In October 2024, Tom, a self-employed floor finisher and carpet layer, fractured his left wrist during a game of soccer. For most people, this kind of injury is inconvenient. For Tom, it was career-threatening. His work is intensely physical—lifting carpet rolls weighing up to 70 kilograms, maneuvering furniture, spending hours kneeling while using hand tools, and driving long distances between job sites. Without the full function of his wrist, his livelihood was on hold.
At just 11 weeks post-injury, Tom was referred to our Exercise Physiologist Leanne, a crucial moment that allowed rehab to start before deconditioning or compensatory issues took hold. While physio had helped regain some movement, Tom was still limited to lifting just 1–2kg with the injured hand. He hadn’t begun any weight-bearing work and was a long way from being job-ready. The risk of extended time off work and its flow-on effects was growing fast.
Tailored for the Trade: Work Conditioning That Works
Leanne’s approach was targeted and strategic. With Tom’s job demands in mind, she designed an eight-week, gym-based program focused on work conditioning, building strength, isometric endurance, and function in a way that mimicked his day-to-day role.
Exercises included upper body weight-bearing progressions to simulate carpet lifting, grip strength work for tool use, shoulder and core stability for kneeling tasks, and thoracic mobility drills for reaching and load handling. Each movement was chosen to reflect the real, physical challenges Tom would face back on site.
By creating a program that mimicked his workplace tasks, Leanne helped Tom not just get stronger but get job-ready.
Results That Speak for Themselves
Tom’s dedication in the gym meant that he made rapid progress:
- His grip strength on the injured side improved from 25kg to 41kg—nearing full strength—and he was comfortably lifting 30kg loads.
- His upper limb disability (QuickDASH Score) improved from 40.9/100 to 27.3/100 – (moderate to mild)
- His pain dropped from 6/10 to 1-2/10 on the VAS scale,
- Confidence returned – his PSFS (patient specific functional scores) improved from 4/50 to 46/50 for tasks relating to work, recreation, and home maintenance.
- Quality of life improved significantly (a 16% increase in SF36 score).
By the end of his program with Leanne, he was back on-site, working six-hour days and managing his usual tasks without difficulty. Just over five months post-injury, Tom was on track to resume his full 38-hour work week. He’d even returned to playing touch footy!
The Cost of Delay — and the Savings of Efficiency
Without this early and structured work-focused rehabilitation, Tom’s story may have been quite different. Attempting to re-enter the workforce without appropriate rehabilitation is a recipe for re-injury, extending his time on workers compensation and increasing the risk of long-term loss of earnings. Instead, a well-timed and efficient referral saved his insurer thousands of dollars in lost productivity and claim costs, while giving Tom his livelihood and lifestyle back.
A Smarter Approach to Recovery
Tom’s story is proof that early intervention, when delivered with precision and purpose, can fast-track outcomes, minimise downtime, and create meaningful cost savings for all involved.
Have you got someone like Tom who would benefit from a prompt and proactive referral to exercise physiology?
Author: Yolanda van Vugt
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