Injured patients
Injured? Start here.
A neck or back injury needs a clear account of what happened, an examination that matches it, and a diagnosis before anyone talks about treatment. That is what this pathway is.
Injury cases attract a particular kind of pressure. There is an employer waiting on a work status, an insurer waiting on a report, sometimes an attorney involved, and a patient in the middle of all of it who mainly wants to know what is wrong with their back.
The clinical questions do not change because of any of that. What happened, what does the examination show, does the imaging agree, and what is the least invasive treatment that will work. The administrative process runs alongside that, and it is covered on its own page so it does not crowd out the medicine.
The pathway
What happens, in order.
Get assessed
The first visit establishes what happened, what hurts now, and what the examination shows. A clear account of the mechanism matters clinically, because a lifting injury and a fall produce different patterns and different suspicions.
Imaging, if it will change something
Ordered when the answer alters the plan, not automatically. Most adult spines show degenerative change, and a scan taken without a clinical question attached produces a list of findings rather than a diagnosis.
A diagnosis you can repeat back
Which structure, which nerve, and whether the imaging and the examination agree. This is the step that determines everything after it, and it is the step most often skipped.
Treatment, starting with the least invasive
Most work-related neck and back injuries do not need an operation. Therapy aimed at the specific problem, activity modification, and time resolve a great many of them.
Work status, stated honestly
Restrictions that reflect what the examination supports. Neither a blanket sign-off nor a blanket return, and the reasoning is documented so it can be reviewed by anyone who needs to.
Surgery, when it is indicated
The same standard as any other patient here. A specific structure, a specific problem, and the least invasive approach that solves it.
More detail
Three things people need next.
What this practice does and does not do
A clinical role, stated plainly.
What you can expect
- An examination and a diagnosis
- Direct review of your imaging, not just the report
- Treatment starting with the least invasive option that fits
- Work restrictions that match the clinical findings
- Documentation written so it can be reviewed by anyone who needs it
- Surgery where it is genuinely indicated
What this practice will not do
- Make legal conclusions or determine causation as a legal matter
- Promise a particular outcome in a claim
- Write restrictions the examination does not support, in either direction
- Recommend an operation because a claim is open
- Give legal advice
Common questions after an injury
- Do I need to have reported the injury already?
- You can be assessed either way. Reporting requirements and their deadlines are set by your employer and the relevant state system, not by this practice. They are time-limited, so check them promptly. The clinical evaluation does not depend on it.
- Will you say my injury was caused by my job?
- A physician can document findings, describe what is consistent with a reported mechanism, and give a clinical opinion. Causation as a legal matter is determined by the relevant system and its decision-makers, not by this practice. What you will get is an accurate clinical record rather than a conclusion dressed up as one.
- Can I choose my own doctor for a work injury?
- In Illinois, injured workers generally have the right to choose their own treating physician, within limits set by the Workers' Compensation Act. The details, including how many choices you get and what a preferred provider programme changes, are covered on the workers' compensation page.
- Will I be put straight back to work?
- Work status follows the examination. Some patients can return with restrictions immediately, some cannot, and some need a graded return. The relevant thing is that the restriction matches the clinical findings and that the reasoning is written down.
- What if I was injured somewhere other than work?
- The clinical pathway is identical. A vehicle collision, a fall at home, or a sports injury produces the same questions about mechanism, examination and imaging. The administrative process around it differs.
Where to be seen
Consultations after an injury are available at all eight Academy offices.
Not sure which is closest? See the areas we serve, or call (312) 313-1086.