Salem fire captain is back on the job saving lives
A 20-year veteran firefighter, Captain Ray Murray of the Salem Fire Department has been involved in a number of rescues.
In January 2011, he responded to an automobile accident where a car was wrapped around a utility pole.
A passenger was trapped inside the wreck, so Murray quickly began working to get him out.
Straining in an awkward position, he suddenly felt a “give” in his back.
He sensed that something serious had gone wrong. The effects of Murray’s injury were incapacitating.
Not only was he unable to work, but he also found himself unable to perform simple household tasks.
“I had great difficulty even opening a pickle jar for my wife, and I couldn’t play with my kids,” said Murray. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever return to work. ”
Recovering from an on-the-job injury can be a daunting challenge.
The process from injury to treatment to returning to full duty often requires a support system.
Salem Health offers workers who have on-the-job injuries a coordinated program that helps them navigate the workers compensation system through rehabilitation, therapy, insurance coverage and returning to work.
The program, known as Work Injury Management, helps injured workers return to even the most demanding jobs.
The program coordinates communication and flow of information between doctors, employers and insurance adjusters, making the employment and rehabilitation process easier and more streamlined for everyone.
MRI tests indicated to neurosurgeon Maurice Collada, Jr., MD, that Murray had injured a disc in his spine, and would need surgery to relieve pressure on a major nerve.
Murray underwent surgery and after recovery, took part in therapy through the Work Injury Management program.
Initially he did aquatic therapy combined with exercise therapy under the watchful and encouraging eye of his physical therapists, Brenda Schrage and John Lowry, members of the Work Injury Management care team.
Murray gradually improved his strength and core stability and moved to a formal work-conditioning program that focused on job-specific tasks for two hours a day.
He has returned to the life of a busy firefighter, climbing ladders and handling equipment.
He continues exercises that build strength for the hard work required of his job.
His doctor and therapists have told him it will take a few more months to fully heal, but Murray is very pleased with how far he has come.
“Without the help and support of the Work Injury Management therapy team, I would not have been able to return to work,” Murray said.