The most common occupational/workplace injuries for most of us will be musculoskeletal or MSK injuries. This includes sprains, strains and fractures, from injuries related to falls, bumps and lifting at work. The chiropractors and registered massage therapists at MiltonBackDoc are familiar with these injuries, their treatment, and the necessary documentation to help you in your workplace injury (WSIB) claim.

Most patients who are injured at work and have an MSK injury, would fall into the MSK POC or Musculoskeletal Program of Care. This is an 8 week bundle of care, based on evidence based treatment and active therapies, with a return to work focus. This would include injuries such as:

  • rotator cuff and other shoulder injuries
  • repetitive strain injuries of the elbow and hand
  • disc injuries, back sprains and strains
  • knee sprains and mensical injuries
  • ankle sprains

Some workers may have sustained a concussion at their workplace. Concussion treatment is different to the typical treatment for MSK injuries, as it addresses symptoms like persistent headache, light and noise sensitivity, visual disturbances, vomiting, nausea and balance difficulties. Patients may also have some cognitive challenges related to word finding, how quickly they think or react, or may feel additionally irritable after their injury. These patients are eligible for the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury or mTBI POC for concussion treatment. This POC is also 8 weeks long, and is a bundle of funded treatment. To deliver this program, providers need to register and certify that they are appropriately trained in treating concussion, with or without vestibular symptoms. Not all providers are registered to treat concussions with the WSIB, so remember to ask!

Workers need to start the MSK Program of Care within 8 weeks or the mTBI POC withing 12 weeks of their date of injury, so they should be assessed by a provider who is registered with the WSIB as soon as possible. For the MSK POC, even if your claim is ultimately denied, the WSIB will still fund 4 weeks of treatment while your claim is still pending/being reviewd. This is to ensure early access to care, and to reduce the barrier of waiting for approval that prevents some patients from getting assessed. In all cases, patients are expected to attend only one facility for treatment, unless specifically approved by their case management team.

If one of our chiropractors believes that you need additional consultation or imaging, they can reach out to your family doctor or you can potentially be seen by a specialist facilitated by the WSIB. If you complete your 8 weeks of treatment, and just need a little more time, your chiropractor can speak with the healthcare providers at the WSIB (including chiropractors, physiotherapists and nurses) to discuss approval for additional treatment for you.

If you have had a work injury, and are ready to start treatment, please reach out to us today at 905-864-9799. Have your claim number and date of injury handy. We will also need your birthdate to get the claim set up in our system. You can also book online at miltonbackdoc.janeapp.com, but please include that this is for a WSIB claim, so we can ensure to get the proper documentation completed right away.