If you have suffered an accident at work, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

Injured in a work accident?

    If you are involved in an accident at work which causes a personal injury, or if you have contracted an industrial illness through the work that you do, you may be entitled to make a no win no fee accident at work claim for compensation. You are also allowed to see the doctor of your choice after the first 90 days of care with the company doctor. If the panel of doctors does not include a chiropractor, you may contact one. Ambler Chiropractor

All employers have a legal responsibility to provide employees with a safe and secure workplace.  This responsibility includes providing adequate equipment and materials, providing competent co-workers, providing a safe system of work and providing proper training and supervision.

If you are injured in the workplace, or at any point whilst carrying out your employment duties, you should always ensure that the accident is reported. Most companies should have an accident book to record such incidents. This will not only act as evidence that the accident occurred if you decide to pursue a compensation claim, but may also help your employer to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.

As accidents at work are common, your employer must have insurance to cover any compensation claims that are made against them by employees who are injured at work.  This is known as Employers Liability Insurance. Compensation awarded following a work accident claim is paid by your employer’s insurance company – it is never paid directly out of your employer’s pockets.

Types of Accidents at Work

Below are some examples of accidents in the workplace and some information on some of the common questions and concerns regarding accident claims.

Accidents at work caused by unsafe work premises

Your employer has a responsibility to ensure that the place, or places, where you work are safe.  Therefore if you have an accident at work due to a slip on a wet floor, a trip on a raised floor tile, or a fall down some damaged steps, you may be entitled to make a work accident claim against your employer for the injuries your have sustained

Accidents at work caused by unsuitable equipment or materials

If you are involved in an accident at work which is caused by unsuitable equipment or materials, you may be entitled to make a work injury compensation claim for any personal injuries that you suffer.  Even if your accident is caused by faulty equipment, materials or machinery supplied by another company, the responsibility for ensuring that they are safe for you to use and that you are adequately trained to use them will usually remain with your employer.

Accidents at work caused by unsafe system of work or lack of proper training

Your employer has a responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure that you are able to carry out your work duties in a safe way in order to avoid any inherent dangers.  For example, if your work involves a lot of heavy lifting, your employer should provide training so you are aware of the correct way to lift items in a way which minimises the risk of suffering a lifting accident at work. If you are not provided such training, and suffer an injury as a result, you could be able to make a no win no fee work accident compensation claim.

Accidents at work caused by incompetent staff

Your employer must ensure, to the best of their ability, that the people they employ are competent in their jobs and do not put other people in the workplace at risk by their actions. Therefore if you are injured at work due to something a fellow employee did, or did not do, your employer is potentially liable for those actions.

Common Work Accident Questions

Below are some common questions relating to the process of making an accident at work personal injury claim.

If I make a compensation claim for an accident at work, who pays the compensation?

It is a legal requirement for your employer to have insurance cover, known as Employers Liability Insurance, to cover them in case of any work related accidents.  If your personal injury claim is successful, it is the company’s insurers who pay the compensation awarded, not your employer.

Can I get the sack for making a work accident claim?

An employer cannot legally dismiss an employee for making a compensation claim for an accident at work. Therefore if your employer did dismiss you on these grounds, it could be classed as unfair dismissal, which could entitle you to make a separate compensation claim through employment law.

Low Back Pain / Horsham, PA Chiropractic, Chiropractor in Horsham 215-283-2844

Dr. Richard Schwartz

By Dr. Richard Schwartz 215-283-2844

A prospective patient arrives with a problem for you to manage – say a backache (a not uncommon scenario!).

Where do you begin? I would suggest you begin by viewing the problem through a broad lens.

The tissues of your (and your patient’s) body respond to applied demands (stressors) deriving from backgrounds of overuse, misuse, abuse (trauma) and disuse, overlaid onto a combination of developmental and maturational experiences of life – the inherited and acquired habits and patterns of use (for example postural or respiratory), ergonomic, work and leisure stresses, as well as the results of injuries, surgeries, emotional burdens and more.

These features and experiences will have blended to create tissues that may gradually have changed from a state of normotonicity to a palpably dysfunctional state, at times involving hypertonicity, and at others hypotonicity, along with altered firing sequences, modified motor control, abnormal postural and/or movement patterns and ultimately dysfunctional chain reactions. What emerges is a picture of impaired or altered function of related components of the somatic framework; skeletal, arthrodial, myofascial, as well as related vascular, lymphatic and neural features, all examples of adaptational overload.But to the patient, it is simply “a backache.” Such changes almost always demonstrate functional, sometimes visible, often palpable, evidence, that can frequently be assessed in order to guide you towards clinical decision-making, as to what form of management may be most appropriate. What therapeutic and rehabilitation strategies, in the context of acute and chronic somatic dysfunction, may be able to assist in normalization of dysfunction, pain management and rehabilitation? Parsons & Marcer (2005) note that “it is through the summation of both quantitative and qualitative findings that one obtains an indication of the nature and age of the underlying dysfunction”

Repetitive Lumbar Injury: An Example of Adaptation Overload

In discussing a form of low back pain that they describe as Repetitive Lumbar Injury (RLI), Solomonow, et al (2011a), outline the etiology of a complex multi-factorial syndrome that fits the model of adaptive overload. This involves an adaptation sequence, in which prolonged cyclic loading of the low back can be shown to induce a process of creep – defined as continued deformation of a viscoelastic material under constant load over time – in the spinal tissues (Sanchez-Zuriaga 2010), reduced muscular activity, triggering spasms and reduced stability, followed by acute inflammation and tissue degradation (Fung et al 2009), as well as muscular hyperexcitability and hyperstability (Li et al 2007).

These adaptive changes are seen – in animal studies (Solomonow 2011b) and in humans (Solomonow 2003) – to be a response to rapid movement, high loads, numerous repetitions and short rest periods. Behaviours that are not uncommon in many common work and leisure/athletic activities. The conclusion is that viscoelastic tissues ultimately fail via a process involving the triggering of inflammation, due to overuse, a process that appears to initiate the mechanical and neuromuscular characteristic symptoms of the disorder.

In contrast, Solomonow, et al (2011a), found that low magnitude loads, short loading durations, lengthy rest periods, low movement velocity and few repetitions do not constitute significant risk factors, yet nevertheless triggered transient stability deficits and pro-inflammatory tissue degradation. It is suggested that it might be more appropriate to designate these conditions as low risk instead of no risk. In perspective, Repetitive Lumbar Injury – manifesting in your patient with backache – is seen to be a complex multi-factorial syndrome. A clear example of adaptation to imposed demands that exceed the ability of the tissues involved to respond. Repeated bending activities in daily living appear to change both structure (ligaments, discs) and function (protective spinal reflexes).

Therapeutic interventions in such a spectrum of progressive dysfunction (such as myofascial release, muscle energy technique etc) need to offer various potential benefits, for example improving restricted mobility (Lenehan et al 2003), possibly reducing excessive inflammatory responses (Fryer & Fossum 2010), while simultaneously enhancing motor control (Wilson, et al 2003). But, unless the patterns of use that fuelled this degenerative process are modified, the manual interventions will offer short-term symptomatic relief at best.

Grieve’s Decompensation Model

In 1986, Grieve presciently offered a perspective on the evolution of chronic dysfunction. He described the example of a typical patient, presenting with pain, loss of functional movement, or altered patterns of strength, power or endurance and suggested that, all too commonly, this individual would either have suffered major trauma which had overwhelmed the physiological tolerances of relatively healthy tissues or might be displaying “gradual decompensation, demonstrating slow exhaustion of the tissue’s adaptive potential, with or without trauma.” As this process continued, Grieve explained, progressive postural adaptation influenced by time factors and possibly by trauma, would lead to exhaustion of the body’s adaptive potential, resulting in dysfunction and ultimately, symptoms.

Grieve correctly noted that therapeutic attention to the tissues incriminated in producing symptoms often gives excellent short-term results, however “unless treatment is also focused towards restoring function in asymptomatic tissues responsible for the original postural adaptation and subsequent decompensation, the symptoms will recur.”

A Therapeutic Formula: Reduce Adaptive Load And Enhance Function

A therapeutic formula is proposed for the clinician who is confronted with chronic adaptive changes, of the sort highlighted by Solomo now or Grieve, who may well walk into your office with a backache. It is suggested that the focus should be on both reducing adaptive demands; altering the patterns of behaviour that have produced, or which are maintaining, dysfunction, while at the same time focusing on enhancement of function, working with the self-regulatory systems of the body, so that those adaptive demands can be better managed by the body (Chaitow et al 2005). The only other therapeutic possibility would seem to be symptomatic attention.

In simple terms, musculoskeletal tissue absorbs or adapts to forces applied to it and many manual and movement approaches are capable of modifying these changes – for example the use of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) in dysfunctional shoulders of the elderly (Knebl 2002); following sporting injuries (Bolin 2010); hamstring problems (Smith & Fryer 2008), or even in backache (Licciardone et al 2010)! Why do I emphasise MET? Because its track record is excellent (see citations) and because it is safe and easy to use. But I admit to being biased – and acknowledge that other modalities may be equally useful, but not unless underlying stressors are also dealt with.

For more information on Low Back Pain Care in Horsham, Pa Call Dr. Richard Schwartz@ 215.283.2844

References

1. Bolin, D. 2010. The application of osteopathic treatments to pediatric sports injuries. Pediatric clinics of North America, 57 (3):775-794.
   
2. Chaitow, L. 2005. Muscle Energy Techniques (3rd edition) Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh. www.leonchaitow.com/muscle.htm
   
3. Fryer G, Fossum C. 2010. Therapeutic Mechanisms underlying muscle energy approaches. In: Fernandez-de-las-Penas C Arendt-Nielsen L Gerwin R (Eds). Tension-type and Cervicogenic Headache: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Pp 221-229.
   
4. Fung DT, Wang VM, Laudier DM, et al 2009. Subrupture tendon fatigue damage. J Orthop Res 27(2):264-273.
   
5. Grieve, G. 1986. Modern manual therapy. Churchill Livingstone, London.
   
6. Knebl, J. 2002. J. American Osteopathic Assoc. Improving functional ability in the elderly via the Spencer technique, an osteopathic manipulative treatment.102(7):387-400.
   
7. Lenehan K Fryer G McLaughlin P 2003. Effect of MET on gross trunk range of motion. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 6(1): 13-18.
   
8. Li L, Patel N, Solomonow D, Le Pet al 2007. Neuromuscular response to cyclic lumbar twisting. Hum Factors 49(5):820-829.
   
9. Licciardone J Buchanan S Hensel K et al 2010. Osteopathic manipulative treatment of back pain and related symptoms during pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 202:43.e1-8.
   
10. Parsons J Marcer N 2005. (Eds) Osteopathy: Modesls for diagnosis, treatment an practice. Churchill Livingston Edinburgh.
    
11. Sanchez-Zuriaga D, Adams MA, Dolan P et al 2010. Is activation of the back muscles impaired by creep or muscle fatigue? Spine 35(5):517-525.
    
12. Smith M Fryer G 2008. Comparison of two MET techniques for increasing flexibility of the hamstring muscle group. Jnl. Bodywork & Movement Therapies 12(4):312-317.
    
13. Solomonow M Bing He Zhou EE Yun Lu et al 2011a. Acute repetitive lumbar syndrome. Journal Bodywork & Movement Therapies. In Press.
    
14. Solomonow M 2011b. Time dependent spine stability. Clin Biomechanics 26(3):219-228.
    
15. Solomonow M, Baratta RV, Banks A et al 2003. Flexion-relaxation response to static lumbar flexion in males and females. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 18(4):273-279.
    
16. Wilson E et al 2003. Muscle energy technique in patients with acute low back pain. Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy 33: 502-512
    

More Hospitals offering alternative therapy services including Chiropractic

Horsham, Pa 19044

Dr. Richard Schwartz of Ambler, Pa practices Chiropractic which is gentle and safe.

Advance Chiropractic and Wellness Centers Ambler, PA

Alternative therapies, including meditation, relaxation training, homeopathy and chiropractic care, are being offered at more hospitals, mostly in response to patient requests, a survey finds.

September 8, 2011

Growing numbers of U.S. hospitals, responding to patient demand, are integrating acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative services into their conventional medical care, a new national survey shows.

Forty-two percent of hospitals in the survey said they offer one or more alternative therapies, including meditation, relaxation training, homeopathy and chiropractic care.

That’s up from 37% of hospitals that said they offered such medical services in 2007.

The alternative options are provided mostly in outpatient settings and come primarily in response to patient requests.

“Hospitals have long known that what they do to treat and heal involves more than just medications and procedures,” said Nancy Foster, vice president for quality and patient safety at the American Hospital Assn. “It is about using all of the art and science of medicine to restore the patient as fully as possible.”

The report is based on responses from 714 hospitals nationwide, or about 12% of nearly 6,000 facilities that were mailed surveys last year.

It was written by the Health Forum, a subsidiary of the national hospital association, and the Samueli Institute, a nonprofit research organization
that investigates the role of “healing” practices in medical care. The Alexandria, Va., institute was founded by Henry Samueli, co-founder of Irvine-based Broadcom Corp., and his wife, Susan.

Among the survey’s findings: 65% of hospitals said they offer alternative therapies for pain management. Massage therapy in particular is given to cancer patients to help alleviate pain and stress.

“Today’s patients have better access to health information and are demanding more personalized care,” said Sita Ananth, one of the study’s authors and director of knowledge services for the Samueli Institute. “The survey results reinforce the fact that patients want the best that both conventional and alternative medicine can offer.”

For more information and question call 215-283-2844 or visit Horsham Chiropractor

How to Choose a Massage Therapist in Horsham, Pa and Ambler, Pa, Blue Bell, Pa

Finding a truly great massage practitioner — one whose skills, style and personality all suit you — can make the difference between a merely nice (or worse, ho-hum) experience and the kind of transformative healing dynamic that keeps you coming back for more.

You won’t know for sure until you get on the table, but here are some key questions to help you decide whether a therapist is right for you.

1. Are you nationally certified?
More than 300 schools and programs in the United States offer accreditation for massage therapists. To become nationally certified, a person must have a basic set of skills, pass an exam, adhere to certain ethical guidelines, and take part in continuing education.  

2. Are you state certified?
Every state is different, but most of them (42, plus the District of Columbia) offer certification for massage therapists; some are voluntary, and others are mandatory. Seek out a massage therapist who is state certified, which typically means he or she met a minimum number of training hours and passed an exam.

3. How many hours of training have you completed?
This is a helpful question, especially in states lacking strict oversight of who can call themselves a massage therapist. The answer you’re looking for is a minimum of 500 hours. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, the average practitioner has 633 hours of training. A massage therapist with less than 500 hours of training can still be good, but consider the number a benchmark.

4. Do you have any special or advanced training?
The best massage therapists spend years developing specialties and honing a specific skill set. The massage therapist who is passionate about Chinese meridians and spends several weeks a year going to special trainings may have an edge over the generalist who hasn’t evolved beyond the basic moves she learned in massage school. The same goes if you have special needs. For instance, a massage therapist who emphasizes sport massage might be a good bet if you have a weekend-warrior injury, but not if you have fibromyalgia. At our wellness center

5. How much do you charge?
Expect to pay roughly $1 a minute for a chair massage at the mall or airport. At an upscale spa or studio, massage rates range from about $60 to $120 an hour, plus a 15 to 20 percent tip. (Sometimes, packages of four or six massages are available at a discount.) If you have health insurance, ask your provider if you are eligible for either a discount (available with some plan-approved therapists) or if you can pay for massage with money from a flexible spending account. Unless you have the Mercedes-Benz of healthcare plans, preventive massage is probably not covered 100 percent, but if your doctor or chiropractor recommends massage therapy, your plan might cover a specific number of sessions.  

One final tip: Get a referral.
It’s OK to be picky about who puts their hands on your body. If you’re feeling spontaneous and want to book a one-time massage at a local spa, great. But if you’d like to explore massage as a long-term investment in your body, or if you have some tenacious kinks to work out and you think you might need a series of treatments, talk to your friends about whom they like and why. If your friends don’t get massage, ask for a recommendation at your local yoga studio, health club, acupuncture center or chiropractor’s office. More often than not, these folks are plugged in to the local “who’s who” of bodyworkers and can steer you in the right direction.

For more information call Dr. Richard Schwartz @215.283.2844 or go to mapleglenchiro.com or horshamchiropractors.com

Spinal Stabilization Program – “Build Your Core”

Having a strong core often results in a stable spine and pelvic relationship. Core muscles are a group of muscles located deep in the trunk that play an essential role in stabilizing your low back as it connects to your pelvis. In this program you will learn where each of these muscles are, what their role is, how to activate these muscles, and how to incorporate using theses muscles into your daily life whether you are sitting at your desk, out for a walk, or working out at the gym. This is a great program for those who have lower back pain or a history of lower back pain, want to improve their balance, start Pilates or yoga, or just get fit!

We teach you Core Exercises here at our Horsham ,Pa Chiropractic office

Spring House Chiropractor / Chiropractor in Spring House

My office specializes in treatment and coordination of care for auto accident injuries. I have been treating auto injuries in Spring House, Pa for over ten years and understand the injured patients health needs in our changing health care environment. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you need a doctor who specializes in treatment of these injuries every day. Unfortunately aches and pains may surface days or even weeks after a collision occurs. I invite you to come in and get checked if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort resulting from the collision. It is important that you do not wait to receive treatment as injuries can be serious and may continue to get worse with time. Chiropractic care is the treatment of choice for such injuries. If you have neck pain, headache, shoulder pain, mid and lower back pain, knee or leg pain, numbness and tingling in your hands or feet, muscle spasm, sleep difficulties, you need treatment.   Prompt rehabilitative treatment of your injuries is essential. There is also an obligation on our part to provide firm documentation of your treatment and injuries. If your case requires an attorney, my extensive experience with area lawyers will be invaluable. I have court room and trial experience as a treating doctor and can provide you a list of competent attorneys, as the choice you make does make a big difference in this stressful time for you.   Patient treatment is integrated with our extensive network of area medical specialists and diagnostic facilities to ensure you receive the proper care and diagnostic testing. You will not be alone; I will be there to help every step of the way.

– Necessary medical treatment for automobile injuries is covered under your auto insurance.
– We take care of your paperwork. Dealing with an insurance company can be frustrating, we make it easy.

The treatment is safe, gentle and effective. In most cases new patients are seen the day they call, and I handle each case personally.

I look forward to speaking with you to answer any questions your FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO OUR WEB PAGE http://www.mapleglenchiro.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Treats Scars, Adhesions and Muscle Injuries

Dr. Richard Schwartz Completes 12-Hour Training Course

In Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization

Dr. Richard Schwartz D.C of Horsham recently completed Graston Technique^® Module 1 Basic Training and is now treating patients with GT at his office in Horsham, Pa

The Technique uses specially designed stainless steel instruments to detect and treat areas exhibiting scar tissue or chronic inflammation.

Clinicians use the instruments with varying shapes to comb over and “catch” on fibrotic tissue, which immediately identifies areas of restriction. Once the tissue has been identified, the instruments break up scar tissue so the body can absorb it.

The Technique reduces pain and increases range of motion. It also:

• Improves diagnostic treatment
  
• Increases patient satisfaction by achieving notably better outcomes
  
• Speeds rehabilitation and recovery
  
• Reduces the need for anti-inflammatory medication
  
• Allows the patient to continue to engage in everyday activities.
  

The instruments are not meant to replace a clinician’s hands, but to complement them. M1–Basic Training offers participants a comprehensive overview of the GT treatment approach with extensive laboratory practice.

More than 7,500 leading health care providers, more than 30 colleges and universities, major corporations and more than 125 professional/amateur sports organizations in the U.S. and around the world currently use Graston Technique^®. Trainers and clinicians at these organizations are treating elite athletes, patients and employees every day to get them injury free to function at the highest level.

The Technique provides patients with a new option in the treatment of musculoskeletal complaints. For further information contact (name) at (phone number).

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For more information, go to GrastonTechnique.com.

Sidebar:

The Graston Technique^® instruments, while enhancing the clinician’s ability to detect fascial adhesions and restrictions, have been clinically proven to achieve quicker and better outcomes in treating both acute and chronic conditions, including:

Achilles Tendinitis/osis (ankle pain)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (wrist pain)

Cervical Sprain/Strain (neck pain)

Fibromyalgia

Lateral Epicondylitis/osis (tennis elbow)

Lumbar Sprain/Strain (back pain)

Medial Epicondylitis/osis (golfer’s elbow)

Patellofemoral Disorders (knee pain)

Plantar Fasciitis/osis (foot pain)

Rotator Cuff Tendinitis/osis (shoulder pain)

Scar Tissue

Shin Splints

Trigger Finger

Women’s Health (post-mastectomy and Caesarean scarring)