Planning your return to work after injury can bring up a lot of worries. Will your body cope with the lifting? What if the pain comes back?
If you feel nervous, you’re not alone. The NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) says it’s normal after time away from work. Some people try to go back at full speed. Others wait until they feel completely ready. A step-by-step path may feel more manageable than either.
This guide explains how a gradual return works and what graded exercise involves. It also shows how an exercise physiologist can support you.
Why Does a Gradual Return to Work After Injury Help?
SIRA’s recovery at work guide says staying active after an injury can reduce pain symptoms. It can also help you get back to your usual activities at home and work sooner. Because of this, your employer must offer suitable duties where possible. These are tasks that match what you can safely do right now.
Your employer must also have a return to work program. Larger employers may have a return to work coordinator, too. Together with your doctor and insurer, they can build a return to work plan.
This plan often starts small and builds up over time. For example, you might add more hours, fewer rest breaks, or new duties as you recover.
What Is Graded Exercise?
Graded exercise follows the same idea as a gradual return to work. You increase your exercise in small, planned steps, based on how your body responds. In practice, you start with what you can do today. Then you add a little more time, weight, or effort when you’re ready.
This is different from pushing through pain. Instead, each step is chosen to build your strength and confidence without asking too much too soon. SIRA also notes that more pain during recovery at work doesn’t always mean more damage.
Even so, if your pain worries you, talk to your doctor. Along the same lines, SIRA says your plan should focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.
What Does Graded Exercise Look Like in Workplace Injury Rehabilitation?
Every program is different, but most follow four steps that build on one another.
Step 1: Find Your Starting Point
An exercise physiologist starts by checking how you move and how strong you are. They also ask what your job involves, such as lifting, standing for long periods, or working overhead. With that picture, they can compare your body’s current abilities with the demands of your work.
Step 2: Build Strength and Movement
Next, you practise exercises that suit your injury and your doctor’s advice. These might include gentle strength work, balance, and mobility. Over time, these build your functional capacity, which is what your body can safely do each day.
Step 3: Increase the Load Slowly
Once an exercise feels easy, the next step is a small change, such as a little more weight or time. SIRA notes that increasing activity gradually and steadily can reduce the risk of flare-ups. If a flare-up does happen, your exercise physiologist can adjust your program. Our article on how exercise can reduce chronic pain explains how movement can help your body feel safe again.
Step 4: Practise Your Work Tasks
Finally, the program moves closer to your job. You might practise lifting a box from the floor to a bench, carrying a load, or reaching overhead.
At EP360, sessions run inside Club Lime gyms in Sydney’s Inner West. That means you can practise with full commercial equipment. Each task is scaled to what you can do now. That way, you build confidence before you face it at work.
Who Is in Your Workers Compensation Rehabilitation Team?
Your recovery involves more than exercise, so it helps to know who does what. Your doctor completes your certificate of capacity, which describes what you can do. Meanwhile, your insurer’s case manager coordinates your claim, and your employer provides suitable duties.
A workplace rehabilitation provider may also help if work is hard to arrange.
An exercise physiologist can work alongside this team. That way, your program can be planned around your doctor’s advice and your work plan.
Before you start, check with your case manager, because insurer approval is generally needed before treatment begins. When you book, bring your claim number and a copy of your certificate of capacity. The same graded approach can help after a motor vehicle accident. This falls under a Compulsory Third Party (CTP) claim, and the insurer rules differ.
When to See Your GP
Your GP should be the first stop after an injury. They can check how you’re recovering and update your certificate of capacity. That certificate sets out what you can safely do at work. In addition, they may tell if graded exercise is right for you.
Once you’ve started, go back to your GP if your pain is getting worse or you’re not improving. The same goes for anything new that shows up. SIRA also suggests discussing slow progress with your doctor or treatment provider.
In an emergency, call 000. Healthdirect lists chest pain, difficulty breathing, uncontrollable bleeding, and sudden weakness or numbness as reasons to call.
How EP360 Can Support Your Next Step Back to Work
A return to work after injury may feel more manageable in steps. Graded exercise follows the same path as your work plan. It starts where you are and builds towards the tasks your job asks of you.
If you’d like support, our team offers Workers Compensation & CTP Exercise Physiology in St Peters and Five Dock. When you’re ready, you can Contact Us to Book a Session or call (02) 8070 8367.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Will It Take to Return to Work After Injury?
It’s different for everyone, so no one can give a firm timeframe. Your doctor and insurer can help you set realistic goals. Your plan can change as you go, because what you can do changes too.
Graded exercise is one tool that may help you build towards those goals, though results vary between people.
Can I Start Planning Before I’m Able to Work?
Yes. SIRA says you can start planning your recovery at work even if you can’t work right now. Early planning helps everyone understand what’s possible. It also gives you time to set goals together.
A good first step is to talk to your case manager.
Will Exercise Make My Pain Worse?
You may feel some soreness as your body adapts. Graded exercise aims to avoid big jumps in load, so your body has time to adjust. SIRA notes that more pain during recovery at work doesn’t always mean more damage.
Even so, tell your exercise physiologist and your doctor if your pain worries you or doesn’t settle.
Do I Need My Insurer’s Approval Before Starting?
In general, yes. SIRA says approval from the insurer is usually needed before treatment starts, so check with your case manager first. Have your claim number and certificate of capacity handy when you do.
The rules can differ between insurers and claim types, so it’s worth asking early.
What If My Employer Can’t Offer Suitable Duties?
SIRA describes options such as a workplace assessment or a work trial. For a workplace assessment, an approved workplace rehabilitation provider assesses how you perform a range of duties. A work trial, on the other hand, places you with a host employer for a short time.
Your insurer or case manager can tell you what’s available.
