Work Conditioning and Work Hardening
Work Conditioning and Work Hardening
St. Luke’s is committed to helping people return to work quickly and safely. Through our comprehensive industrial rehabilitation program incorporating work conditioning and work hardening, we partner with patients at any stage of their injury to provide personalized and customized services throughout the return-to-work process.
St. Luke’s Work Hardening Program takes conditioning to the next level. Through the course of this treatment, our therapists work with patients in daily 4-hour sessions, incrementally adding hours until patients can perform functional tasks equivalent to an 8-hour workday. Through supervised work sessions that incorporate similar equipment to the jobsite and other functional aspects of the job, we help injured patients through the “return-to-work” process every step of the way. Although work simulation is key to the therapy, we also include elements of strength and conditioning to enhance our patients’ success.
Patients who undergo work conditioning can achieve:
- Increased core strength
- Increased jobsite functionality
- Increased endurance
- Ability to return to work faster
- Decreased pain
- Reduced risk of re-injury
Additionally, work hardening can help patients experience:
- Increased independence
- Increased ability to perform work related tasks over the workday
Work conditioning and work hardening are helpful for patients with:
- Work-related injuries
- Prolonged absence from work due to injury