I did not have to do an exam through the SSA. I have had MANY IME (independant medical exams) for WC.

I would caution you pooleo about purposefully overdoing it so that the doctor will be sure to see you in pain. I did try that once and do not feel it worked out well. I was in so much pain, I really have no idea what happened at the visit. I know that I had no ability to describe my functional limitations.

They are basically looking to see if you can substain substantial activity. I took one of my clients to an exam. The nurse dropped something, my client went to pick it up, I put my hand on his leg to hold him back. Only do something until it hurts, and say it hurts. Just do what you can and no more.

Thanks to all for your responses. I am not one for "putting on a show" if you will, I just want to make sure that all my symptoms and pain levels are present at the test. A truley accurate measure of when things are there "worst" I guess is what I am after. Obviously if I lay around in a lazy boy for a week prior I wont be "symptomatic". However if I maintain a high level of activity prior I will have all the pain and discomforts for the test.

Or you may have improved your conditioning slightly, undetectable by you, who feels your own pain, but maybe measurable by the test! Keeping active and in the best shape you can is in your best interest, don't you know. "Laying around in a lazy boy" does not guarantee that you will not be unable to lift or push or pull a weight . . . but neither does it contribute to your health. If you have been following the rehab plan given by your physician or therapist, and you fail to measure up on the FCE to the level needed to return to work, then the doctor has the best support for declaring your disability.

It's a good idea to just do your regular daily activities, until the test. A lot of things come into play. They will make you bend and try to touch your toes, they watch how you get back up. They test your strength in your arms, fingers and hands, how your balance is. They watch how you walk. They listen to how you talk, are you making sense. Remember from the time you walk in, you are being tested.

This is one of the most objective evaluations available for doctors to tell what you are physically capable of doing. It is in your best interest to do what you are asked to do to the best of your ability. If you do less, this test is designed to detect that. Self-limiting behavior is fairly easily detected during an FCE. So is pain behavior that does not match the accepted injury.

I once handled a worker's compensation claim on an injured worker who decided she would show up in bad shape for her FCE. What she didn't know is that her employer had ordered surveillance and caught her engaged in activity beyond her restrictions during the week prior to her FCE. Her file and case were promptly handed over to the fraud division . . . .

I don't recommend ever trying to skew results of test for any kind of disability or insurance evaluation. It is just not worth it.

As for what the FCE will measure, that is specific to what part of the body was injured, what kind of injury you had, and your job description. They most likely would not test your back for an injury to the upper extremity, or hand dexterity for a knee injury, for example. If you can't work, it will be evident in the results. And most FCEs are performed by physical therapists, as far as I know.

And there is a good chance that the nurse noted this if she witnessed it. Just sayin' . . . .

He won his case so I don't think it was a big deal.

It could have been a big deal though. I think it's best to just act naturally.

I know in my case, laying low at home for a few days prior to my evals is necessary for me to be able to physically shower and get dressed the day of an eval. It's important to tell them that......and to tell them the effects of the exertion of the exam may result in you being bedbound for days afterwards. The evaluator can't 'see' that, but it can be documented as your verbal response.

[I don't know what an FCR test is but there is a form called functional report. It's a crtical form to submit to the SSA.
In sticky notes there is an article about completing the functin report.
Good luck,
Respectfully,
Trudi