The Keys To Functional Recovery
An injury on the job can pose not only the struggle of physical recovery but also the issue of financial security. At Warner Orthopedics and Wellness, we are dedicated to helping you find the best treatment options for recovery from your injury so that you can return to work faster. We have a deep understanding of the complex worker’s compensation system and help our patients to navigate it effectively.
Dr. Warner and her physician assistant have extensive military backgrounds where all injuries are considered work-related and each patient is treated much like professional athletes are. We bring that ethic to our treatment of the injured worker in Louisiana.
What Is a Work-Related Injury?
A work-related injury is one that occurs during the normal scope and course of your duties. This can range from tripping in the parking lot on the way into the office to sustaining a leg break jumping from ship to dock. We have helped many patients to ensure that legitimate work injuries are treated as such and the proper care is provided. It is not uncommon to face injury or illness in your place of work, especially in manual labor jobs that require heavy lifting or equipment operation.
The amount of time spent recovering can vary based upon the degree of your injury and the treatment selected. Often, taking time off to heal can create financial issues. An injury on the job even with pre-existing injuries may be covered under Worker’s Compensation. We work closely with your Worker’s Compensation carrier, employer, safety office and/or your attorney along with your personal physician can help you get back to work faster. However, we will always make sure you are completely ready to return to work and will focus on your well-being over all other concerns.
There are often issues with time off and FMLA along with short and long-term disabilities. We are able to help navigate and facilitate these complex policies.
What Are Your Treatment Options?
Depending on the severity of your work-related injury, your treatment can span a range of surgical and non-operative methods of healing including rest, elevation, and compression to surgical reconstructive operations. Surgical treatment can result in extended time away from work to fully recover and can lead to financial hardships. Once diagnosed, our doctors can help you to find the best plan of treatment to get you back on the job safely and effectively in the least amount of time possible. Too often in this state, doctors simply turn to narcotic medications for work-related injury. It is our belief that a more patient-focused and function rehabilitation program is a better way to health.
It is imperative that treatment start early and there is no delay. Treatment such as physical therapy are often started too late and the injury worsens as a result. Dr. Warner and her team have the ability to ensure timely treatment occurs and to make sure that you recover from your injury appropriately. This helps you and your family in countless ways.
How Can Warner Orthopedics & Wellness Help?
At Warner Orthopedics & Wellness, we take an unconventional approach to the treatment of all injuries and medical conditions, especially work-related injuries. Rather than presenting surgery, addictive pills or injections as a first method of remedying your condition, we assess your injury thoughtfully and put together a comprehensive recovery plan that is tailored to meet the individual needs of your recovery. We begin with non-operative, conservative care options which may include bracing, rest, physical therapy, or sometimes medication. We will order any and all diagnostics necessary to correctly diagnose your injury. If these methods do not provide relief, we will consider surgical intervention as a means of treatment.
“We work very closely with the employers, case managers, adjustors, safety officers, attorneys and the payers of the Work Comp system to make sure that the appropriate post-injury or post-operative rehabilitation protocol is ordered and approved,” says Dr. Warner. “We have a deep understanding of the logistical issues associated with workplace injuries and our goal is to make the patient feel better, get back to meaningful work, and to maintain a high functional state after an injury.”
It is not only important to return an injured worker to his or her job, but also to his or her family and former life.
At Warner Orthopedics and Wellness we have a network of providers and facilities ready to help us achieve our goal of higher function and lower pain for our injured workers. We work with case managers, attorneys, life-care planners, physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, work and performance psychologists, pain physicians and other professionals to produce the best possible team for each individual injured worker. We also partner with professionals such as yoga instructors, massage therapists, acupuncturists and others; all of these treatments are supported by evidence and science.
In addition to treating work-related injuries from the head to the toe, our medical and surgical team specializes in advanced foot care and ankle care, sports injuries to the knee, shoulder hip and ankle care, diabetic care, and much more. We treat many people each and every day with neck and back pain as well; almost all of these are successfully treated without dangerous surgeries. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact us today!
