When an employee gets hurt on the job, the questions start right away: where should they go for care, what can they do at work, and when will you hear from the provider? Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR) provides work injury rehabilitation, including physical therapy, chiropractic care, physiatry and diagnostic testing, at two offices in Danbury, CT and Brewster, NY. This page is for employers, HR staff, adjusters and nurse case managers.
We treat the injured worker and report factually on their care. We don’t promise lower claim costs or a set return-to-work date, because recovery varies from person to person.
How work injury rehabilitation at PMR works
PMR treats work-related musculoskeletal injuries such as lifting strains, neck and shoulder injuries, repetitive-strain problems and sprains from falls.
Early care
Starting work injury rehabilitation soon after an injury lets the clinician record a baseline and begin an active plan while the problem is new.
A plan built around the job
The evaluation covers how the injury happened and what the job physically requires. Occupational injury treatment may combine physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy and exercise in our on-site gym, aimed at the tasks the employee needs to return to.
Measured progress
Re-evaluations recheck measures such as strength and range of motion, and the plan changes based on what they show. Workers compensation physical therapy at PMR is active care, built around exercise rather than rest alone.
Work status updates and return-to-work communication
Clear updates help you plan staffing and help the adjuster manage the claim. PMR sends.
If your company has a return to work program or modified-duty options, share the details with us. The treating clinician can take those tasks into account when making work-status recommendations.
New York authorization and Connecticut medical care plans
New York requires Board authorization for any provider treating a comp patient, except in emergencies (WCB health care rules). Our New York workers’ compensation page covers the state’s other rules.
In Connecticut, if your company uses a medical care plan approved by the chairperson of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, injured employees must use the plan’s providers (CGS chapter 568). See our Connecticut workers’ compensation page for more.
When to call 911 instead
Emergencies belong in the ER, not a rehab clinic. Call 911 or send the employee to the nearest emergency room for:
- Heavy bleeding, or a bone that looks broken or out of place
- A head injury with confusion or loss of consciousness
- Chest pain, trouble breathing or sudden weakness
Frequently asked questions
Can we send an injured employee directly to PMR?
In New York, generally no: employers can’t steer an injured worker’s care except in limited cases (WCB guidance for employers). One exception is an employer PPO, which can keep the worker in its network for 30 days (WCB PPO rules). In Connecticut, an approved medical care plan sets the providers, and without a plan, the employer directs initial care (CGS chapter 568). You can always share PMR’s contact details with employees.
Do you offer functional capacity evaluations?
. Separately, re-evaluations during care recheck strength and range of motion, and may test job tasks such as lifting, carrying or reaching. Those results help the treating clinician make work-status recommendations and give you and the adjuster a clearer picture of progress.
Will work injury rehabilitation lower our claim costs?
We can’t promise that. Claim costs depend on the injury, the employee’s health, the job and other factors outside our control. What we can offer is care that follows each state’s rules and factual documentation of the employee’s progress, so you and the adjuster can make informed decisions.
Refer an injured employee
To refer an employee, contact or call the nearest office: PMR of Danbury, CT at (203) 744-8013 or PMR of Brewster, NY at (845) 279-1135. Have the claim number, carrier and adjuster contact, and any PPO or medical care plan details ready.
The employee can also request an appointment online. Injured workers can learn what to expect on our workers’ comp injury care page.