reducing injuries through flexibility and stability… rapid escalation in health care and injury...

Reducing Injuries throughFlexibility and Stability…

• Rapid escalation in health care and injury costs• Decline of managed care (high deductibles)• Shifting responsibility of health back to

employee

Proactivity Begins With Knowledge

• Health care expenditures reached $1.6 trillion in 2003

• In 2000, 17 million people with diabetes lost more than 8 days per year from work, accounting for more than 14 million disability days

• Cardiovascular diseases cost the U.S. more than $300 billion each year

• Approx. 129 million US adults are overweight or obese, which costs the nation anywhere from $69-$117 billion per year.


What Are Employee’s Seeing?

• Average annual increase of 20%• Pharmaceutical cost at even higher rates• Plan design changes with the idea of cost

shifting– Pharmacy benefits manager carve outs

– Increased co-pays, etc– Increased deductible– Health retirement accounts


What Are Employer’s Seeing?

• Significant increases is workers’ compensation costs

• Employees’ remaining off of work for unnecessary time periods

• Over-treatment due to lack of objective data• Poor communication with the treating facilities


• A study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine reported a pre-existing compromise of the median nerve through the carpal tunnel in greater than 17% of over 1,000 applicants to industrial jobs.

• A study in the medical journal "Muscle and Nerve" reports job applicants with a pre-existing compromise of the median nerve are 4x as likely to develop carpal tunnel symptoms.


Cervical Spine


(Sources: BLS [2003a,b]; Booth-Jones et al. [2003b].)


AVERAGE TOTAL INCURRED COSTS PER CLAIM BY CAUSE OF INJURY, 2001–2002 National Safety Council Injury Facts 2004


What is the Framework for Success?

• Employers/management who want to see change• An integrated “system” from hire to fire or retire• Proactive health care• Risk reduction• Ongoing health & safety education and training• Wellness / health promotion• Disease management


Lifestyle

Prevention

Measures

Previous Injuries

What Do We Do?



Case Studies

Siemens AG:Investment in Health

• Multi-national company with nearly 500,000 employees in 190 countries

• Spends $200 million a year on health promotion and occupational health

• Makes the investment primarily because they believe investments in employees always pay

dividends.


Siemens AG - Outcomes

• Achieved financial savings by reducing absenteeism rates from 4.4% to 3.3% in just two years

• The company believes that measurement of increased motivation, commitment, and performance are other benefits difficult to measure in dollars and cents


• Since 1980 there have been over 50 studies regarding worksite wellness programs reported in medical journals

• Every study indicated positive health outcomes

• Of the 50 studies, 30 were analyzed for cost outcomes; 29 studies proved to be cost effective

ROI Examples:


• Motorola’s wellness programs which saves the company $3.93 for every $1 invested.

• Northeast Utilities WellAware Program which in its first 24 months reduced lifestyle and behavioral claims by $1,400,000.

• Caterpillar’s Healthy Balance program which is projected to result in long term savings of $700 million by 2015.

• Johnson & Johnson’s Health and Wellness Program which has produced average annual health care savings of $224.66 per employee

More ROI Examples

Health Project website: healthproject.stanford.edu/koop. Information presented in the report on notable employee wellness programs was obtained primarily from this website.


• Motivate

• Evaluate

• Congratulate


Flexibility Program

“Growing Young: The First One Hundred Years”

A motivational presentation taking the employee through the realization that we are outliving our bodies, and that we each have the power to “grow younger” by practicing basic health habits and living a healthier life.

Motivational Presentation…


Flexibility Assessment

Trained professionals in physical medicine, exercise physiology, and athletic training, work together to conduct a personalized flexibility assessment on each participant. (This uncovers old injuries and potential factors for predicting future injuries.)

Personalized Assessment…


Each employee learns the do’s and don'ts of stretching as well as their own personal flexibility program while learning to perform their individual exercises correctly.

Personalized Flexibility Prescriptionand One-on-One Coaching Session

One on One Coaching…


Employees are recognized for their efforts based on the following:

Acknowledgement and Accountability

• Percent Improvement• Daily participation• Presidential Fitness for age/gender

Certificates…


Benefits of Stretching

Improve Posture Increase Flexibility Improve Circulation Enhance Coordination Relieve Stress Prevent Injury


The Do’s & Don’ts of Stretching:

Don’t stretch cold muscles-this leads to injuries.

Don't bounce. Bouncing can cause small muscle tears, which turn into scar tissue and eventually cause increased muscle tightness and pain.

Don’t push past the resistance point. If it hurts, you have stretched too far.

Do hold each stretch for at least 15 seconds and perform each stretch twice.

Do breathe deeply. When you breathe, you allow oxygen to flow to your muscles and increase the effectiveness of the stretch.

Don’t…Don’t… Do…Do…


Upper Crossed Syndrome

1.) impingement

2.) tendonitis

3.) bursitis

4.) rotator cuff injury.

Predictable Pattern for shoulder injuries:



Lower Crossed Syndrome

ERECTOR SPINAE

GLUTEUS MIN & MAX

HAMSTRINGS

ABDOMINALS

ILIOSOAS

QUADRICEPS

Tying it All together…

It’s a Chain Reaction…


Preventing ankle, knee, and spine, and shoulder injuries…

Arch FailureAnkle/Knee

Problems

Hip/BalanceProblems

Spinal Problems

•Traction Spurs

•Uneven Vertebrae

•Disc Herniations

•Sciatica


Nerve Entrapments:sciaticacarpal tunnelsprain/strains

On-site Training Room

On-Call Physician

Whether a minor ache or debilitating injury, our Primary Care Physicians are available via phone, e-mail, or emergency onsite visit.

Network of Physicians includes both Sports Physicians and Work Injury Independent Medical Examiners

Weekly Onsite Training Room

Licensed Athletic Trainers and Exercise Specialists are available for preventive exercise counseling and onsite therapy.

Chiropractic & Physical Therapy when indicated.

Most insurances accepted.


Effects of Plastic Deformation

Prevent disabling foot injuries…

Over time, continued collapse of an already Weak arch, furthers the break down of the Supportive soft tissue. The body’s response is to replace the soft tissues with painful scar tissue.


Causes of Pronation


“Our division won the national safety award for 2006 (and 2007), and year-to-date, we have no related injuries reported. Flex For Health, is a major reason for our success!”

– Rich Galloway, Regional Operations Manager


“The injury prevention program has been a tremendous asset to our athletes. ”

– Denny Throneburg, Athletic Director

Lakeland College


“Our company has had no work injuries for over 3 years at the time of this letter. I don’t know why anyone in business today wouldn’t use these preventative strategies to stop the financial bleeding cause by work injuries.”

– Mark Blank, Owner

Culligan Water Conditioning


Wellness Classes…

•The Truth about Your Weight •Beating Diabetes•Living in an Inflammation Nation•Beating Heart Disease Naturally•The Pharmaceutical Myth


reducing injuries through flexibility and stability… rapid escalation in health care and injury...

Documents

stability slide

knowledge slide

responsibility of health

occupational health

health care expenditures

stability rapid escalation

stability case studies

health multinational