Identifying barriers to returning to work

A Injury Factors

• Consideration of safety, biomechanical, perceptual and functional limitations need to be determined.

• Medical management needs to be appropriate to the condition. Although rehabilitation can progress whilst medical management is incomplete, the final vocational goal will frequently require that medical management is either complete, or the outcome of this management is known. Ongoing inappropriate medical management may in some circumstances promote abnormal illness behaviour and become a significant barrier to return to work.

• Pain is, by itself, not a contra-indication to activity or work.

B Individual Factors

• Beliefs about pain and disability

• Significant psychological health problems related to the disability e.g. pain disorder, major depression, adjustment disorder.

• Other pre-existing psychological conditions that have been exacerbated.

• Motivation to work and other agenda

C Workplace Factors

• Relationships with management and co-workers, job satisfaction, work or organisation satisfaction.

• The proposed job must be appropriate to the injured workers physical capacity (including their medical restrictions, if any).

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