We treat work injuries under Missouri workers’ compensation. That covers lifting injuries, falls, repetitive strain and crush injuries.
What actually gets injured
Report the injury to your employer right away. Missouri has deadlines, and missing them makes a claim harder.
Bring your claim number to your first visit. Bring the name of your adjuster or case manager too.
We record what the exam shows and what you can no longer do. That is what sets your work restrictions.
Conditions this commonly causes
What we do about it
We find out what is injured. We treat it directly with image-guided injections, nerve blocks or physical therapy as needed. And we document the injury properly from the first visit.
Call us or request an appointment.
What usually goes wrong
Injury that builds up over time gets missed again and again because the comp system is built around single events. Discs and tendons fail slowly far more often than suddenly. The lift you remember is usually the last straw, not the cause.
Late reporting is the second problem. It is a sensible choice, not carelessness. People work through injuries because reporting them costs hours, shifts or standing. By the time the shoulder or back gets looked at, the muscles around it have changed how they work. The window for simple treatment has closed.
The third: good records shape the outcome as much as treatment does. A note that says the patient reports pain does nothing. An adjuster, an employer or a hearing responds to how you were hurt, what the exam found, how the imaging fits, and measured limits on what you can do.
What to expect over time
Acute lifting injuries to the lumbar spine (lower back) mostly settle within weeks. Rotator cuff problems from years of overhead work take much longer. They often need the mechanics around the shoulder addressed, not just the tendon.
Return to work works best in steps, not all or nothing. Lighter duties early on generally lead to better outcomes than full rest followed by a jump straight back to full duty.
Why work injuries are handled differently
Medically, a work injury is the same as any other. On paper, it is not. Authorization, documentation and reporting all sit between the examination and the treatment, and in practice that layer determines how quickly anything happens. Delays are far more often documentation problems than clinical ones.
What makes the difference is records written at the exam, not pieced together weeks later. They cover how you were hurt, what the exam found, your limits in the terms the claim requires, and a clear reason for the treatment. The other is that the paperwork travels with the patient instead of trailing behind.
What to bring to the first visit
- The claim number and the adjuster’s contact details, if a claim has been opened.
- The employer’s report of injury. If there is no report yet, the date and how it happened.
- Any imaging you already had, on a disc or through a portal.
- A full list of your medicines, including any from other doctors.
- Your current work restrictions, if any have been issued.
Documentation, restrictions and return to work
Work restrictions are a medical judgment about what is safe. They are not a negotiation. We write them in specific terms — weight limits, how long you can stand or sit, limits on overhead work or driving — because an employer cannot use vague ones and tends to ignore them. We review and update them as you recover instead of leaving them in place by default.
Return to work usually comes in stages. A step-by-step return generally leads to better outcomes than waiting until you are fully healed. Long, complete time off is itself associated with poorer recovery.
Common questions
Can I choose my own doctor on a work comp claim?
In Missouri the employer generally directs care for an accepted claim. You can still be seen here. Call and we will explain the options for your situation.
What if my claim is denied?
You still need treatment. Call us and we will work through the billing options with you while the denial is contested.
Can I be treated here on a workers’ compensation claim?
Yes. Bring the claim number and adjuster details to the first visit so authorization can begin immediately rather than after the appointment.
Insurance and Billing After an Accident explains what that looks like.
My claim was denied. What now?
Denial is frequently about documentation rather than the injury itself. A properly documented examination with objective findings is often what changes it.
Will you communicate with my employer?
We provide the medical records and restrictions the claim needs. Medical details beyond that stay private.
That is the subject of Insurance and Billing After an Accident.
Related: gripping, scanning and tool use over and over at work often lead to De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and thumb arthritis.
Sources
- Vora RN et al. Work-related chronic low back pain-return-to-work outcomes after referral to interventional pain and spine clinics. Spine, 2012. PubMed 22739674
- Hurri H et al. Functional Tests Predicting Return to Work of Workers with Non-Specific Low Back Pain: Are There Any Validated and Usable Functional Tests for Occupational Health Services in Everyday Practice? A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2023. PubMed 36982096
- Kokkonen V et al. Rehabilitation of sick-listed LBP patients in occupational health with collaboration of the workplace. International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health, 2024. PubMed 38323457
- Atkinson P et al. Just the facts: work-related musculoskeletal injuries in the emergency department. CJEM, 2026. PubMed 41120796
Hurt in an accident? Start here.
You do not need a lawyer, a police report or a referral to be seen. Bring your symptoms and we will work out the rest.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Same-day appointments are often available for new accident and injury patients.