Physiotherapy in Occupational Health

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Physiotherapy in Occupational Health

• Johanna Koroma
• Diacor Health Services

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Core Competencies

• Assessment of physical work load
• Balancing physical work load by applying
  ergonomics
• Prevention of work related strain injuries and
  musculoskeletal disorders
• Promotion of functional and working capacity

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Promoting a Well-functioning Working Environment

• Participates in assessing the work load and
  ergonomic factors related to musculoskeletal
  disorders
• Takes part in developing and planning of working
  conditions
• Provides information about physical stress
  factors at workplace, for manufacturing and
  product engineering, for furniture design and
  lay-out planning
• Takes part in the assessment and selection of
  optimal furniture, work equipment and ergonomic
  accessories
• Takes part in planning of company fitness
  facilities

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Aiming at a Functional Work Community

• Participates in multidisciplinary development
  projects in the work community
• Plans and implements actions to promote and
  maintain working capacity
• Informs different personnel groups about factors
  causing musculoskeletal stress and about
  connection between mental stress and physical
  symptoms/physical condition
• Takes part in planning, developing and
  implementing company fitness services

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Benefiting the Well-being of the Employee

• Gives instructions for the promotion and
  maintenance of functional and working capacity,
  based on individual physical examination
• Guides to choose optional work movements and
  postures, optimal work equipment and tools
• Assesses the need for physiotherapy treatments
  and participates in planning of rehabilitation
• Plans and instructs various group activities e.g.
  early rehabilitation, relaxation, neck and back
  groups

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Physiotherapy in Occupational Health Care as a
Service Product
Implementation
Follow-up
Planning
Occupational physiotherapist participates as an
active member in all these phases
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The Main Connections- COLLABORATION!

• Multidisciplinary occupational health care team
  (physicians, health nurses, psychologists,
  physiotherapists, occupational hygienists)
• Human Resources (HR)
• Line organization
• Office furniture suppliers and buyers, facility
  personnel
• Manufacturing and product engineers, designers
  and architects
• Occupational safety organization
• Physiotherapy private practices and
  rehabilitation centers

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Education

• Required level
• Degree in physiotherapy
• Specialization education program (30 ects points)
  in polytechnics or qualification training
  arranged by the Finnish Institute of Occupational
  Health (10,5 ects points)
• Further education
• Further education courses in occupational health
  care, occupational safety, ergonomics,
  biomechanics and sports physiology (minimum 7
  days per year)
• Master of Science, Medical Faculty, University of
  Kuopio - ergonomics as major subject

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Thoughts of Education

• The education should provide meetings between
  different occupational health care experts
• To learn teamwork
• To empower distributed expertise
• To become an expert one needs to take part in a
  community of practice
• To understand of different points of view of
  expert groups e.g. different goals
• Also important to understand ones strengths and
  limits

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The Association of Finnish Physiotherapists in
Occupational Safety and Health

• Founded in 1976
• All physiotherapists working in occupational
  health care or in close teamwork with
  occupational health care personnel and have
  required education are accepted as members
• 650 members
• A periodical for members is published 4 times in
  a year