Introduction
According to a survey, 96% of Canadian workers want athletic therapy included in their health benefits if they suffer an injury.
Ipsos, working on behalf of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association, conducted a survey. It revealed that 96% of Canadian workers—either strongly (62%) or somewhat (35%)—want this option in their health benefit plan. Additionally, this strong desire highlights the importance of including athletic therapy in health plans.
Injury Impact and Physical Therapy Importance
The survey also revealed that 47% of Canadians have experienced injuries that hindered or currently hinder their full functionality. Additionally, Survey: 96% Want Athletic Therapy as crucial for maintaining or returning to good physical health. This reinforces the finding that Survey: 96% Want Athletic Therapy is a key component workers want in their health benefits.
Comorbidities
A separate report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that comorbidities are fairly common in worker’s compensation cases involving lower back pain, and can have a significant impact on workers’ recovery. The most common comorbidities include:
- hypertension (28%)
- arthritis (21%)
- sleep dysfunction (17%)
- depression (16%)
- anxiety or panic disorders (16%)
Expert Insights from WCRI
“Identifying these comorbidities and understanding their impact on recovery may help workers’ compensation stakeholders better understand which low back pain cases are more likely to have poorer outcomes and potentially adapt treatments for workers with high-risk comorbidities,” said Ramona Tanabe, president and CEO of WCRI, which is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, MA.
