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Functional Capacity Evaluation Techniques

A functional capacity evaluation tests a variety of work related movements, such as lifting, standing and sitting. A patient reports to a physical therapy center early in the day and stays for 4 to 8 hours. The purpose of a functional capacity evaluation is to determine a patient's ability to complete job related tasks over the course of a simulated work day. A typical functional capacity evaluation covers seven areas.

  1. Dynamic Strength

    • Dynamic strength evaluates the patient's ability to move a heavy object from one location to another. The amount of weight tested depends on the criteria for the patient's current job. Office workers may be tested on 10 to 20 lbs., and a loading dock worker may be tested on 50 to 100 lbs. Tasks include lifting from the floor to waist and waist to eye-level, carrying with one or both arms, pushing and pulling.

    Position Tolerance

    • Position tolerance evaluation techniques test the patient's ability to complete tasks in a sustained position. Work such as sorting or filing is repeated in sitting and standing positions with work placed overhead or below waist level. Patients must also squat, kneel and lay on their backs to complete tasks.

    Mobility

    • Mobility techniques determine the patient's ability to move. Patients demonstrate lower body mobility by climbing stairs and ladders, walking, repetitive squatting and climbing. Testing upper body mobility requires the patient to twist from side-to-side while sitting and standing and completing repetitive tasks like sorting large objects and pulling levers.

    Endurance

    • The patient completes techniques at the beginning and end of the testing day. Patients take frequent breaks throughout the functional capacity evaluation, including time for a meal. Throughout the day, patients report pain levels during tasks and at rest. Additional evaluations include heart rate, time it takes to complete a task, time a particular position is tolerated and any deviation from average performance scores. By comparing the scores from the beginning and end of the day, the evaluator determines the patient's ability to endure a full or partial work day.

    Fine Motor Skills

    • A patient demonstrates fine motor skills by performing tests such as the Perdue pegboard, O'Conner finger and tweezer dexterity test, Minnesota dexterity test, and hand tool dexterity test. All of these tests evaluate the ability to manipulate small objects with the fingers and hands, including picking up, placing and turning objects. If the patient's job does not require the use of hand tools, this test is optional.

    Balance and Coordination

    • A patient's balance and coordination are only tested if the job requires walking on beams or scaffolds or rapid machinery work. If the patient has sustained a brain injury, the evaluator will test balance regardless of job description. Patients walk a beam 6 inches from the ground or stand on one foot. The evaluator observes coordination during the completion of all tasks.

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