Entrepreneur Series: Paul Fontana, Center for Work Rehabilitation

I am very pleased to present the next interview in the OT Entrepreneur Month Series- Paul Fontana. This is an exciting moment for me since Paul is the first "OT celebrity" that I ever met, so it's great to be able to share this story. Paul is the owner of both the Fontana Center, a fitness center that offers OT and massage therapy; and the Center for Work Rehabilitation, a multi-functional industrial rehabilitation and consultation business. Read on for some great insights on starting a very unique business.

What was your background before starting your business? How did you take your first steps to starting a business? Did you have a mentor?

I was very fortunate to have worked for a private practice contract company in northern Indiana. The company would contract to provide OT / PT services to hospitals, schools, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, etc. Our owner, Mr Jack Gamet, RPT understood that the OTs and PTs that he hired did not go into therapy to run a business. So if he did not train his key people on basic business principles then he knew that his business and how to manage both people and the business that we would soon become unmanageable. So Jack purposefully decided not to accept one new contract for a year while he hired expert in the field of management to teach his select group of therapists how to become managers - they taught us strategic planning, goal setting, budgeting and financial planning, supervision and leadership skills training, program development and marketing / selling technique training, etc. I was fortunate enough to be one of the therapists selected to participate in this training.

As I developed the programs at 2 sister hospitals that I was the chief OT for, my immediate supervisor, Mr Thomas Cole, OTR brought me up into an area supervisory position where I was then charged with assisting other facilities with program development and growth. Under Tom’s leadership and growth I learned how to analyze a business potential objectively looking at my strengths and weaknesses from a critical standpoint, develop a business plan then analyze that plan critically to see if it would be worthwhile. This process of leadership development was quite successful as we eventually grew to have facilities in 9 different states.

As I progressed in the company I eventually became Director of Operations for the OT / ST divisions. As such part of my job was to look to the future and develop strategic plans to ensure the growth of the OT and ST programs offered by the company. In the early 1980’s managed care was just beginning to appear on the horizon and from where I was it appeared the goal of managed care had little to do with quality improvement and all to do with cost containment. And this centered around reducing the payment to the providers. At the same time Medicare underwent some significant changes that had the potential to adversely impact our business. As part of my job of looking to the future and trying to ensure that our company was strategically aligned to meet the changes on the horizon, I heard about this "new" concept in care that was being performed out in California – work hardening and functional capacity evaluations.

I traveled out to California and spent a significant amount of time visiting Dr Leonard Matheson (clinical psychologist) and Linda Ogden, OTR who were running the program. I became convinced that this was the future for OT for our company. This was an area of practice that centered around occupation and in my opinion was a perfect fit for OT. And no one was doing it in the 9 states that we had facilities. I brought this concept back to my owners (jack had sold out and there were now 4 owners) but they said that the company was in the medical business and they were not interested in expanding out into this area of practice. I decided that this was an area that I was interested in so I gave the company a 1 year’s notice and made plans to open my own clinic in this area of practice.

My time with Restorative Services and through the mentoring of Mr Jack Gamet, RPT, Mr Tom Cole, OTR and Dr Leonard Matheson I believe that I had the skills and knowledge base to venture out on my own into this new area of practice. Using the strategic planning / program development skills that I learned I was able to do market analysis in the states that I was interested in working thereby helping me to narrow down the state that I would eventually move to. Furthermore the fiscal management and budgeting training helped me to plan for the future as well as help both myself and my wife to feel comfortable with my decision .

Prior to my moved to Louisiana in 1986, Dr Carolyn Baum was very helpful in allowing me to spend time observing in the work hardening program that she had at Washington University in St Louis. In addition to this I spent several weeks working in south Louisiana meeting with potential referral groups (physicians, rehab nurses and medical case managers, vocational counselors), insurance company personnel and claims adjuster as part of the environmental analysis to see if my idea of the industrial OT programs would a) be reimbursed, b) whether there was any competition, and c) whether or not I could get referrals.

To this day I am convinced that without the mentors that I had that I would never have been able to develop the industrial programs and sustained the business that has served the communities in south Louisiana and Houston Texas where I have clinics for the past 27 years. I did not get an MBA but feel that with the executive management training that was provided by my company and the mentoring I had from both Mr Gamet and Mr Cole that I had the necessary skills to move forward with my own practice.



Nobody likes talking about money, but how long did it take for you to turn a profit/hire additional help/be able to quit your other jobs?

When my wife and I decided to open up our own business I did not have another job, nor was she working outside the home. She felt comfortable that I had done the preliminary work and that I could make this work before I announced that I was leaving my job as Director of operations. We did the budget to see what was the absolute least amount of money we needed to bring in to keep the roof over our heads and the family fed for the first year and were confident that we had enough in savings to get us through until revenue started coming in. Also, being an Occupational Therapist where I knew that if I needed to I could always do home health in the evening and weekends if I needed some additional revenue to keep us going until the business took off was a very valuable help.

When I opened the Center for Work Rehabilitation in 1986 I was the only employee. I not only did all the marketing but evaluated the clients, typed my own reports and performed all the rehab on the clients. It did not take me long before I realized that I could not make money at this by typing my own reports. Within the first 6 months I was in the black, paying all my bills, including paying myself enough to keep the roof over our head and food on the table. By the end of the first year I hired additional professional help to allow me to get out of the clinic to meet new customers, stay in touch with current customers and perform work on site to ensure growth.

With the ups and down of the business I have had years where I made more money as an OT than I ever imagined I would and other years where I paid my OT Technicians more than I took home, just to keep the business open. At one point my wife and I had to liquidate all the kids’ college fund monies we had set aside just to keep the doors open until the industry turned around, which thankfully it did.



What were some lessons that you learned in the initial stages of your business (first year, first five years)? Were there challenges that were difficult to answer during this time?

Having worked in a private practice environment before opening my own business I already was used to working long hours and even 7 days a week if need be. Therefore this was not something that I had to get used to. Luckily the business growth was close to what I predicted and my wife was able to stay home with our growing family. This was an important aspect of the growth and financial wellbeing of the company because as I was making inroads with industrial customers I would be called to travel to job sites, including to offshore drilling rigs, salt mines, and manufacturing facilities out of state where I would be working for multiple weeks at a time. Some of these requests were spur of the moment where I did not have time to preplan but rather had to be at a heliport in 4 hours. Had I not had the advantage of a supportive family this would have been extremely difficult.

The business model that I was developing was something the insurance industry as well as the physicians were not exposed to so I was starting from scratch to get folks to understand what I was doing and why. At times this was difficult.

Having grown up with ethical training (where my word and a hand shake was sufficient for work) had some drawback as associates I worked with took my idea and opened their own programs to compete against me. That was a challenge that I did not anticipate having. I was also surprised to have physicians directly and indirectly seek compensation for referrals – “what’s in it for me” was asked of me by several important referral sources. Another important referrer wanted me to train LPN’s how to do therapy then give him space in my clinic where he would send all his clients and my professional staff would provide the supervision. When I told him that I would not do this as I felt it was both unethical and illegal his response was, "I have 300 – 400 clients that I can send you".

Developing "partnership" with my industrial customers was a huge asset to my business. By becoming a critical part of their "fit for duty" program I had customers provide me with equipment needed for simulations, access to their training to improve my knowledge of their business, etc. At one point when I was unable to access my equipment nor facilities until the courts intervened, the Vice President of Human Resources for a major drilling company told me “I cannot run my business if you are not in business.” In 2 days I had use of an 8,000 square foot warehouse to use as my clinic. During another time when the price of oil dropped to such a low that made drilling in the Gulf of Mexico too expensive that companies stopped all hiring, one of the claims manager for a major drilling company asked me how this was affecting my business. I told him that business was so slow that I may not be able to stay in business. A week later I had a contract to travel offshore and develop 31 physical job descriptions for this company. The claims manager told his boss that they needed to make sure that I stayed in business because when they needed me to rehab their employees, I needed to be there.



What is the best thing about owning your own business? The worst? What surprised you most?

It allows me to set my agenda professionally, to devote time and energy on giving back to the profession. I did not have to get approval from anyone to spend the time / energy to become actively involved with the Louisiana OT Association (President for 4 years), AOTA (Region III PAC Chair then AOTPAC Chair followed by a term as a Director on the Board then Secretary to the Board of Directors). I enjoy the opportunity to work with business and industrial customers who are generally only interested in results. Being able to go on site, help them with problem resolution and implementation is what I like best. That and this work allows me to do a fair amount of teaching which I really enjoy.

Worst can be the lost family time. Working with industrial customers as a private individual you have to be there when they call or they may go elsewhere. There were vacations that I missed because of a job request or because a therapist I had working for me quit so I now had to miss the vacation to cover in the clinic.

Also, having continual staff turnover. Many of the OTs that work with me stay 1 ½ - 2 years then leave to work in the hospital, out patient clinics or nursing home for fear that they are losing their “treatment” skills. That certainly is true. Having worked in this industry for 27 years I cannot imagine how to treat a stroke patient or a pediatric client. However I have skills that others do not have. But trying to find clinicians to work in a non-climate controlled environment doing industrial fit for duty programs and not having to retrain every 2 years has been tough.



What are some tips that you could give to OT practitioners considering starting a business?

- First and foremost have a mentor. Not only regarding business management but therapy skills management

- Be ready to devote the time and energy it takes to make it work

- Be sure to do a good objective market analysis and self analysis of your skills and abilities before hand

- When planning financial areas, although you need to be realistic, be extremely conservative regarding revenue generation and high on cost expectations. If you can make it during the worst case predictions you will be ok. If not, you may need to re-evaluate. Things beyond your reach of influence will occur.

Thank you so much Paul for your detailed responses! Great wisdom regarding mentorship, needs assessment, and preparedness. You can learn more about the business at the Fontana Center Website - http://www.fontanacenter.com/

Energy Conservation for Chores

Spring has sprung, and with it, the return of chores galore. Here are some tips to simplify the chores and save more energy for things that you prefer to do.

-Use machines where possible- dishwasher, washer/dryer, automatic shower cleaner, automatic toilet cleaners, Roomba, and the car wash. 

-Use lightweight objects when possible, such as Swiffer, dusters, or a hand vacuum.

-Stay ahead of big cleanings by doing small things as able. This includes using antibacterial wipes in the kitchen daily, pick up 1 item each time you leave a room and replace it where needed, and handle items only once instead of sorting multiple times. You may see more tips like this at Unclutterer.

-Take advantage of mechanical advantage. Don't scrub the floor, use a Swiffer wet instead. Don't repot plants on your hands and knees, try working sitting or standing at a table (you can keep the mess down by placing some plastic bags or an old shower curtain down first)

-Load and unload your dishwasher while seated. Don't try to lift multiple plates or bowls at once. Consider switching to lightweight plates if you're able.

-Store your dishes at the point of first use. Some examples of this would be storing glasses by the refrigerator, colanders by the sink, and pots and pans by the stove. 

-Use smaller trash bags if it is difficult to lift a heavy bag. 

-If shopping for new appliances, avoid top loading devices and instead look for front loading washers and dryers. These may need to be elevated to prevent excessive bending. If it is very difficult for you to rotate the laundry, there are machines that both wash and dry. There are also drawer dishwashers that pull out and are easier to load/unload, though they hold less than a standard model.

-If you have to wash dishes by hand (UGH! my least favorite chore) then try: having a stool to sit on or a prop for your foot to change positions; using an upside down dish drainer to elevate the bottom of the sink (to prevent leaning over); and allowing dishes to drip dry instead of towel drying.

-Clean your trashcan using a hose instead of trying to reach inside and to the bottom.

-If you have clothes or other items that need to hang dry, keep items at waist level to minimize bending, and try not to hang higher than eye level to prevent excessive reaching. 

-Use a wrinkle releaser if possible instead of using the iron. 

-I feel that it's easier to hang clothes than fold them, so I hang up most of my clothes in the closet. Adding a second bar underneath half of the closet adds available space, using a wardrobe may also assist in finding extra space.

-Pay or barter for what is too difficult for you to do. This might include mowing the grass or scrubbing the tub. 

-Give up doing things that you don't value or care about. For me, this is folding t-shirts and sweats that are only worn around the house. So I created 'the play clothes bin' and clothes for workouts and bumming around just get nicely tossed and confined within the bin. 


Are there chore-related energy saving tips that you use? Feel free to share in the comments.

Photo Phriday: Accessibility IRL

This week's photo pheme is about accessibility. The whole point of universal design is that one object can serve multiple people with varied abilities. So here are some examples of increased accessibility that I have lately seen in real life which I think are noteworthy.

I saw these toothbrushes at a friend's house. These are made by Radius and claim to be more ergonomic for reaching back teeth. The brushes come in right or left handed versions with a soft, large head. My friends are convinced that you only need to try them once to be hooked for life... there were 6 of these at the house.

My grandmother had an "accessible" hotel room when she came to visit recently. This included a doorbell, low step tub, and these nifty alternative to drapery pull cords. I liked it and was able to move with only gross arm movements.

This pill dispenser is named for Ease of use by the arthritis foundation. My grandmother found one like this in Walgreens and really likes using the push-button.

I follow the "One Man's Access" blog and he has a feature I featuring annoying/interesting/aggravating pictures of access. We saw this double doorway with stairs while on vacation, and while we were hoping it was just a terrible grammatical error, I had my husband take a picture just in case.

Dycem Product Review

The good folks over at Dycem were kind enough to send me some free samples in exchange for a review. Click through to read (and win a prize!)

Dycem products have expanded since I was in school, learning about their use. They have even made a special section on their website just for OTs. I got a few products and started trying them out in my practice and handing them out to others.

I was a little confused by the mat that had a peel off on both sides. I am 80% sure that it was just like that for easy distribution and cleanliness, not to be adhesive. (There are adhesive strips/mats as well) I tossed one of these in my utensil drawer, because the force from me closing the drawer kept knocking the silverware tray back into the depths. I put it in a few weeks ago, and despite me purposefully slamming the drawer, the tray does not move. The silverware itself keeps trying to run away, but I digress. We will also use some for either the drawer holding baggies or for where the wine glasses are.

One of the rifton chairs at school has a piece of Dycem on the seat to help keep the child from sliding. This does work, but you have to be very conscious that you are positioning the child properly and with a good pelvic tilt since it will be hard for them to readjust themselves.

I like the coaster a lot. It doesn't slide on the surface and the glass doesn't slide either. The downside is that it cannot absorb any liquid, so the glass will get pretty drippy if you have a lot of condensation. I tried to use this in the car to hold my phone (illegally) on the dashboard, but it couldn't quite hold the phone during the turns.

The pediatric mats are quite cute. However, the shape cutouts can make it difficult to get the absolute best fit for the object getting stabilized. I have used the Turtle while in the schools, stabilizing slant boards, the Ipad, blocks etc while on the wheelchair tray or tabletop. The kids seem to like it, but it can be a little distracting. I sent the hippo to my grandma because her little fat dachshund dog is so eager to get her daily food portions that she attacks them and pushes them under the toe kick for the kitchen cabinets. This is annoying for my grandma, who really shouldn't be bending over and digging under the cabinet or all across the floor for these bowls. She swapped the old mat for the dycem one and has not had a problem with the bowls moving at all. I got a text message ("from the dog") that reads- "Dear Cheryl, I like my new mat. I don't have 2 chase my food dish. It is easy for my maid 2 pick up and clean. It doesn't take up as much space. Thank u for thinking of me. love, Annie"

The jar and bottle openers are my favorites by far. The jar opener has worked on everything I could try, and my elderly patients have always liked it. It is listed at $12.75, but really high quality. It is much better than the rubber or silicone trivets/openers I've tried before. The bottle opener is a little redundant, but lets me open my adult beverages without assistance.

Keep in mind, when using any of these products, your results are much better if the surface and the product are both clean and dry. I have to keep the portable mats in boxes so that they can be transported without getting nasty. It just takes soap and water to clean. I tried to use the placemat "off label" as a trivet. I wouldn't recommend it for that. It's better than a towel, but does still transfer the heat as time goes on. I actually checked the specs and material is supposed to be OK up to 50*C, but I like my silicone trivets better for this purpose.

Things I didn't try:

- On the website, you can see small furniture disks to keep chairs from slipping. I would be interested to know whether this provides enough stabilization to someone who is really pushing back hard on the chair (like a person with Parkinson's). I suspect it would depend on the angle of the push- might be ok for a person who pushes straight backward, but most are at an angle that causes the chair to tip back.

- Also on the website, they have a picture of a sheet of Dycem on a hospital bed presumably to keep a person from sliding down the bed. Would this really work? Soft surface of sheet plus either soft hospital gown or skin? I don't know that I would try it.

- I didn't have one of those mats to try out with sit-stand transfers. It would probably work with some, but the ability to adjust the person's feet is sometimes needed. Could still be useful.

If it were me, I would expand the product features in a few ways. I think the openers and the coaster could be more accessible if there was a magnet or clip to attach to the fridge or cabinet drawer. The jar opener could probably be made into a ring only and attached to a keyring for tailgating purposes. Some products could be integrated with others to increase their function. A silverware drawer with Dycem lining on the bottom and insides would be helpful. A coaster that could somehow have a cork middle to be absorbent while still retaining the non-skid would be great. Anything that could tolerate high temperatures, microwaving, or going through the dishwasher would be helpful. And more color choices are always enjoyed.

I really don't know of an alternative better to Dycem. It just works.

Free Giveaway!

Thanks for reading this far! Please leave a comment regarding this entry or the blog in general (polite only please, no email addresses, no spam plugging fake universities, etc). Get these in by 11:59pm (EST) Sunday November 6 and I will use a random number generator to pick a winner(s) and mail you a slightly used but not damaged Dycem product. You can also get brochures and free samples here.

Jewelry for those with Arthritis

This is my grandma, showing off the stretchy ring BLING she got for Christmas. She's always had an extensive jewelry collection, but in recent years her arthritis has made it too painful to wear her rings and too difficult to operate some clasps. Read on for some of the options for people who love their jewelry and hate their arthritis.

Stretchy rings/bracelets (Potpourri) - these rings have made their way into my grandma's regular rotation. There's matching bracelets for some and they slip on easily. (We got her the pearls and the ones with the single gem in the bottom right, not the crazy ones made of sticks) The ones from Potpourri are fairly inexpensive, I have seen similar ones in specialty stores MUCH more expensive so do some comparison shopping.

Magnetic clasp converters (shopping search) - I saw these on TV ads. They look like a person with arthritis might need assist with initial setup but then they should be independent to doff/don. I haven't personally tried them, so I can't speak to the strength of the magnets, but they're probably not strong enough to hold up heavy jewels like pearls.

Wire chokers/bracelets - These are pretty common, if you can convince an adult to shop with the preteens to get jewelry. Just look for the necklaces without clasps in U shape.

Bracelet fastener (bracelet buddy) - I was intrigued by this device when it first came out, but it may be too complicated as adaptive equipment now that other stuff has come out.

As if people needed excuses NOT to use mass transit

hearing loss? back injury? and what else?

A medline release about subway stations being loud enough to damage hearing has been heavy on my mind of late. I notice that I can often hear the music from my fellow travelers MP3 players- they are cranking it up to hear it over the other noise, which only feeds into this probability of hearing loss. It's also pretty commonly acknowledged that bus/truck drivers are at risk for chronic back pain from the vibrations of the vehicles (here, here, here for a few quickly obtained (if not most definitive) sources). A student project looked at vibrations as well as "measuring “impulsive shocks,” which occur when a bus driver hits a speed bump or a pothole." I have been starting to wonder seriously about the effects of constant vibrations from the metro and the forceful impact of "impulsive shocks" from Baltimore's potholes.

Personally, I feel like I am rolling the dice enough against sustaining an injury in some way: Recent AJOT article highlighted potential for work-related injuries in OTs; I am constantly dancing on the edge of RSI in my wrists, elbows, and shoulders; and I have yet to see the effect from my sports playing, but the possibility of hip, back, ankle or shoulder OA remain highly in the future. Lousy to be thinking about this in my 20s. It's a scary world out there.

Jobsite Analysis

So I did complete my jobsite analysis long ago, and it was actually simpler than I expected. I was evaluating a worker in the microbiology lab with a diagnosis of writer's cramp. I am finally getting this written up for the blog carnival on clinical reasoning, so make sure that you check that out. If you're new to this blog, perhaps forwarded from the carnival, please be patient since I tend to write long entries :)

OK, background information, since this happened so long ago. As a hospital OT, I was asked as a courtesy to perform a worksite evaluation of a woman ("Wilma") who was having difficulty at work due to a diagnosis of writer's cramp. Before I was asked to do this, I had no experience in work hardening outside of school classes, virtually no experience in hand therapy, or any idea what life was like in the microbiology lab. I was a little bored and willing to take on a challenge, so that's how the eval fell to me. Please note- there is a significant difference between the clinical reasoning used by novice, intermediate, and experienced practitioners; that was all fleshed out in a recent OT Practice CE article. I am not claiming to have an experienced level of reasoning, I just did my best.

My first thought was shock that "writer's cramp" was an actual neurological diagnosis. I mean, I have played Operation, and have had significant pain after essay tests in college filling up Blue Books, but I had no idea that this was real. So I looked online for information on the diagnosis from reliable sites, which included eMedicine, Merck Manual Medical Library, and Medpedia. I learned that this was a focal dystonia and a repetitive strain injury (RSI) that would likely cause increased pain and decreased grip force on small objects.

Next, I went back to my OT bookshelf. I still have many of my texts, but especially those for topics that I found interesting or complex. (I have found it unfortunate how much I have already forgotten from school in topics that have been outside my realm of practice) From my book, I was able to review environmental factors that exacerbate RSIs and go through case studies involving worksite evaluations for desk workers. My book was nice in that it also came with some ready-made forms to record measurements of various workstation pieces (example- depth of chair pan, height of chair from floor). I also asked my coworker if I could review a writeup that he had done for a different person, so I could get an idea of what was expected.

I was feeling more prepared, but still didn't know what to expect in Wilma's office. What does a person in a microbiology lab do? Where to find out? My favorite source for torturing my Girl Scouts when they're doing a career badge- The O*Net. If you haven't used the O*Net before, it's a great resource that has cataloged thousands of jobs, the skills required for each, the expected salary and job outlook for each. So I was able to pull up "Biological Technician," which gave me a few brief ideas aobut what to expect.

After gathering all this information, I spent some time trying to brainstorm possible problems that Wilma might be having. Writing, obviously, but I also thought that she might have some difficulty with manipulating other small-diameter tools, keyboarding, opening or stirring containers.

The morning of the evaluation, I got my tools together- a notebook, copies of the measurement forms from my book, digital camera, tape measure, and a goniometer.

I met with Wilma at the beginning of the day since that is when the bulk of her work was done. I asked her to describe the problem, describe the pain she was having, what made it better or worse and what she had already tried to do to fix the problem. I also asked about what she had done medically- neurologist visit, MRI, EMG, etc. Then I let Wilma go ahead and start her workday, trying to see as many of her essential job functions as possible, and asking her to report anything that caused discomfort or decreased grip. I observed the tools that she interacted with, and any time I saw something that was on my list of possible pain causers or looked like it would aggravate the RSI, I asked specifically aobut that. That included vibration, twisting, squeezing, of various tools including pipettes and cotton swabs. I also took some measurements (not a full spectrum of them) related to the position of Wilma's UE to the work surfaces.

My client was quite reticent throughout the eval, and had relatively few issues. She really only complained of difficulty writing, not with any of the other tools. I knew from my education on RSIs, phyical disabilities and assistive technology that to decrease problems from a tight grip on a small object, that the person would need to change the shape of the grip or the amount of force taken to maintain the grip. I tried to include a variety of high and low tech solutions in my suggestions, and also address other issues that I felt could potentially be a problem to Wilma.

I have the summary writeup in a google document (as always, please be respectful and do not plagiarize my work). All the photos are from Sammons/Preston to give the reader a better idea of the different tools. If it had been me, I would have pushed for a label maker, because I think that would be best for efficiency sake (that and I love labelmakers anyway). I also found a $0.49 pen shaped similar to the PenAgain in a drugstore months later, so there are other options out there in the mainstream. I didn't get any follow up from this client, so I don't know what she chose to do, but I did leave the door open so that if she had any questions or problems later she could contact the department.

So that's the thought process that carried me, an inexperienced practitioner, through my first worksite eval. If anything, I think it was worth it just to get the experience and learn that I do have the foundation for a different type of practice.

Product Review- Forearm Forklift

The big part of the move is over! Though the unpacking and organizing continues, the heavy lifting is done. And so follows the review for the assistive device we bought- The Forearm Forklift (as seen on TV!).

We bought our Forearm Forklift through Amazon.com, and had no trouble with payment or shipping. The straps are compact and can easily fit in a large toolbox. The basic premise is that you have 2 straps that go under your furniture, and you and a friend slip your arms into the straps to lift objects more ergonomically. That is pretty much all of the instructions that you will receive... we got one sheet of paper with back protection techniques and a few pictures of the product in use.

The straps are designed for objects that are large enough to require 2 people to carry, but they really only work well with a certain shape- either tall/long and thin. Short and squat things (non flat-screen TVs, rubbermaid tubs) don't work very well. Though there are pictures of people carrying mattresses, we had no luck with this. And though the instructions show people moving objects with their wrists in extension and hands flat against the object, we were never able to carry something with stability without grasping our hands around the edges. There was some minor pain and bruising from where the strap hits the forearm. Considering the rows of bruises I incurred on my legs from the move, they were VERY minor. They also tended to slip off our forearms and down to the wrists, which made it difficult to use.

The instructions also showed people carrying items up and down stairs, but this was particularly problematic. Our old apartment had 15 steps (no landings, thank goodness) but a very short ceiling. This is where the straps first failed, because we couldn't lift large objects very far off the ground due to the low clearance. The straps did a little better in our new place since we had fewer steps and higher clearance, but in our situation, it was easier to push things down the stairs in a controlled manner than to try to lift them.

We have 3 dressers, and to load them into the truck we carried each drawer individually and then carried the frame. Doubling the trips that took 2 people, this resulted in 20 total trips! To unload them, we tried the straps, and were able to carry fully loaded dressers using 2 people for a total of 6 trips. A definite time-saver, especially since some of the drawers were poorly made and falling apart when we tried to move them separately, causing us to take more time to adjust them later.

Using the straps increases the prep time for each object. It's hard to get used to the motion required by the strap, even if you're familiar with body mechanics. My brother and husband aren't great with body mechanics, and there were definitely times that they used inappropriate methods with or without the straps despite warnings from their resident OT. But my brother stated that he did feel that the straps kept his back from being "destroyed" during the moving process (he is a little dramatic). My husband reported that they were useful and would use again. He had an alternative way of using them, actually lifting by the straps, which he reported hurt less than grabbing sharp edges to lift.

So, overall, it wasn't a panacea, it won't force you to use proper body mechanics, and doesn't always work as you would like. But it's cheap, and for heavy stuff, it provides some extra assist and security. There were some comments on another site from people who use it regularly and get good results, fortunately, I don't have to move THAT often so it will take a little longer to get used to it. Even if the assist and security provided wasn't all I'd hoped for, it was enough to make it worth the low price. I have linked some other sources, and a couple of other products that other people referred to in those comments. I haven't fully evaluated those, but I included them in case anyone else is looking for a good moving solution.


Official Site
More Reviews from Amazon
Other Products: Shoulder Dolly and Teamstrap Moving Straps

Hopefully prepared

Tomorrow is my very first jobsite analysis... hopefully I am fully prepared. Have read up on diagnosis, reviewed info on repetitive strain injury, and taken notes from my old textbook "Ergonomics and the Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders" (this is why you keep the books). Have to make copies, get camera, get measuring tape, and find a goniometer before meeting up with my worker at the far too early time of 730 am. So it will have to be an early night... wish me luck!