Physical Therapy Disability Evaluations are assessments conducted by physical therapists (PTs) to determine how a person’s injury, illness, or condition impacts their functional abilities—particularly in relation to work, daily living, or legal disability claims.

These evaluations are often used in workers’ compensation cases, Social Security disability claims, personal injury lawsuits, or long-term disability insurance assessments.

🧾 What’s Included in a Physical Therapy Disability Evaluation?

1. Medical & Functional History

Diagnosis, symptoms, and duration
Past treatments, medications, and imaging
Patient-reported limitations (walking, lifting, reaching, etc.)

2. Objective Physical Assessment

Range of motion (ROM)
Strength testing
Endurance
Gait and mobility
Balance and coordination
Pain behavior and reporting
Use of assistive devices (e.g., braces, canes)

3. Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) (if ordered)

Tests real-world work tasks like:
- Lifting/carrying
- Pushing/pulling
- Standing/sitting tolerances
- Repetitive motion tolerances
- Dexterity and fine motor skills

4. Assessment of Work Limitations

Whether the patient can perform sedentary, light, medium, or heavy work
Any restrictions (e.g., no lifting over 10 lbs, avoid prolonged standing)

5. Disability Rating (if within scope and requested)

Often requested by insurers, attorneys, or physicians
PTs may contribute to disability ratings in some states but typically do not assign legal disability determinations

📂 Where Are These Evaluations Used?

Situation	Role of the PT Evaluation
🏢 Workers’ Compensation	Helps determine return-to-work readiness or permanent restrictions
⚖️ Personal Injury Claims	Offers evidence of long-term or partial disability
🏛️ Social Security Disability	Supplementary to physician findings; shows functional limitations
🛡️ Disability Insurance	Used to justify short- or long-term benefit eligibility
🏥 Post-Surgical Recovery	Assesses readiness for return to prior level of function

👨‍⚖️ Legal Considerations

PTs cannot make final disability determinations, but they provide critical evidence used by physicians, insurers, and courts.
Documentation must be objective, thorough, and defensible—especially in cases that may go to trial or appeal.

✅ Summary Checklist of What a PT Will Evaluate

Area	Examples of What’s Tested
Strength & Endurance	Lifting tests, grip strength, walking distance
Mobility & ROM	Joint measurements, flexibility
Functional Activities	Sit/stand duration, stairs, dressing, bathing
Workplace Readiness	Task simulations, posture tolerance
Pain & Behavior	Pain scales, consistency, symptom exaggeration screening

Sample Template of a Physical Therapy Disability Evaluation Report

Here is a sample template for a Physical Therapy Disability Evaluation Report. This can be adapted for use in clinical, legal, or insurance settings and follows a professional format aligned with common industry standards.

🧾 Physical Therapy Disability Evaluation Report

Patient Name: ______________________________
Date of Evaluation: _________________________
DOB: _______________ Age: __________
Referring Physician: ________________________
Diagnosis/ICD-10 Code(s): ___________________

I. Reason for Evaluation

Example: “To assess functional limitations and determine physical disability status following a lumbar spine injury sustained at work on 03/15/2025.”

II. Medical & Functional History

Date of Injury/Onset: ____________________
Mechanism of Injury: _____________________
Surgical History: _________________________
Past Therapy or Treatment: ________________
Pain Complaints: _________________________
Medications: ____________________________

III. Subjective Functional Complaints

The patient reports difficulty with the following:
☐ Lifting ☐ Walking ☐ Standing
☐ Reaching ☐ Sitting ☐ Driving
☐ Stairs ☐ Household chores
☐ Work activities (describe): _____________________

IV. Objective Examination

A. Posture and Gait:

Description of posture, gait deviations, use of assistive devices.

B. Range of Motion (Active & Passive):

Joint	Measured ROM	Norm ROM	Pain
Lumbar Flexion	____°	60°	☐ Yes ☐ No
Shoulder Abduction	____°	180°	☐ Yes ☐ No
(Add more as needed)

C. Strength Testing (MMT 0–5 Scale):

Muscle Group	Left	Right
Quadriceps	___	___
Biceps	___	___

D. Functional Testing:

Sit-to-stand test: ___ reps in 30 seconds
Walk test (e.g., 6-Minute Walk Test): ____ ft
Stair test: ___________________________

E. Endurance and Fatigue:

Document tolerances for activity durations and fatigue levels.

F. Pain Assessment:

Pain Scale: ___ / 10
Location: ___________________________
Duration/Frequency: __________________

V. Functional Capacity / Work Simulation Testing (if applicable)

Task	Result	Limitation
Lift from floor	___ lbs	☐ Full ☐ Limited
Carry 25 ft	___ lbs	☐ Full ☐ Limited
Push/Pull	___ lbs	☐ Full ☐ Limited
Sit/Stand tolerance	___ mins	☐ Full ☐ Limited

VI. Assessment & Summary

“Patient demonstrates reduced lumbar mobility, decreased endurance, and moderate limitation in lifting and prolonged standing. Observed effort was consistent with reported symptoms. Functional tolerance is currently below medium-duty work classification.”

VII. Clinical Impressions

Functional limitations are consistent with diagnosis of: __________________________
Patient is not currently capable of returning to full work duties without restriction.
Long-term disability may be present if functional capacity does not improve with continued rehab.

VIII. Recommendations

☐ Continue physical therapy 2–3x/week
☐ Refer for Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)
☐ Refer to Occupational Medicine/Physiatrist
☐ Home exercise program (attached)
☐ Re-evaluation in ___ weeks

IX. Provider Signature

Physical Therapist Name: ___________________________
PT License #: ____________________
Facility Name & Address: ___________________________
Phone: __________________ Fax: _______________
Signature: ______________________ Date: _______

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