10 Important Points About Occupational Therapy

In simple terms, occupational therapy is a branch of medicine that aims to help people become independent in all areas of life. Occupational therapists are the individuals who help these people use whatever abilities they have to perform everyday activities or occupations. The most common occupational therapy interventions include helping people with injuries to regain their normal skills, helping disables children to become fully independent at home and in school, and supporting elderly people experience cognitive and physical changes.

The services performed by an occupational therapist includes complete and thorough evaluations of the client’s house, office, or school, suggestions about training and use of assistive equipment, and education for family members. Occupational therapists are holistic in their treatment approach and focus on changing the environment to make it easy for the patient to be independent and perform everyday activities normally.

Here are ten important points about this therapy.

1. To pursue occupational therapy as a career you need to do a master’s degree and pass national license exam. Only then are you eligible to see patients.

2. These therapists can work in different areas such as schools, hospitals, medical clinics, nursing homes, private practice, and psychiatric institutions.

3. This therapy includes a variety of sub-specialities such as paediatrics, hand therapy, post-operative care, acute management, neurological rehabilitation, ergonomics, and lympedema management.

4. Over 80% of certified hand therapists are actually licensed occupational therapists and are specialized to treat all injuries involving the upper extremities.

5. This therapy is a health science that focuses on rehabilitating people by helping them perform purposeful activities on a daily basis. Therapists work with patients who may be mentally, developmentally, emotionally, or physically disabled by using treatment measures that develop, rehabilitate, and maintain a patient’s daily living activities.

6. These therapists are specialized in designing, choosing, and training about splints or orthotics for upper and lower extremity injuries.

7. Most frequently used this therapy interventions include helping people with injuries to regain their normal skills, helping disables children to become fully independent at home and in school, and supporting elderly people experience cognitive and physical changes.

8. Repetitive injuries like carpal tunnel and tennis elbow can also be treated using occupational therapy techniques. This is done by educating patients about protecting muscles and joints, preventing injuries, manual therapy, and pain management.

9. The end goal of all this therapy interventions is living a normal and independent life to the fullest.

10. Occupational therapists are integral components of a medical team and are very important in all medical facilities.

According to recent statistics, occupational therapy has been named one of the “fastest growing careers”. The number of children and elderly people who need such treatment is increasing by the day. Throughout the U.S.A there are more than 300 universities and colleges that offer courses for occupational therapists and assistants.