Conditions · Work Injuries
Care for the injuries that come with the job.
Lifting injuries, repetitive strain, desk-job pain, on-the-job accidents — IPGMN treats them with hands-on care, rehab, and worker’s comp coordination when you need it.
What it is
What is a work injury?
A work injury is any musculoskeletal injury that happens on the job — from a single moment, like a back “going out” while lifting a box, to a slow build, like the neck and wrist pain that creeps in after years at a keyboard.
At Integrated Provider Group of Minnesota (IPGMN), we treat the full range of work injuries: lifting injuries, repetitive strain, slips and falls, computer-posture pain, and the lingering effects of an old on-the-job injury that never fully resolved. We also coordinate with worker’s compensation when your case calls for it — you focus on getting better, we’ll handle the paperwork.
Common Symptoms
What work injuries feel like
The patterns we see most often in working patients.
- Back pain after lifting
- A specific moment when you felt a pop, twinge, or grab.
- Neck and upper-back tension
- Builds across the workday at a screen and lingers into the evening.
- Wrist or elbow pain
- Repetitive use injuries from typing, tools, or assembly work.
- Knee or hip pain from standing
- Long shifts on hard floors take their toll.
- Pain that gets worse over the workday
- You’re fine in the morning, suffering by the end of the shift.
- Headaches at work
- Often tied to neck tension, screen time, and stress.
- Shoulder pain from overhead work
- Common in trades and any job that puts the arm above the head.
- Lingering pain from an old injury
- An injury years ago that never quite went away.
What Causes Them
Where work injuries usually come from
Most work injuries fall into one of the categories below.
Lifting injuries
Awkward, heavy, or repetitive lifting — often the back, sometimes the shoulder or knee.
Repetitive strain
Hours of the same motion: typing, scanning, swinging a tool, driving. The tissue eventually complains.
Computer posture
Forward head, rounded shoulders, hours at a screen. Neck, upper back, and wrists pay the price.
Slips, falls, and impacts
Specific events that produce a clear injury — and often a worker’s comp claim.
Prolonged standing or sitting
Whichever one your job demands, your body adapts to it — sometimes badly.
Overhead and awkward postures
Painters, electricians, mechanics, and trades workers often live in positions the spine and shoulders weren’t built for.
Worker’s Compensation
We coordinate with worker’s comp.
If your injury happened at work, you may have worker’s compensation coverage. IPGMN works with most worker’s comp claims and helps coordinate with case managers, employers, and treating physicians.
What to bring to your first visit:
- Your claim number, if you have one.
- Contact information for your case manager or adjuster.
- Any documentation about the injury (incident report, prior medical visits).
- The name of your employer’s worker’s comp carrier.
- If you don’t have any of this yet — come in anyway. We can help you figure out next steps.
When to seek urgent care
Some work injuries are an emergency.
Most work-related musculoskeletal pain is safe to treat with integrated chiropractic care. The signs below mean you should be evaluated medically first.
Get evaluated by a medical provider first if you have:
- A head injury with confusion, vision changes, or loss of consciousness.
- An obvious deformity, severe swelling, or pain after a fall or impact.
- An inability to use a limb at all.
- Sudden numbness, weakness, or loss of bowel or bladder control.
- Severe chest pain, shortness of breath, or symptoms suggesting something beyond musculoskeletal.
How IPGMN Treats Them
A plan that gets you back to work, the right way.
Most work injury plans at IPGMN combine several of the following:
Chiropractic Care
Hands-on care to restore motion to the joints that took the load — and the ones that compensated.
Learn more →Soft Tissue Therapy
Releases the muscle tension and trigger points that come from repetitive use, posture, and protective guarding.
Learn more →Corrective Exercise
Job-specific rehab that rebuilds the strength and movement quality your work actually demands.
Learn more →EMS & Ultrasound
Eases muscle spasm and supports tissue healing, especially during the early painful phase.
Learn more →What a Care Plan May Look Like
A typical work injury care plan
Every plan is personalized to the injury, your job, and your worker’s comp situation.
Calm it down
Reduce pain and inflammation, document the injury and your progress, communicate with your worker’s comp team if needed.
Restore motion
Mobility and tissue work to free up what’s stuck and prepare for return-to-work readiness.
Build back to the job
Job-specific rehab so you can do what you actually do for a living — and not end up here again.
Available at These Locations
Work injury care at all 7 IPGMN clinics
Choose the clinic closest to you. Same-week appointments are usually available.
Related Conditions
The body parts where work injuries show up
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about work injuries
Do you take worker’s compensation?
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Yes. IPGMN works with worker’s compensation claims and coordinates with case managers and treating physicians as needed. Bring your claim information to your first visit and we’ll handle the rest.
What should I do right after a work injury?
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Report the injury to your employer immediately, even if it seems minor. Get evaluated — by a medical provider for serious injuries, or by IPGMN for most musculoskeletal pain. Save documentation. The earlier the injury is on record, the cleaner the worker’s comp process tends to be.
Do I need a referral?
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It depends on your state and your specific worker’s comp coverage. We can help you understand the process. In Minnesota, most patients can be seen at IPGMN without a referral.
What about lingering pain from an old work injury?
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We treat plenty of patients whose original injury was years ago but the pain never fully went away. The body adapts around old injuries, and those adaptations are often what we treat now.
When should I see a medical doctor instead?
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Severe pain after a fall or impact, an inability to use a limb, head injuries, sudden numbness or weakness, or any sign of serious trauma should be evaluated medically first. We’re happy to coordinate care once any urgent issues are addressed.
Hurt at work? Let’s get you better.
Same-week appointments at all 7 Twin Cities locations.
