An evidence-based treatment, occupational therapy is essential for people with injuries, disabilities, and limited cognitive skills, to live a normal life. Based firmly in science; it’s a kind of therapy that shows desired results. So, whether you are a young athlete who is struggling with a sports injury or someone in their 70s thinking about improving their cognitive skills, you must take the help of an occupational therapist as soon as possible.
Most of the times, when people with injuries or disabilities fail to seek the right professional help, they keep on facing its consequences throughout their life. Whether you talk about enhancing your physical and cognitive skills or recovering from a disability, you have to work with the right healthcare professional to achieve your goals.
Essential for getting back to a normal life, occupational therapy helps in improving a person’s ability to perform the activities of daily living such as dressing, walking, and eating.
In short, occupational therapists (OTs) help people with mental and physical issues, apart from injuries.
According to American Occupational Therapy Association, “In its simplest terms, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations).”
When you consult an occupational therapist, they will carry out an individualized evaluation to discover your recovery goals. After that, they will try to enhance your ability to perform the activities of daily living with a customized intervention. Finally, your occupational therapist will examine, whether you have achieved your goals or not. However, if you fail to meet your goals, they will make the necessary adjustments to the intervention plan.
There are a lot of similarities between occupational therapy and physical therapy, but they are not entirely the same.
According to ProMotion Rehab and Sports Medicine, “Occupational therapy is similar to physical therapy, but there are differences. While physical therapy focuses on the patient’s ability to perform a movement of the body, it focuses on the patient’s ability to perform daily living activities.”
So, if you haven’t sought occupational therapy yet, here are the reasons why you should opt for it.
To Recover From An Injury
Injuries, which are common among small children, teens, adults, and seniors, can have a devastating impact on one’s life if left untreated. So, whether you are suffering from sports injuries like tennis elbow, ankle sprain, groin pull, knee injury, or an auto injury, you must seek the help of an occupational therapist to return to your daily activities.
To Improve Your Walking Skills
What’s remarkably interesting about occupational therapy is, it doesn’t only focus on your injuries but takes into account your overall functional needs to strengthen your mental and physical well-being. So, if an injury has reduced your walking ability, they will make use of activities that will not only help you recover from your problem but will also address your walking problem.
Similarly, if you are facing issues in bathing, dressing, and eating, your occupational therapist will help you address them as well.
To Evaluate Your Home & Work Environment
If you are facing any health issue, your occupational therapist will also evaluate both your home and work environment to figure out the factors that may be affecting your ability to function. For example, if you are having pain in your back, your occupational therapist will examine your chair and will let you know if it’s affecting your spine.
It means if you are struggling with back pain due to poor posture, then they will recommend the right chair for you, which can play a significant role in reducing the stress on your spine.
In short, your occupational therapist will help you improve your environment – which might be impairing your ability to function. They will guide you on how to equip it with the right tools, which can enhance your function.
To Manage Stress
If you are experiencing muscle tension, difficulty falling asleep, frequent episodes of headaches, and anxious feelings, etc., then you might be struggling with stress. And the best way to manage it is to seek the help of an occupational therapist.
They will guide you on how to reduce your stress level. Things like job change, a chronic illness, divorce, and more, can elevate your stress level, thereby affecting your performance. However, when you consult an occupational therapist, they will try to identify the primary cause of stress, and then implement activities to address your problem.
They might suggest you strike the perfect balance between your personal and professional life so that you can swiftly manage the daily challenges that life throws at you. They might also ask you to strike that much-needed balance between work and rest if they feel that it might be one of the reasons for your stress.
And as stress can also result from poor sleep, they might ask you to perform activities that can help you get a good night’s sleep.
To Seek Guidance
Since occupational therapy is a holistic approach to patient care, occupational therapists also offer guidance to family members, so that they can support the patient in question, in an even better way.
Apart from that, if you have booked a caregiver because you can’t perform the activities of daily living with ease, your occupational therapist will also offer the necessary guidance to them.
So, if you want to live a more independent and dignified life, seek occupational therapy.
Rozy is a writer, student and pet lover. She loves chicken, and seeing her little pug, naughty pummy. When she is not writing, you can find her at the Starbucks.
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