Functional Capacity Evaluations
A functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is a set of physical tests that measures what a person can safely do, usually after a work injury. It gives you, your doctor and your employer an objective picture. Rob Jordan, PT, offers it at our Hot Springs, Arkansas clinic.
What an FCE measures
An FCE uses extensive physical testing to find a patient's capabilities and limits. It measures strength, endurance, positional tolerance and daily physical demands. It is typically done for injured employees to understand the root of the injury and how more damage can be prevented.
Eight questions an FCE is built to answer
- Can this patient return to work safely?
- How severe is the patient's pain?
- What type of job can this patient physically handle?
- What are the patient's safe lifting tolerances?
- What work accommodations could allow a return to work?
- What is the next appropriate step in rehabilitation?
- What are the patient's cardiovascular and physical endurance limits for working?
- What are the patient's tolerances for standing, sitting and walking?
Who the results help
The same set of findings can be useful to everyone involved in a work injury case:
- The injured employee
- The employer
- The physician
- The insurance company
- The attorney, if there is one
- The case manager, if there is one
- The vocational consultant, if there is one
Why the testing is useful
The main aim is to help an injured employee recover and return to work.
For you
The results show what level of physical demand is appropriate for you, which may lower the chance of re-injury, and which areas to work on to make your workday more comfortable.
For your employer
They can help an employer see what safety standards to set to lower the risk of injury. An FCE is also sometimes requested by a hiring manager to establish what an employee can do before starting work, or to help work out disability questions.
Related care
If you are recovering from a work injury, see Work Injuries & Workers' Comp for how we treat it, and Ergonomic Training for ways to lower the chance of it happening again.
Functional capacity evaluations care in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Joint Effort Physical Therapy treats Functional capacity evaluations at our Hot Springs clinic, 1880 Airport Rd., Suite C.
Not sure whether your plan needs a referral? Call us. As a courtesy, we verify your health benefits before you arrive.
Meet the people who treat you on our team page.