Return-to-work guide
Returning to work after a soft tissue injury
Sprains, strains and similar soft tissue injuries often come with capacity for some work from fairly early on — the certificate of capacity may show what you can do rather than ruling work out. The NSW scheme is built around recovering at work where that capacity exists. Nexus Rehab coordinates the duties that make it possible.
Recovering at work, guided by the certificate
For many soft tissue injuries, staying connected to work is part of how the scheme is designed to operate. Where your treating doctor certifies capacity, you recover at work rather than waiting at home. Early intervention helps here: the sooner a plan is in place, the easier it is to keep the role open and the return straightforward. Nexus Rehab reads the capacity your doctor has certified and turns it into suitable duties, so time at work fits the plan your doctor is directing rather than working against it.
Modified duties and how the task is done
Suitable duties for a soft tissue injury usually mean modifying the work rather than stopping it: reduced hours to start, task rotation so no single movement is repeated for too long, or limits on lifting and reaching set by your certificate. Where the role involves manual handling or repetitive tasks, a workplace assessment can look at how the job is actually done and what could be adjusted. The duties are agreed with you, your employer and the insurer, and stay within the restrictions your treating doctor has set.
Who is involved and what it costs
A soft tissue return involves you, your employer, the insurer and your own healthcare team, all working to the same plan. Your doctor decides capacity and directs any care; Nexus Rehab coordinates the return-to-work side and keeps everyone to the same version of the plan. Under the NSW workers compensation scheme, and for road injuries handled through CTP, approved workplace rehabilitation services are funded by the insurer at no cost to you. Nexus Rehab works across all of NSW, metropolitan and regional.
This is general information about returning to work, not medical advice. Your treating doctor directs your medical care — Nexus Rehab coordinates the return-to-work side and works to their certificate of capacity.