Returning to work after injury

Sustaining an injury at work, whether it’s a result of repetitive or overuse, to one of trauma, it can impact the family, your body, your mental wellbeing and your livelihood.

When your capacity to work is affected, it can throw your entire life off balance and leave you feeling uncertain. That’s why, getting you back on track as soon as possible, is our priority.

With that in mind, we thought to share some surprising statistics on common workplace injuries according to Safe Work Australia 2020.

  • 40% of workplace injuries account for traumatic joint, ligament and muscle/tendon injury
  • 18% of workplace injuries account for musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases
  • 16% of injuries are wounds, lacerations, amputations and internal organ damage
  • 37% of mechanism injuries were due to body stressing, while 23% account for falls, trips and slips.

With these statistics increasing each year, there has never been a more crucial time to highlight the path we create to guide your rehabilitation and to get those in our community who are injured at work back to their pre-injury status, sooner.

Here at Progressive Physio, we pride ourselves on providing a thorough, hands-on assessment to understand your injury and establish a foundation for your rehabilitation. Our qualified Physiotherapists who are equipped to rehabilitate all work-related injuries, work alongside you in helping your body heal to what it once was. We focus on strengthening your muscles, improving flexibility and encouraging balance and stability throughout your recovery.

Workplace injuries have the potential to be an extremely complicated process and the paperwork can become very overwhelming. Here at Progressive, we will work with your GP, workplace, insurance company and any other necessary stakeholders to lighten the load, so you can focus on your recovery.

We ensure that your return to work is carefully managed. Unfortunately, we’ve seen injuries become worse due to returning to soon too quickly. That’s why, we conduct onsite workplace assessments to ensure your return to work is safe and appropriate.

We understand that the road to recovery is not only physical but mental as well. You can trust Progressive Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy to work with you and support you during this transition. Contact the practice today on (02) 4721 7798, email info@progressiverehab.com.au or book your appointment online here.

Elin, is an alumni of St. Edward’s University and holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, furthered her academic journey by attaining a Doctor of Physiotherapy from Macquarie University in 2022.

Her passion for sports, particularly football (soccer), is evident in both her academic pursuits and personal endeavors. Specialising in the comprehensive well-being of athletes, Elin focuses on restoring them to peak performance while actively preventing future injuries.

Elin’s professional expertise is centered on musculoskeletal rehabilitation, with a specific emphasis on addressing and preventing knee injuries. Her approach integrates expert treatment with a commitment to educating and empowering patients, fostering their active involvement in enhancing their health and overall quality of life.

As an active participant in NPL football with SD Raiders, Elin brings firsthand experience and a profound understanding of the sport’s demands. Beyond the field, she extends her influence by contributing sports coverage over the weekends.

Christopher (Chris) Han graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy, and then completed the Doctor of Physiotherapy program at Macquarie University in 2018. Chris is currently undertaking his PhD at the University of Sydney and Institute for Musculoskeletal Health in the field of low back pain and is due to complete this in early 2024. 

Chris is currently an assistant Physiotherapist for the NRL Referees. Chris has previous experience as the head Physiotherapist at Panthers Premier League Netball and a number of elite sporting athletes in the private setting.

Through Chris’ experiences, he has a particular interest in all areas of the body and musculoskeletal physiotherapy, sports, vestibular rehabilitation, and Men’s Health (pre and post prostate surgery).

Suzanne graduated from Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Health Science (Sports and Exercise Science) in 2015. She then went on to continue her studies at Macquarie University graduating from the Doctor of Physiotherapy post-graduate degree in June 2019.

Since graduating, Suzanne has worked in the local Penrith area in both private practice and Sports Physiotherapy. Suzanne has worked with sporting teams including Penrith District Netball Association, Mt Druitt Rangers (NPL), Penrith Valley Figure Skating Club, and local dance and cheer schools. 

Suzanne has a particular interest in working with artistic athletes including cheerleaders and dancers. She has a professional background in both cheer and dance and has previously worked as both a cheer coach and dance teacher. Suzanne’s previous experiences are an invaluable resource to her as a physiotherapist, as she has a thorough understanding of the level of physical fitness and skill acquisition that these athletes must have in order to be successful on stage and in competition.

Suzanne’s other areas of clinical interest reside in lower limb musculoskeletal injuries, spinal pathologies and women’s health.

Nathanial graduated as a physiotherapist in 2012 which saw him work in private practice and hospital settings gaining experience in all areas of physiotherapy including hand therapy, splinting/casting, pre/post-operative care, Men’s Health and general musculoskeletal, occupational and sports physiotherapy. Since then he has gone on to complete further studies in physiotherapy enabling him to be the only dual titled Musculoskeletal, Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist in Penrith.

Nathanial has a strong background in sports physiotherapy achieving accreditation with NSWIS as a service provider and working with many elite sports teams.

Nathanial has a particular interest in working with elite athletes, complex cases and in particular assessment and management of knee, hip and shoulder pain.

Andrea graduated from the Australian Catholic University completing her Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science in 2018 and Master’s of Clinical Exercise Physiology in 2020. After graduating she attained accreditation with ESSA as an Exercise Physiologist.

During her studies she gained clinical experience in both hospital and private practice settings, in cardiac rehabilitation, neurological conditions, cancer and chronic musculoskeletal injuries.

Since working at Progressive, Andrea has a specialist interest in treating musculoskeletal injuries, helping people in the mid-late stage of rehab to get them to return to sport or work. As well as helping people manage chronic conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis and diabetes.