Until recently structural and functional-oriented therapy approaches were the main ones to figure among the established procedures for medical rehabilitation. Occupational and activity-oriented treatment approaches had previously been under-represented. To dovetail these various therapy approaches and thus drive forward changes in medical rehabilitation the employers' liability insurance association VBG and a committee of experts put together a manual for a concept for workplace-oriented rehabilitation with corresponding minimum requirements for institutions to qualify to offer this rehabilitation procedure.

The concept takes a broad spectrum of occupation-oriented diagnostic and therapy approaches. It is based on the main elements of institution-based rehabilitation procedures with additional work-related components. The procedure is aimed primarily at those capable of work with (specific) physical workloads and health limitations with regard to the musculoskeletal system.

This concept was successfully trialled at institutions specifically license d for this therapy in a pilot scheme named Workplace-Oriented Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (Arbeitsplatzorientierte Muskuloskeletale Rehabilitation - AOMR).