Identify a useful baseline
We discuss the injury and your job tasks, then measure relevant symptoms, movement, strength, and function. We review any existing restrictions.
Work Injury & Workers’ Compensation
Understand your symptoms. Build a plan around your work demands.
A work injury can affect lifting, reaching, prolonged sitting, and other essential tasks. Contact Nick Rinard Physical Therapy in Portland to discuss care and have our office review your workers’ compensation claim and scheduling requirements.
Our approach uses Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), also known as the McKenzie Method: assess symptom behavior, classify the presentation, and choose treatment according to your findings and medical instructions.
Start with a claim and authorization review
Before your first visit, contact our office with your claim details and therapy prescription or referral. Care billed to Oregon workers’ compensation requires appropriate medical authorization. Managed care organization (MCO) rules can also affect provider eligibility and approval requirements.
Our team can review the information and help determine whether we can schedule care under your particular claim. See our insurance and payment information.
How MDT guides work-injury care
Test and reassess
Repeated movements, sustained positions, or resisted testing may help clarify the presentation. We retest relevant movements and tasks to understand the effect.
Match treatment to findings
Classification and response guide the plan. Care may include specific self-treatment movements, progressive loading, or another strategy appropriate to your presentation.
Make the plan relevant to your job
Tell us what your work involves: lifting or carrying, overhead reaching, repetitive tasks, driving, desk work, or prolonged standing. We use those demands to identify meaningful functional goals and measure progress.
Movement and activity progression follow your examination response and the restrictions supplied by your medical provider. Your attending provider directs work status and any changes to formal restrictions.
What your treatment plan may address
Symptom management
A targeted home strategy when appropriate, with clear instructions about the expected response and when the plan needs reassessment.
Task tolerance
Practice and progression for activities relevant to your job, within your current restrictions and capacity.
Progress and communication
Documentation of symptoms, function, and treatment response to support coordination with the provider managing your injury.
Information to have ready when you call
- Date of injury and employer name
- Workers’ compensation insurer and claim number
- Adjuster or claim contact, if available
- Prescribing or attending provider information
- Therapy prescription or referral
- Current work restrictions and relevant medical instructions
- Any treatment authorization or approved visits
- MCO enrollment information, if applicable
If you are missing details, call us and we can explain what information is needed for the scheduling review.
Common questions about workers’ comp PT
Can I schedule directly?
Contact us first. We need to review the claim, medical authorization, and any MCO requirements before confirming a workers’ compensation appointment.
Is every claim accepted?
Scheduling and billing depend on the specific claim and requirements. Our office reviews these details rather than assuming coverage or provider eligibility.
Who decides when I return to work?
The attending provider manages work status. Physical therapy findings can help inform that process, and treatment follows the restrictions and instructions provided.
Related care and resources
The MDT / McKenzie Method →Back Pain Physical Therapy →Shoulder Pain Physical Therapy →All Conditions We Treat →
Official Oregon information: Obtaining medical care after a work injury.
Southwest Portland
Discuss care for your work injury
Nick Rinard Physical Therapy is located at 9700 SW Capitol Hwy, Suite 140, Portland, OR 97219.