Work injuries (WorkSafeBC)

We start with how the injury happened and what your job involves. A housekeeper turning mattresses, a lift operator and a carpenter working overhead all load the body in different ways. We ask which tasks are hard right now and what your shifts look like.

Then we examine the injured area: how it moves, how strong it is, and where it hurts. If you have numbness or tingling, we check the nerves too. We also look at the movements your job needs, such as lifting, carrying, climbing, standing or reaching overhead.

If the injury needs a scan or a medical opinion, we explain why and recommend that you see a doctor or nurse practitioner.

Treatment matches the injury and the job you are going back to. It often includes:

• Hands-on treatment: joint and soft-tissue techniques to ease pain and stiffness early on.
• Exercise: a home program to restore movement, then strength and stamina for the tasks your job needs.
• Practising work tasks: lifting, carrying, reaching and climbing, built up step by step.
• Massage therapy: registered massage therapists can ease muscle tension and spasm alongside physiotherapy. See massage therapy.
• Advice for work: how to pace tasks, change positions and lift with less strain.

For back injuries, our free Back Fundamentals videos teach a safe position for loading the spine, which the series calls the power position.

Going back to work is part of recovery, not only the finish line. A graduated return to work builds up your hours and duties in steps, using your own job to rebuild strength and stamina. We plan it with you, because you know your job. With your consent, we can tell your employer what you can safely do, so they can plan modified duties.

If your recovery is slow, ask us about our Active Rehab Program, a structured group program at Whistler Mountain Ski Club for people returning to work. It is not a formal WorkSafeBC program, but WorkSafeBC patients may be approved for it through their case manager.

Book an assessment after a work injury, or if an old injury is making your job harder. Report the injury to your employer and to WorkSafeBC as soon as you can. When you book, tell us the visit is for a WorkSafeBC claim and have your claim number ready. We need it to set up your file.

Go to the emergency department right away, or call 911, if any of these happen:

• new numbness or weakness in an arm or leg
• loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness around the groin or buttocks, after a back injury
• a blow to the head followed by a headache that gets worse, vomiting or confusion
• a crush injury, or a limb or joint that looks out of shape
• a hand or foot that is numb, cold or pale
• a wound that will not stop bleeding