Case study: *Anna, Queensland

Recovery Partners provided: Occupational Rehabilitation 

Back pain can be difficult for sufferers to manage and equally difficult for health professionals to treat. That’s why Scott Langham (MClin ExP, HBEM), an Exercise Physiologist and Rehabilitation Consultant with Recovery Partners, was so pleased when he was able to facilitate fast relief for a worker who’d been dealing with back pain since 2012.

*Anna, who worked in night fill for a major Brisbane supermarket, had become resigned to living with her back pain, though it had a significant impact on her daily life. ‘There was no particular trauma or injury that precipitated the pain,’ says Scott, ‘so it was more likely a condition that had built up over time, an adaptive dysfunction.’

Anna had submitted claims for workers compensation and undergone several courses of treatment with allied health professionals over the years, with little success in addressing her pain. The insurer for the supermarket chain that Anna worked for had seen a presentation from Recovery Partners about our innovative approach to muscular-skeletal pain management and were happy for Scott to make an assessment of Anna’s condition from this perspective.

‘It’s really important that we assess everyone as individuals, and not try and apply a cookie-cutter technique to their treatment,’ says Scott. ‘When I first met with Anna, she rated her pain as an 8 out of 10. In a critical assessment, I identified that she had a pelvic misalignment, a right pelvic upslip, to be precise. Poor posture and poor muscle activation contributed to the pain.’

Scott devised a treatment plan based on a muscle energy technique that included a series of corrective exercises for Anna to complete in her own time. After their session together, Anna contacted Scott to say she’d had a pain-free period of time that lasted between 24 and 48 hours. This was the first time she’d been without pain since 2012. ‘Anna’s 8 out of 10 pain rating became a 0 out of 10,’ Scott says. ‘She was over the moon!’ While it’s important not to become complacent, Scott says they were encouraging results, for all parties involved. He credits his own professional development with helping him make an assessment, saying that listening to podcasts and reading lots of new research helps him stay up-to-date and informed in his professional practice.  ‘It’s not done and dusted yet, but I’m really glad I was able to help give Anna that time without pain, and I’m looking forward to working with her and her employers more to address the underlying issues and formulate a plan for ongoing treatment.’

Congratulations on those encouraging results, Scott, and on your commitment to your professional standards and customer service delivery!

If you’d like to know more about the great work Recovery Partners Rehabilitation Consultants do in our communities, get in touch by emailing admin@rrp.com.au or calling 1300 OHSRTW (647 789) today.

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned