of work, and modifications were made to the way in which he worked to accommodate his physical limits.
Approximately two months after OHSXtra intervention he was back at work full-time, and the occupational therapist was satisfied that he was able to safely perform his work duties without a risk for re-injuring his left shoulder.