Workers' Compensation Rehab

Hurt at work? How workers' comp therapy works here

A work injury comes with paperwork, deadlines and more people involved than most kinds of care. Here is how the pieces fit together in Florida, so you know what to expect before your first visit.

What should I do first after a work injury?

Tell your employer. Under section 440.185 of the Florida Statutes, an injured employee must advise the employer within 30 days after the injury, or after symptoms first appear. Florida law then requires your employer to furnish the medically necessary treatment the injury needs. Therapy is part of that care, and therapy costing more than $1,000 has to be authorized by the insurance carrier, so authorization usually comes before the first visit.

Who decides what therapy I get?

Your treating physician prescribes therapy and the carrier authorizes it. We evaluate you, write a plan built around your job, treat you, and send objective progress reports to your physician, adjuster and case manager, so each decision about the next step rests on measurements rather than guesses.

What does return-to-work therapy involve?

Treatment is functional from the first day and built around the physical demands of your actual job. Someone who lifts and carries for a living rehearses lifting and carrying at the heights the job requires. Someone who works at a keyboard works on sitting tolerance, the shoulders and the hands. Graded conditioning and task simulation mean the work you practice here resembles the work waiting for you.

How does occupational therapy help a work injury?

Many work injuries land in the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders, which is occupational therapy territory. Our occupational therapists retrain the tasks a job depends on, and hand injuries can be treated by Laura Drumm, MS, OTR/L, CHT, CLT, our certified hand therapist, with custom splints made in the clinic. Physical and occupational therapy run in the same building under one plan, so an injury that needs both does not mean two clinics. More on our occupational therapy page.

Can you help with repetitive strain and ergonomics?

Yes. Repetitive strain injuries are among the work injuries we treat, and they rarely settle if the task that caused them stays the same. Workstation assessment, tool and equipment recommendations, and changes to technique are part of occupational therapy here, so the fix covers the job as well as the body.

What does my adjuster or case manager receive?

Objective progress reporting: what was measured at your evaluation, what has changed since, and how you are tracking against the demands of your job. We coordinate with your physician and case manager throughout, because a safe, sustainable return to work depends on everyone working from the same information.

What should I bring to the first visit?

Photo ID, your claim number, your adjuster's name and phone number, your employer's details, and the prescription or referral from your treating physician. Call 561-624-4263 first: our front desk checks the authorization so the visit is covered before you arrive.

What if my claim is disputed?

That is a legal and benefits question rather than a therapy one. Florida's Department of Financial Services runs an Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office, set up under section 440.191, to help injured workers and employers resolve disagreements, and a Florida workers' compensation attorney can advise on your own case. We keep treating and documenting while your care is authorized.

Sources

1. 2026 Florida Statutes, section 440.185: notice of injury to the employer within 30 days.
2. 2026 Florida Statutes, section 440.13: the employer's duty to furnish medically necessary treatment, and carrier authorization for therapy over $1,000.
3. 2026 Florida Statutes, section 440.191: the Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office.

This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. It reflects the 2026 Florida Statutes, and the law can change. For questions about your claim, talk to your adjuster or a Florida workers' compensation attorney.