Think about how many things we once did simply because that was the way they had always been done.  WE USED TO…  

• Read a newspaper to find out what happened yesterday; now we get news instantly online. 
• Buy albums and CDs. Now we add exactly the songs we want to a playlist. 
• Search through books at a library for information. Now we find answers in seconds. 
• We used to call someone even for quick information. Now we send a quick text.

The old methods worked. Then something better, faster, and more convenient came along.

Therapy is experiencing its own version of this transformation.

“We Used to Do It That Way”

• Depend heavily on referrals from physicians.
• Fight delays and denials of payers, eventually getting a portion of what was billed. 
• Work under a ceiling – both literally and figuratively. Patients came to a clinic, 9 to 5, and growth was limited by location, referrals, and staff. 

Those approaches are not necessarily disappearing. But they do not have to define the limits of your practice.

Industrial Therapy represents an exciting way forward. Go where the NEED EXISTS.

Employers’ and Employees’ “pain” is waiting to be addressed… BY THERAPISTS!

The U.S. BLS reports: private industry Employers experienced approximately 2.5 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2024. Over 2023-2024, 1.8 million cases involved days away from work. Overexertion, repetitive motion, and bodily conditions alone accounted for 946,290 cases involving days away, job restriction, or transfer.

The $$$ financial impact:

• National Safety Council 2024 estimates $48,000 per medically consulted work injury
• NSC estimates workplace injuries resulted in 102 million lost days in 2024 (69 million attributable to 2024 injuries, 33 million from previous years’ injuries)
• 2023 Data showed average $54,499 for ‘”falls and slips” and $47,749 for “caught”.

Opportunity Is on the Other Side of Change

These numbers represent pain for everyone involved. Employees experience injuries and time away from work. Employers experience lost productivity, workers’ compensation costs, staffing problems, and disruption. Therapists aren’t seeing injured workers early enough if they are seeing them at all! 

Herein lies the OPPORTUNITY.. INDUSTRIAL THERAPY

Go where the need exists. Partner with Employers. Pre/Post Hire assessments, Return-to-Work FCAs, Walk-Arounds for Early Intervention, Workshops and Labs for joint care and injury prevention create value before, during, and after an injury.

Newspapers were not replaced because people stopped needing news. People didn’t stop loving music. People didn’t stop researching for information. We still communicate with one another, but texting is often more efficient. 

We simply found new and often better ways to meet those needs. The KEY Method does the same for your practice. Contact us at keymethod.com or gkey@keymethod.com to learn how to change your practice to change your future. 

Where ‘therapy’ shows up is evolving.  The future seeks even more opportunities. For Therapists willing to rethink the traditional model, it can mean opportunity, growth, and stronger therapist-to-community relationships. 

Reach your community where they spend most of their waking hours, at, or through, their Employers. KEY Functional KNOWS HOW!