WSBC TREATMENT GUIDELINES

If you have been injured while working, we have put together some information that we hope you find useful in your journey to recovery.

Our clinic will direct bill WSBC for the physiotherapy sessions, and there will be no out-of-pocket cost to you.

You’ll have as many as needed to rehabilitate you back to your pre-injury state. In addition, as long as you are benefiting and making functional gains, you’ll have enough treatments

WSBC pre-approves 15 physiotherapy sessions for the first 6 weeks after your injury date. If more treatment is required, the physiotherapist will submit a Treatment Plan. A Treatment Plan outlines your functional gains to date, what further functional gains we expect (let’s call them Goals), and number of sessions to accomplish our goal(s).

• WSBC claim #
• Accident date

With this information, you can book a physiotherapy assessment (link here) and start the treatment right away.

WSBC automatically approves a physiotherapy assessment if you are attending the appointment within 60 days of the injury date. If 60 days have passed from your accident date and you are having treatment for the first time, we will contact WSBC to have the first assessment approved.

Once approved by WSBC, these initial visits allow the physiotherapist to assess and treat you, while completing a Physiotherapy Treatment Plan to submit to WSBC. The treatment plan would include your critical job demands and duties, your current abilities and recommendation to return to work.

Depending on the stage of the injury (acute or chronic) the benefits of physiotherapy treatment include:

• Decrease in pain
• Increase in pain-free Range of Motion
• Increase in strength and cardiorespiratory endurance
• Improvement in balance and coordination
• Increase independence and function
• Accelerate return to previous activities (work duties)

After the initial assessment, both client and physiotherapist will discuss treatment options to address the injuries and a personalized plan will be administered. Some techniques commonly applied are:

Using their hands, our Vancouver physiotherapists are able to help improve soft tissue circulation, blood flow, reduce swelling and improve joint mobility

STR is a composed of hands-on manual therapy technique used to address soft tissues (muscle, ligaments, fascia, tensons) injuries.

Techniques such as active assisted stretch, cupping, massage, and scraping helps decrease feelings of tightness, adhesions and scarring that results in pain, loss of mobility, strength and function. These symptoms typically occur after an injury.

Starting with simple, pain-free and effective exercises to help strengthen the muscles affected by the injury, this is one of the most important steps in the rehabilitation process. Client adherence to the exercises prescribed by the physiotherapist helps to speed up recovery and to reduce chronic pain and re-aggravation episodes.

Optimally, strengthening program is the long-term fix to any injury, since we need to make the body function by itself again. Most of the short-term pain relief techniques mentioned here, helps the body to perform better in the framework in between sessions, so you can exercise and get stronger. IT’S A TEAMWORK!

In addition to regular exercises that can be performed safely at home or in the gym, we offer Clinic Pilates here at Van Sports & Physio (What is Clinical Pilates? | Van Sports & Physio (vansportsphysio.com)) to help you to get stronger.

Physiotherapy devises such as Low-Level Laser Therapy ( Low Level Laser Therapy | Van Sports & Physio (vansportsphysio.com)), Electrotherapy, and ICE/Heating packs help to accelerate healing process, reduce inflammation, reduce muscle pain and spasm)

IMS involves the insertion of a sterile dry needle into taut and tender muscles at the site of pain or near the spine where the nerve that’s associated to the affected muscle originates from. Increased joint range of motion and ease of motion and reduction in pain intensity are some of the benefits of IMS. You can check it more on our blog post by the Physiotherapist Yvonne here: What is IMS? Is This Treatment For Me? | Van Sports & Physio (vansportsphysio.com)

Also using the insertion of sterile needles in specific points through the body, this technique is helpful for chronic pain.

Besides Physiotherapy treatment, any person involved in a work accident can have access to multiple health care treatments, benefits and services. Please, check it here:

You can find more information about WSBC policies available to individuals involved in a work injury on WSBC website.