Return-to-work decisions following musculoskeletal injury are often influenced by timelines or symptom resolution rather than demonstrated physical readiness. In contrast, modern return-to-sport decision making has increasingly shifted toward the use of objective performance markers to assess an athlete’s readiness to safely return to competition. This presentation will explore how principles from high-performance sport rehabilitation can inform occupational injury management. Participants will learn how objective capacity testing and functional measures can be used to track meaningful progress during rehabilitation and guide return-to-work decisions. The session will also discuss how measurable improvements in strength, endurance, and functional capacity can positively influence worker confidence, motivation, and engagement throughout the recovery process.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe key similarities and differences between return-to-sport and return-to-work rehabilitation. 
2. Explain how return-to-sport research and high-performance sport culture use objective performance markers to guide rehabilitation progression and decision making.
3. 3. Identify practical ways clinicians can implement return-to-sport principles into occupational rehabilitation and return-to-work planning.