5 Worthwhile Benefits of Occupational Therapy for Adults

Have you or a loved one recently experienced a debilitating injury? Has this injury led you to lose function in your hands making it difficult to do basic daily functions? If this is the case, your doctor may already have referred you to an occupational therapist.

Spending a few sessions with a Noosa physio is the first step in regaining any mobility or muscle damage that you may be struggling with. The next step is to visit an occupational therapist. Not sure what this entails? Keep reading to find out.

What is Occupational Therapy for Adults?

Occupational therapy supports adults whose mental or physical health, social circumstances, or current environment make it difficult to take part in their daily activities. Typically, occupational therapy becomes necessary when a person’s ability to perform daily tasks has become difficult or impossible as a result of an injury, stroke, or other medical condition.

During occupational therapy, a patient may need help re-learning the following tasks:

• Dressing
• Eating
• Using the restroom
• Bathing or showering
• Preparing food
• Previously known work functions

Beneficial on Many Levels

Occupational therapy has been designed to help a patient regain independence by being able to perform their usual daily functions. We’ve compiled a list of the top ways that occupational therapy may benefit you.

1.     Safely Improve Range of Motion

A wide range of medical conditions such as a stroke, surgery, or arthritis may lead to difficulty in moving your arms. This can significantly hamper the way you do normal daily activities such as sitting, eating, and bathing.

An occupational therapist will work with you to improve your general range of motion. This is typically done through the following methods:

• Active range of motion: The patient is encouraged to (and is eventually able to) move their arms to perform joint-related tasks on their own.
• Passive range of motion: Here the therapist will assist the patient by simulating the performance of motion such as helping them lift their arms to put food in their mouths.
• Proper body positioning: Teaches the patient to work on their range of motion while lying down. In this position, the typical resistance caused by gravity decreases and at the same time increases the ease of joint mobility. Exercising in this position can help you regain proper movement.
• Compensatory prevention techniques: Exercises designed to re-learn strength in the affected arm. These exercises also discourage the movements you may already be doing to compensate for the weakened muscles.

2.     Build Strength and Decrease Pain

An occupational therapist will teach you to build strength in your weakened muscles without putting unnecessary pressure on the surrounding muscles. Doing this prevents the compensatory techniques you may learn when you’re trying to compensate for an injury. Putting more pressure on the surrounding muscles may create or aggravate pain.  Your occupational therapist will get you to move your weak muscles and decrease the pain.

3.     Learn Adaptive Strategies

An injury or medical condition may leave you needing consistent assistance from someone else. Your occupational therapist will strive to get you back to the point where you’re able to do everyday functions independently.

Basic exercises will help to increase the general range of motion. In some instances, it may be necessary to learn more aggressive adaptive strategies. These include exercises that teach you to conserve energy when doing basic daily functions. This is especially important for people suffering from fatigue-related conditions.

Adaptive strategies can also include using specialised equipment to make daily functions simple and independent. Typical examples of this include the following:

• Shower chairs
• Jar openers
• Bathroom rails
• Lifts
• Commode chairs
• Walkers

4.     Perform Safety Assessments

If you have spent time recuperating in the hospital, you will be looking forward to returning home. Your occupational therapist will assess your home and make recommendations to make your home more user-friendly. This can include telling you how to get your home wheelchair ready or evaluating the amount of clutter and obstacles in potential walkways or main living areas. They will also identify whether you need any of the adaptive equipment mentioned above.

5.     Teach and Improve Visual Skills

If an injury or medical condition has affected your vision, it’s essential to find the most effective ways to either improve your eyesight or learn new strategies. This can include learning visual adaptive techniques such as pre-reading strategies.

They will also teach you to use digital applications and software to use your mobile devices to make and receive calls. Some medical apps can monitor vitals and notify emergency contacts for assistance. This is essential if you’re going to live alone or spend any time away from your family or caregiver.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s an accident, stroke, dementia, or even Parkinson’s disease that has left you struggling with your mobility, ongoing occupational therapy can go a long way toward helping you perform basic tasks again. If you’re struggling with any of these issues, we recommend speaking to an occupational therapist for an assessment. You’ll be glad you did.