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Health Services Work Conditioning Case Studies
Our Work Conditioning program improves a Job Seekers fitness and readiness for work. This is done by restoring basic fitness, learning pain management strategies and by allowing them to understand their limitations and occupations that will suit their abilities. This program allow Job Seekers the ability to return to work.
Case Study 1:
A 57 year old female client was referred to one of our Exercise Physiologists by her Employment Consultant as there were a number of physical and medical barriers impacting on her working capacity. This resulted in physical restrictions around her job choices, reduced motivation and low self esteem.
It was discovered that she suffered from tennis elbow (limiting her lifting capacity to only 2kg), a 10 year old shoulder injury and arthritis. As part of addressing these physical barriers the client was then referred to a Work Conditioning Program. She was provided with a handful of specialised exercises to target her elbow, shoulders and hands. By the second session 2 weeks later the client couldn't believe the decrease in pain from her hands and elbows. The clients shoulder was still sore so different exercises were prescribed. The last session was scheduled for 1 month later and the client is now pain free in her elbow and her hands and shoulders are practically pain free. The client is now able to lift over 6kg over her head.
The client is now actively job searching and is looking for a role as a kitchen hand, a position she never thought she could do as before her sessions she was not able to lift a pot off the stove.
Case Study 2:
When 'Joanne' presented to her Initial Needs Assessment (INA) Physical, a range of barriers to entering the workforce were identified. They included chronic lower back pain, uncontrolled heart pathology, female medical conditions resulting in severe abdominal pain, symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, near complete lack of motivation to return to work and no set vocational direction or goals.
She had been registered for 164 weeks and was a single parent of two teenage daughters. Counselling sessions with a MAX Psychologist showed great outcomes and a Work Conditioning program was implemented to address the physical and medical barriers. These sessions included a range of tailored techniques including: a graded home exercise program for back care and strengthening; personal goal setting; vocational counselling and; health education for long term self management of both physical and medical health conditions. By her final session, almost every barrier to returning to employment had been eliminated, and 'Joanne' is now keen, ready and eager to enter work.
Case Study 3:
A 42 year old female client required assistance to decrease the barriers, including shoulder and neck pain; depression and anxiety; poor English and low motivation, affecting her ability to find employment. She was booked into a Language, Literacy and Numeracy course, a Work Conditioning (WC) Program and Counselling Sessions.
In the WC program our Exercise Physiologist provided her with a number of home based exercises designed to increase her range of motion and strength. The client initially had a lifting capacity of 5kg and she was unable to lift her arms past shoulder height without a great deal of pain. Over the course of the 3 sessions the client went to having a lifting capacity of over 12kg and her range of motion was to the point where she could lift her arms straight in the air with no pain at all. The client now experiences no ongoing pain in her neck or shoulders so essentially she has no physical barriers at all.
(See Counselling Case studies for client's counselling results)
