Work injury physical therapy in Polk County, FL
Work injury physical therapy helps you recover from an injury on the job and get back to work safely, with a plan built around what your job asks of your body. We treat work injuries, including workers' compensation cases, at all three Core Rehabilitation clinics, in Lake Wales, Haines City and Winter Haven.
Reviewed by Joe Koloc, PT, MSPT, MBA, founder of Core Rehabilitation. Last reviewed: October 16, 2026
At a glance
01
Helps with: Lifting and strain injuries, repetitive strain, back, neck and shoulder pain, and recovery after work-related surgery
02
Workers' comp: Accepted at all 3 clinics, once the insurance carrier authorizes your therapy
03
Where: All 3 clinics: Lake Wales, Haines City and Winter Haven
04
Your visits: One-on-one with a licensed physical therapist, built around your job's tasks
Overview
What is work injury physical therapy?
Work injury physical therapy is rehabilitation for injuries that happen on the job or are made worse by it. A licensed physical therapist treats the injury itself, then rebuilds the strength, stamina and movement your job demands, so you can return to modified or full duty safely and lower the chance of getting hurt again.
Work injuries range from a sudden strain while lifting to pain that builds over months of the same motion. Across Polk County that often means warehouse and distribution work, citrus and agriculture, construction, healthcare and long hours behind the wheel. Your plan starts with what your job actually asks of you: the weights, the postures, the pace and the length of your shift.
The care for the injury itself is the same skilled treatment you'd get in our orthopedic physical therapy program. What's different is the goal. Each step is measured against your job's tasks, and your therapist keeps the doctor overseeing your recovery updated, so your work restrictions can change as you improve.
Is it for you?
Signs work injury rehab could help
You don't have to wait until you can't do your job. These are good reasons to get an evaluation.
Pain from lifting, pushing, pulling or a fall at work that hasn't settled
Back, neck or shoulder pain that gets worse as your shift goes on
Numbness, tingling or weakness in your hands from repetitive tasks
Trouble with job tasks such as lifting, kneeling, climbing or reaching overhead
You're on light duty or off work and want a clear plan to get back
Your doctor has cleared you for therapy after a work injury or surgery
You're going back to work but worried about getting hurt again
Pain that affects your sleep or your ability to drive to work
Get emergency care first for: a serious fall, a head injury, a possible broken bone, chest pain, or sudden weakness, numbness or loss of bladder or bowel control. Emergency care doesn't need your workers' comp carrier's approval first. For anything else on a comp claim, report the injury to your employer and see the doctor authorized for your claim before starting therapy.
What it treats
Work injuries physical therapy commonly helps
Most work injuries involve the back, shoulders, arms and hands. Your therapist treats the injury and the job demands that keep straining it.
Back and neck injuries
Strains and pain from lifting, bending, twisting, or long hours sitting or driving, including pain that travels down a leg.
Low back strain
Neck strain
Sciatica
Herniated disc
Hip, knee and ankle
Sprains and strains from slips, trips, ladders and uneven ground, and knee pain from kneeling or squatting on the job.
Knee sprain
Ankle sprain
Slip-and-fall injuries
Hip strain
Shoulder, arm and hand
Overuse and repetitive strain from reaching, gripping, tools and keyboards, plus shoulder injuries from overhead work.
Rotator cuff injury
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Tennis elbow
Wrist and hand tendinitis
After work-related surgery
Rebuilding strength and job skills after surgery for a work injury, following your surgeon's instructions. Our post-surgical rehab page covers this care in more detail.
Carpal tunnel release
Rotator cuff repair
Back surgery
Knee arthroscopy
Your care
What's included in work injury physical therapy
Every plan is built from your evaluation and your job, and most include a mix of the following.
A full evaluation, including your job. Your injury, strength and movement, plus your job's demands: what you lift, how often, the postures you hold and how long your shifts run.
Treatment for the injury. Exercise and hands-on manual therapy to settle pain and restore movement in the injured area.
Work conditioning. Strength, endurance and fitness training that builds step by step toward the physical demands of your job.
Job-simulation training (work hardening). A longer, more structured program that practices your real work tasks, such as lifting, carrying, pushing and climbing, at increasing levels.
Safe lifting and body mechanics. How to lift, carry, push and pull in ways that spread the load, practiced until it feels natural.
Functional capacity evaluation (FCE). A structured set of tests of how much you can safely lift, carry, push and pull, and how long you can sit, stand or walk. Doctors use the results to set work restrictions.
Return-to-work planning. A step-by-step plan, agreed with your doctor, from light or modified duty back to full duty.
Ergonomic advice. Practical changes to your workstation, tools, vehicle seat or the way a task is set up.
Pain education and pacing. How pain and healing work, so worry about getting hurt again doesn't hold you back, and how to pace your activity as you build up.
Progress reports for your claim. Regular updates to your authorized doctor and the insurance carrier on what you can safely do now.
A home program you'll actually do. A short daily routine, adjusted at each visit as you progress.
Do I need a referral for work injury physical therapy?
It depends on whether you're using workers' comp. For a workers' compensation claim, Florida law requires the insurance carrier to authorize therapy before treatment starts, usually through the doctor assigned to your claim. If you're using your own health insurance, Florida Statute §486.021 allows a physical therapist to treat you for up to 30 days without a physician's referral.
What happens at your first work injury visit?
Your first visit starts with a conversation about how you were hurt, what your job involves and what your doctor has cleared you to do. A first visit usually takes about 45 to 60 minutes.
Report a work injury to your employer as soon as you can. Florida law expects you to report it within 30 days (Florida Statute §440.185), and your employer then reports it to its insurance carrier.
For a comp claim, ask your adjuster or authorized doctor to send your therapy to Core Rehabilitation. When you call us, have your claim number and your adjuster's name and phone number ready.
Talk it through. When it started, what makes it better or worse, and what you'd like to eat or do comfortably again.
Jaw and neck check. Opening, jaw path, joint sounds, the chewing muscles, neck movement and posture.
Your findings, explained. What's likely driving your symptoms, in plain language.
Your plan. How often to come in, plus one or two things to start at home.
Working with your doctor and your claim
Your authorized doctor sets your work restrictions, and your therapist reports what you can safely do as you improve. On a workers' comp claim, those progress notes go to the doctor and the insurance carrier because the claim requires it. Your therapist will tell you what each report covers.
Workers' comp and insurance
Does workers' comp cover physical therapy?
Yes, once it's authorized for your claim. Florida workers' compensation covers medically necessary care for a work injury after the insurance carrier approves it, and Core Rehabilitation accepts workers' comp at all three clinics. If your injury isn't a comp claim, therapy is billed to your own health plan, and we verify your benefits before your first visit.
Where to find it
Work injury physical therapy at all three of our clinics
Looking for work injury physical therapy near you? It's part of the full service menu at every Core Rehabilitation clinic in Polk County, with the same approach at each one.
Lake Wales
Work injury physical therapy in Lake Wales
2031 State Rd 60 East, Lake Wales, FL 33898
Mon–Fri 8:00–12:00 & 1:00–5:00
Haines City
Work injury physical therapy in Haines City
50 Maxcy Plaza Circle, Haines City, FL 33844
Mon–Fri 8:00–12:00 & 1:00–5:00
Winter Haven
Work injury physical therapy in Winter Haven
3017 Cypress Gardens Rd, Winter Haven, FL 33884
Mon–Fri 9:00–12:00 & 1:00–5:00
Why it works
Why physical therapy helps after a work injury
Research on work injuries supports care tied to the job itself: for muscle, joint and back injuries, workplace changes such as modified duties helped people return to work sooner and improved pain and function.
A Cochrane review of randomized trials found moderate-quality evidence that workplace interventions, such as modified duties and changes to tasks or equipment, shortened the time to return to work and improved pain and function for workers with musculoskeletal disorders. For low back pain, the American College of Physicians recommends starting with non-drug treatments, with exercise among the recommended options for long-lasting pain, and the UK's NICE guideline recommends helping people get back to work and normal activities.
The evidence on structured conditioning programs on their own is less clear: a separate Cochrane review found their effect on time off work for back pain is uncertain. That's why your plan is built from your evaluation and your job rather than a fixed program, and why your therapist keeps your doctor in the loop. Results differ from person to person, and your therapist will tell you what's realistic after your evaluation.
Sources: van Vilsteren M, et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015 (workplace interventions); Schaafsma FG, et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013 (physical conditioning); Qaseem A, et al. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2017 (American College of Physicians low back pain guideline); NICE guideline NG59, Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s (2016, updated 2020).
Keep exploring
Related care and next steps
Orthopedic physical therapy
Back, neck, shoulder and joint pain, at all three clinics.
Post-surgical rehab
Recovery after joint, spine and tendon surgery.
Workers' comp and insurance
Authorization, accepted plans and your first visit.
Find your clinic
Lake Wales, Haines City, and Winter Haven.
Frequently asked questions
Book your visit
Start your return to work
Tell us which clinic suits you and when you're free. We'll call to set up your first visit and check your workers' comp authorization or insurance.
Lake Wales · 863-678-0705
Haines City · 863-421-2000
Winter Haven · 863-268-6523