What Is Functional Restoration?

The Northern California Functional Restoration Program is a comprehensive, interdisciplinary program intended primarily to correct disability in patients with various diagnoses with demonstrated barriers to recovery including but not limited to de-conditioning, de-motivation, psychological dysfunction, lack of knowledge regarding disease processes, and inadequate tools to regain health and functionality. Our interdisciplinary approach integrates physical therapy, occupational therapy, mind-body medicine, counseling, and education, with vocational rehabilitation or return to work as a goal. ⁽¹⁾

There is a reported 50% return to work statistic in chronic pain patients attending an integrated functional restoration program. Patients who have failed multiple therapies, have changed physicians in search of an answer, who continually receive higher and higher amounts or narcotic medications, have lost hope, are depressed, angry and isolated are considered prime candidates for an interdisciplinary program. ⁽²⁾

“Intensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation with functional restoration is more effective in improving pain and function than outpatient non-multidisciplinary rehabilitation. At 4-month follow-up the median scores in the experimental group were 5.7/10 for pain and 12.1/30 for disability versus 6.9/10 and 16.8/30 in the untreated control group. More impressive was the difference in median number of sick leave days: 10 in the treatment group versus 122 in the no-treatment group.” ⁽³⁾

In the study above, even though the median scores on pain and disability were only minimally different, the scores indicate the treated patients are better able to live and work with their pain! A Goal of the Northern California Functional Restoration Program.