Physical therapy and occupational rehabilitation

Occupational rehabilitation, while acknowledged as a multidisciplinary field, is only as effective as contributions of its individual disciplines. Physical therapy has been and is continuing to be an integral part of both the clinical and scientific portions of the team. Inherent in the physical therapy profession are three educational components which makes it a particularly suitable addition: movement science, pathology, and functional analysis. Physical therapists are active in each of the primary areas of occupational rehabilitation: musculoskeletal treatment, injury prevention education, functional capacity evaluation, restorative exercise, work hardening, ergonomics, and pre-work screening. Future challenges encompass increased skill in ergonomics, effectiveness in the return-to-work process, and in the scientific study of physical therapy techniques and their effectiveness.