Arrigan Rehabilitation Center

The Arrigan Rehabilitation Center provides comprehensive physical and occupational therapy for workers with musculoskeletal or neurological injuries. Our therapists create personalized treatment plans, monitor progress, and supervise all care, while our therapy assistants provide hands-on daily treatments.

Our spacious gym has all the equipment needed for strength, flexibility, and conditioning. We also feature one of Southern New England’s largest therapy pools (20 meters, 92°F) for aquatic therapy, which helps improve strength and mobility with less discomfort. Many patients combine aquatic therapy with land-based exercise or work hardening.

Our staff includes Certified Hand Therapists who treat hand injuries, post-operative patients, fabricate splints, and recommend adaptive equipment.

All therapists are experienced in work-related injuries and participate in ongoing professional development. Many also teach or supervise therapy students from local colleges and present at regional and national conferences.

A Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is a test that measures an injured worker’s ability to safely perform activities related to their current or future job. It looks at strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, and physical effort for tasks like lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, climbing, and reaching.

Injured workers can be referred for an FCE by their doctor or the Workers’ Compensation Court. The evaluation typically takes three to four hours and includes four parts:

1. Interview
   The worker meets with a case manager and a therapist to discuss their injury, recovery, job demands, and any potential barriers to returning to work. Information is gathered from both the worker and their employer to create an accurate test plan.
2. Clinical Evaluation
   The therapist assesses strength, flexibility, reflexes, sensation, and range of motion.
3. Functional Assessment
   The worker performs job-related tasks such as walking, lifting, carrying, bending, or climbing. Activities start at a baseline level and gradually increase while the therapist monitors responses.
4. Results and Recommendations
   The therapist reports on the worker’s performance, identifies any gaps between job demands and abilities, and recommends additional treatment if needed. The FCE also identifies the level at which the worker can safely return to work and any necessary restrictions or accommodations.

Testing can be stopped at any time if the worker feels unsafe. A formal FCE report is submitted to the worker’s physician, attorney (if applicable), insurer, and/or the court.

The Arrigan Center has used FCE principles from the founders of Rehabilitative Industrial Medicine for over 25 years, and the center is recognized as one of the leading workers’ compensation rehabilitation facilities in North America.

Psychological counseling is available to help injured workers address challenges related to their injury that could interfere with recovery. These challenges may include financial stress, loss of independence, pain, family difficulties, sleep problems, or fear.

Short-term counseling is provided by a licensed psychologist or clinical social worker in either one-on-one or group settings. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to help workers understand and cope with difficulties. For traumatic injuries, specialized strategies help workers manage the emotional effects and prepare to return to work.

The center also offers a comprehensive pain management program for those dealing with chronic pain.

Walking is an easy way to stay active and can be done almost anywhere at no cost. The Walk with Ease program is a free, six-week program designed for people of all ages and fitness levels.

The program helps improve balance, reduce pain, increase flexibility, support mental health, and improve overall physical well-being. It also provides structure and accountability to help participants stay consistent with their activity.

To register, visit www.startwalkwithease.org/ridoh.

The Chronic Pain Self-Management Program is a free, six-week workshop that helps participants learn tools to manage pain. The program covers relaxation techniques, creating action plans, and balancing activity with rest.

Classes are group-based and interactive, allowing participants to support each other and build confidence in managing their health.

To find a program, visit www.ripin.org/chn.

The Arrigan Rehabilitation Center offers two pain management programs to help injured workers cope with chronic pain and improve function and quality of life.

The Comprehensive Pain Management Program combines physical and occupational therapy, psychological counseling, and vocational services. It focuses on learning coping strategies, improving function, and preparing to return to work. The program teaches pain education, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, exercises to reduce tension, goal-setting, activity pacing, problem-solving, and strategies to build confidence and reduce fear. At the end of the program, recommendations are provided to the referring physician about functional ability and return-to-work readiness.

The Interdisciplinary Chronic Pain Management Program, offered in collaboration with the Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court, follows the same approach but allows the center to coordinate with outside medical providers, such as chiropractors or massage therapists, as part of an integrated treatment plan. Admission to this program is by court order only.

The Arrigan Rehabilitation Center’s Cognitive Recovery Program helps injured workers improve cognitive, emotional, physical, and occupational functioning after complex injuries or illnesses. It is designed for patients with mild traumatic brain injuries, motor vehicle accident injuries, assaults, cervical injuries with persistent headaches, or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (Long COVID).

Patients are first evaluated by an occupational therapist and physical therapist. A personalized plan of care is then created, which may include cognitive rehabilitation, physical therapy on land or in the pool, massage therapy, counseling, and vocational support. The goal of the program is to help patients achieve maximum recovery and return to work safely.

Vocational Recovery Services help injured workers return to work or find new employment if they cannot return to their previous job. Returning to work supports health, reduces disability, and helps workers regain independence.

A vocational counselor meets with each worker to assess their skills and job readiness. If possible, the counselor works with the employer to make accommodations so the worker can return to their previous job. If that is not possible, the counselor helps the worker explore re-employment options or training for a new career.

Counselors at the Arrigan Center are trained and certified in vocational rehabilitation and often work with graduate interns from local universities.

The Worker Recovery Program, in partnership with Workforce Development and local Career Centers, provides additional services such as career counseling, job search support, résumé and interview training, access to job fairs, Social Security benefits counseling, and on-the-job training or retraining programs.

To learn more or speak with a vocational counselor, call (401) 243-1200 and select option 6.

Rehabilitation counselors at the Arrigan Center must be certified by the Director according to Rhode Island law. Certification rules and requirements are set by the Director, and there is a $50 registration fee for each two-year certification.

Certification is covered under Section 28-33-41(f) of the Rhode Island General Laws. 

Protocols for Vocational Evaluation