Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs)

Windsor Physiotherapy provides 1 and 2 day FCEs to assist workers and employers determine their  physical abilities.  Trained by Matheson and Associates we provide evidence based, comprehensive and standard form of testing.

What distinguishes a Matheson FCE?

Functional capacity evaluation (FCE) is an umbrella term that refers to the physical evaluation of an injured worker or accident victim in the areas of strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, and physical effort.

Our industry-leading approach to evaluation and rehabilitation is to provide answers to questions that foster equitable case resolution, free of bias toward the injured worker or the fee payer. As thinking evaluators, we view each evaluation as unique— each client has a unique diagnosis and a unique set of referral questions. Using the practice hierarchy of safety, reliability, validity, practicality, and utility, we strive to answer the referral source’s questions and measure the injured worker’s potential for return to work while gauging his or her level of safe effort. We do not attempt to “trap” an evaluee who demonstrates inconsistent effort.

What questions does the FCE answer?

The three basic questions are these: 1) what can he/she physically do right now, 2) what is the potential for work, and 3) did they try their best.  Case managers, attorneys, and physicians refer to a Matheson FCE for answers to a variety of more specific questions:

  • Does the injured worker have the physical tolerance to return to work in a target job?
  • Can the injured worker perform specific critical job demands?
  • Can this injured worker complete an eight-hour light-duty workday?
  • Does the injured worker demonstrate full physical effort during the evaluation?
  • What are safe work restrictions for this injured worker?
  • The injured worker has been out of work for more than eight weeks; what are the next-step rehabilitation or return-to-work option?
  • What is the injured worker’s endurance over an eight-hour workday?
  • Are there issues of reliability of subjective reports during the evaluation?
  • What questions or discrepancies arise between the employee’s demonstrated capacity and the demands of the job?