Services » Functional Conditioning

Functional Conditioning incorporates the principles and techniques of functional restoration, work conditioning, and work hardening programs. It combines active-based therapy with cognitive behavioural therapy techniques.

• Functional Conditioning - Workers Compensation
• Functional Conditioning - Compulsory Third Party

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Workers Compensation

The Lifestyle Clinic offers work conditioning services to address the rehabilitation needs of injured workers. The content and delivery of these programs are based on active-therapy principles and supported by current research evidence.

• To provide accessible, cost-effective and high quality active-therapy programs to prevent and manage workplace injury.
• To deliver evidence-based programs which enhance self-management; prevent long-term disability, and reduce claims costs
• To collect and analyse both quantitative and qualitative outcome measures and contribute to the on-going development and implementation of evidence-based practice.

Intensive Functional Conditioning (chronic injury > 3 months)

For individuals with chronic musculo-skeletal injuries, reduced work capacity and low-range psychosocial issues.

Conclusive research supports the effectiveness of physical conditioning programs which incorporate a cognitive behavioural approach, supervised physical training, and are done at work or in co-operation with employers in reducing work absence for individuals with chronic low back pain *.

* Schonstein E, Kenny DT, Keating J, Koes BW. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 4.

Early Intervention Functional Conditioning (sub-acute injury 4-12 weeks post injury)

For individuals with stable sub-acute musculo-skeletal injuries, physically demanding job requirements, low range psycho-social issues or poor physical fitness compounding rehabilitation.

Early active treatment including advice, re-assurance and exercise with a cognitive behavioural approach are effective treatments for sub-acute low back pain *.

* Mayer C, Latimer J, Refshauge K. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. 1999; 45(2): 121-132.

Program Content

All Functional Conditioning programs delivered by the Lifestyle Clinic will contain the following components:

• Cognitive behavioural approach including education about injury, activity pacing, positive re-enforcement and goal setting
• Manual handling and postural education
• Strong focus on return to work and upgrading tolerances to work specific tasks
• Simulation of work specific tasks
• Work specific exercise program including workplace pause break stretching and postural cues
• Provision of self-monitoring and motivational tools including program diary, pedometers, and home-based equipment including exercise bands/tubing to facilitate independent activity
• Functional Conditioning programs comprise both supervised and independent exercise sessions.

Supervised exercise session
All supervised sessions are conducted as one-to-one consultations of approximately 1 hour duration with an Exercise Physiologist in the Lifestyle Clinic or at the worksite
Sessions can be conducted within or outside of working hours subject to agreement by the Clinic

Independent exercise program
Tailored to clients’ needs and environment preference (Clinic, home, work and gym settings)
Option to attend Clinic for independent exercise sessions during Functional Conditioning Programs

Assessment and Outcome Measures

Clinic staff liaise closely with all key parties prior to and following assessment to ensure identification of barriers to progress and implementation of a plan to address physical, psycho-social and workplace issues.

Work Conditioning Program assessments comprise:

• Physical and biomedical screening performed by treating doctor, treating physiotherapist/chiropractor/osteopath or our consultant physiotherapist
• Psycho-social risk factor screening
• Physical assessment including measures of joint range of motion, muscle strength and endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness specific to the injury and nature of work demands
• Functional assessment including measurement of activity baselines and work specific tolerances
• Optional work-site assessment component to observe current work capacity and identify demands of pre-injury duties

Initial assessments for Lifestyle Plus programs will involve a modified version of the above assessments specific to the clients identified needs.

Outcome Measures

The Lifestyle Clinic is committed to providing effective programs and contributing to the on-going development of evidence based medicine through collecting and analysing objective outcome measures from all programs. Outcome measures will be chosen relative to the client’s work demands and will include measures of:

• Work Capacity – lifting capacity, push/pull capacity, reaching endurance, squatting/lunging capacity, grip strength, postural tolerances
• Physical Capacity – cardiorespiratory fitness, upper and lower body strength, flexibility, abdominal and back extensor endurance, deep muscle activation
• Psychological Measures – Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire (OMPQ), Disability Questionnaires