Functional Capacity Evaluations

What is a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)?

Need a precise, objective measure of your patients/clients functional physical ability? Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE) is an extensive physical agility test, and when performed by a medically trained, highly skilled, Physical Therapist you can be assured that each assessment is accurate and will hold credibility in a court of law.

This unique service is provided at Back at Work Physical Therapy – where our Physical Therapist has performed hundreds of FCE’s. Using the Matheson FCE System, each comprehensive evaluation is administered in our clinic, one-on-one with the Physical Therapist and may range in length from 4 – 5 hours.

When should an FCE be used?

An FCE can occur anytime; however, some of the more common uses are:

At end of a sub-acute phase
To establish baseline for work conditioning
To assist with return to work decisions
At case closure
For disability (non-work related)

* If an impairment rating is requested, it can be provided using the 4th, 5th or 6th editions of theAMA Guides®To The Evaluation Of Permanent Impairment.

Who Can Benefit from an FCE?

Someone who has been injured on the job to determine his or her ability to return to the job or alternate work
Someone seeking to return to work or volunteer activities after an injury or illness
Someone injured in a catastrophic accident (i.e. automobile accident) for whom an FCE can determine performance skills and abilities related to resuming former employment or a new job
Someone seeking vocational rehabilitation services

FCE is used to determine:

Goals for rehabilitation or readiness for discharge planning
Medical eligibility for disability benefits
Worker’s compensation case settlement
A modified treatment program
Physical abilities of patients before and after a rehab program
Whether an injured worker can safely return to work
Return to work decisions (including full duty, modified duty or transitional duty)

“Great place for physical therapy – they are a wonderful group of highly-trained physical therapists that eliminate pain and give you the tools you need to remain pain-free.”

Physical Therapy Patient