Do You Need an FCE for Work?

Being injured on the job can pose a risk for employers as well as to other employees. Whether you have been injured at work or have experienced an injury that imposes on your ability to work, you will often need a medical release by a physician to return to work. A Functional Capacity Evaluation, or FCE, is often requested by employers to ensure that an employee is fully capable of returning to work and that s/he is recovered from injuries. An FCE is also generally required by insurers when an insured person applies for disability payments or a disability pension in the case of permanent disability.

For those who work in a physically active type of employment, your employer is technically responsible for your wellbeing while you are on the clock. Before coming back to work after an injury, your employee will want to know that you are physically capable of doing the work that will be required of you without the threat of re-injury. An FCE can provide employers with information regarding the progress an employee has made following an injury and information to help identify changes or modifications that need to be made to an employee’s workload.

An FCE involves assessments made by a medical doctor that include a wide variety of tests that are designed to evaluate the function and pain level while performing certain activities. The tests during an FCE are physical in nature, and some of the common tests that are performed include:

• Balance
• Carrying
• Crouching/crawling
• Hand grasping and manipulation
• Lifting
• Pushing/pulling
• Reach
• Standing, walking, sitting

At Medici Spine & Pain, our facility is qualified to perform functional capacity evaluations for our patients when requested by an employer or insurance company. We offer a full spectrum of diagnostic, treatment, and evaluation options. Contact us today.