WorkCover exercise physiology, Inner West Sydney
Accredited Exercise Physiologists registered with SIRA, working from a gym floor rather than a treatment table.
Exercise physiology is the part of a workers compensation claim that rebuilds physical capacity. Where physiotherapy treats the injury, exercise physiology loads it again: strength, conditioning and tolerance for the specific demands your job puts on you.
It matters most in the middle and late stages of a claim, when pain has settled but you are not yet able to do a full shift. That is the point where a lot of claims stall, and it is the gap this service exists to close.
Where exercise physiology earns its place
An Accredited Exercise Physiologist is a university-qualified allied health professional. On a workers compensation claim they are funded the same way a physiotherapist is.
Graded conditioning
Load is increased deliberately and in measured steps rather than by how you feel on the day. Each step is documented, which is also what the insurer needs to see to keep approving treatment.
Work hardening
Rehabilitation built around the tasks your job actually requires. If your role involves repeated lifting from floor to bench at 18kg, that is what is trained, at that weight and that height.
Functional capacity
Structured assessment of what you can do and for how long. It is what a certificate of capacity, a suitable duties plan and a return to work conversation all rest on.
Chronic and complex claims
Long claims where pain has become persistent need a different approach from an acute injury. Graded exposure and pacing are the tools, and they take time.
Why the gym floor matters
SportsFit Five Dock is a sports and rehabilitation clinic with a full gym: squat racks, plates, sleds, a turf runway and cardiovascular equipment. Most workers compensation exercise physiology in Sydney is delivered in a treatment room with resistance bands.
The difference shows up at the end of a claim. Returning to manual work means being able to lift, carry, push and repeat under fatigue, and that has to be trained with real load. A programme that never exceeds a theraband cannot demonstrate you are ready for it.
Testing, not estimating
We measure force with plates and dynamometry rather than judging capacity by eye. On a claim that is being disputed, or where a return to full duties is being questioned, a number recorded on a date is worth considerably more than an opinion.
Questions we get asked
Is exercise physiology covered by WorkCover?
What is the difference between exercise physiology and physiotherapy?
Do I need a separate referral?
Where is it delivered?
Stuck partway back to full duties?
That is the point exercise physiology is built for. Book a free 30 minute call and we will tell you whether it would help.
Plan managed and self managed welcome · No referral needed · Five Dock & Gladesville