Occupational Therapy And Physical Therapy

The Difference between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy When it comes to healthcare careers, two careers people often seem confuse with one another are Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. Many people with little to no medical background assume that an Occupational therapist is Physical therapist. The culprit could be word "therapist" that they share in common. There's a similarity between the two, but each are different on their own. They may work side by side and address many of the same issues; however, they are completely different careers. Occupational therapy is a therapy provided for people of all ages that needed rehabilitation after an illness or accident. According to AOTA President Ginny Stoffel, "Occupational Therapy

A person's occupation can include a vocation; however, occupations encompass so much more. One woman's occupation may be a mother who cooks, and cleans for her family. She may also be a gardener during her leisure time. Part of her daily activities which allow her to complete her occupation as a wife, mother, cook, and gardener are what we called Activities of Daily Living (Davis). These activities include, dressing, bathing, and toileting, transferring from one location to another, and getting in and out of bed. When she wakes up, she must be able to do her daily preparations such as getting out of bed, and taking a bath in a safe manner. When an injury such as broken hip affects the person's ability to complete her occupation in a safe and effective manner that person is then referred by a doctor to an Occupational therapist. The therapist's job is to help regain the person's ability to complete her occupations at her prior level of function. During the initial evaluation, the Occupational therapist will interview the patient and family. Together, they will determine what occupations the patient had, and wishes to return to. The therapist will also determine what Occupational Therapy

Unlike an Occupational therapist, Physical therapist primarily focuses on movement, functional mobility, and pain management. They help people with functional problems, neurological disorders, injuries related to work and sports, and other conditions. A person with knee problem will be referred to a Physical therapist for pain management, and to prevent the condition from getting worse. Many times an orthopedic doctor will opt to send his patient to Physical Therapy before attempting surgery. When a patient is referred to a Physical therapist it is usually due to a recent injury, or a recent hospitalization. To begin, the Physical therapist will review that patient's medical history. During the initial evaluation, he will diagnose the patient's functional movement status by observing them stand and walk. The Physical therapist will then create a personalized treatment plan. He will use exercises, stretching maneuvers, hands on therapy, and equipment in treating the patient. The goal is to help the patient with pain management, to increase their mobility, and to prevent further injury. The Physical therapist will evaluate and record the patient's improvement. He will also educate the family about expectations and challenges throughout the