I heard a report from Canada that physical therapy keeps people from returning to work after an injury. Is this true?

You are probably thinking of a study done at the College of Medicine in Saskatchewan, Canada. The researchers were comparing standard care with early treatment for work-related injuries.

Part of the early care included work hardening and conditioning programs before returning to work. These programs delayed return to work by six to eight weeks. The results, according to the authors, showed that workers who went back to work without treatment did just as well, if not better, than workers in these programs.

The authors of this study were quick to point out that early care shouldn’t be abandoned. It may be that some workers will have a better result with early care. The next study will help find ways to tell who will need early and more complete care after a work-related injury.