​​​​​​​active body

physical therapy

Ergonomic assessments

Post offer/ pre employment testing services compares the potential workers physical abilities to the demands of the job. It includes a musculoskeletal screen with the physiotherapist, testing to determine the level of physical fitness and work specific strength and tolerance to biomechanical analysis based on job requirements. Screens are tailored to meet the specific  requests of the employer and demands of the workplace. 

Our employment tests are not only used for determining an employee's ability to perform their job safely, but as baselines for rehabilitation and recovery, should and injury occur. 

In addition to reducing injuries and their related costs, employers who utilize post offer testing experience reduction in lost time, increased worker productivity, decreased turnover, and diminished incidence of fraud and abuse

Physical Demands analysis 

A physical demand analysis entails a quantitative procedure that evaluates all of the physical and environmental demand components of all essential and non-essential tasks of the job. 

The Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) has the right to request information about an injured worker's functional abilities from a treating health professional. Obtaining a worker's functional abilities is needed for facilitating the worker's timely return to work. Without any information about the physical demands of the job's essential and non-essential duties, the functional ability information is not useful. 

Work hardening program

A functional Abilities Evaluation or a Functional Capacity evaluation performed by Active Body Physical Therapy is derived from 30 years of functional testing and research using the Matheson/Metriks protocol.

pre-employment/post offer testing

functional ability evaluation

Ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical components as they relate to physical activity. Ergonomic assessments will include work postures, repetitive movements, work related musculoskeletal discomfort, workplace layout, materials handling, safety and health. 

Work hardening is a program individually designed by our team of Physiotherapists and Kiesiologists. This program consists of stretching, strengthening, conditioning, motivating and educating injured workers with the goal of returning them to work at the end of the daily two to eight week program.

Work hardening provides a transition between management of the initial injury and return to work, and are real or simulated work activities in a relevant work environment in conjunction with physical conditioning tasks. 

It is an aggressive results-oriented treatment program with the primary goal of returning people to work. Individuals are discharged as soon as they demonstrate the skills to return to work, when they do not progress, or when they do not comply with program attendance guidelines, which is signed when they enter the program.

A modified FAE is performed at the commencement and conclusion of the work hardening program. 

The Matheson/Metriks protocol uses:

• Blind weight station for lifting test
• Blind pushing/pulling test
• Positional tolerance tests such as sitting, standing, walking and forward flexion
• Work specific testing including reaching, climbing, shoveling, repetitive tasks and gripping