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Returning to work following a serious injury is usually not a quick process. But a solid plan based on one's condition and needs makes the process easier.

Help from a physical therapist and rehabilitation services are often the necessary route to return to work, [recreation or other daily activities] as efficiently and quickly as possible. Proper rehabilitation and physical therapy draw upon a multitude of services, each having its own form of therapy designed to treat the injury or disease.

The best advice: getting your basic needs met before focusing on returning to work.

A patient's plan should begin with an individual evaluation and a treatment program that involves employers, physician — and the patient — to bring on the soonest possible return to work or normal activities.

Rehab plans should have access to specialized programs and services such as:

• Acute injury rehabilitation

• Aquatic therapy

• Foot orthotic casting and fitting

• Graston technique for soft-tissue mobilization

• Injury prevention education

• Orthopaedic rehabilitation

• Pre- and post-operative joint care

• Spine care

• Functional training for work, sports and recreational activities

• Vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness and imbalance

Other types of treatments, especially for lower back pain, include electrical stimulation, in which electrical currents override the painful signals sent to the brain; ultrasound, where sound waves are applied to the skin and penetrate into muscle tissue; and heat/ice treatment to reduce muscle spasm and inflammation.

The big picture of your recovery must include specific work-related goals. This is where a customized plan that is flexible and realistic focuses on the patient's functional ability. An especially tough injury may involve the back, neck, shoulder, arm and hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot, and require a multidisciplinary approach.

Patients also need a therapeutic environment that offers:

• Good communication, which improves compliance with the therapy

• Education, e.g., returning to work knowing how to take good care of yourself to prevent future injuries and perform your best

Once basic needs are met, it's time to prepare for a return to work. In business and industry, physical therapists, physicians, case managers, safety directors, human resource directors, and employees must work together to function as an integral part of the returning process. Once rehabilitation has progressed beyond the basic needs, it can focus specifically on returning to work.

Rehabilitation has many ways to improve the return-to-work process. Also, physical therapists can perform a functional job analysis to help define the physical demands of the job. This allows treatment to be specific and focused on the individual's deficits. In addition, a work-conditioning program can be developed to help with the transition from being out of work.

Physical therapists can also work with employers to identify any risk factors on the job that may predispose employees to injury. These may be addressed by proper ergonomics, setting up job rotations, implementing stretching breaks and an emphasis on safe behaviors and proper body mechanics for sitting, lifting and other daily tasks.

A proper rehabilitation plan can mean the difference in not just returning to the job but staying on the job.