INTRODUCTION:

Bradley Wyck is a dogman/rigger who has worked for the past 10 years with a firm called RAR Cranes. He developed back pain manhandling heavy concrete blocks but has returned to the workforce on reduced hours and reduced duties.

BACKGROUND:

Mr Wyck is 39. He came to Canberra with his partner in 2005 after spending six years as a corporal in the Australian Army. He went into the construction business through friends and has been working on a permanent full time basis as a dogman/rigger with a firm called RAR Cranes.

He has had two prior worker's compensation injuries both to the fingers of his right hand in 2007 and 2004.

He and his partner live in a mortgage home in Macgregor and Dr Anu at the Kippax Medical Centre is …show more content…
He reports he has been improving well with the physical therapy provided, needs no medication but did suffer a temporary setback last week when he had a coughing fit.

The pain has been in the small of the back somewhat towards the right side and if bad going into the right buttock from its beginning but it is diminishing.

CLINICAL EXAMINATION:

Clinical examination is straightforward, Mr Van Wyck is 177cm tall, weighs 91kg and generally is well. He is still stiff in the low back and although he can tiptoe and heel-toe walk, hop, squat and duck waddle the latter causes some right-sided discomfort. His bending forward is slow, he can normally touch his toes but now can just get to his ankles and more importantly he shows a reversal of spinal rhythm when he straightens up. Reflexes are brisk and symmetrical, straight leg raising is at least to 60° and he is able to perform both a sit-up (with a little back pain) and bilateral straight leg lowering. Tenderness is confined to the insertion of the right erector spinae muscle and around the region of the posterior superior iliac