Occupational Therapy
A frequent question every Occupational Therapist gets asked is, "What is Occupational Therapy?... Oh, is that like Physical Therapy?" Truthfully, there are aspects of Occupational Therapy that overlap with Physical Therapy, as our patients often have multiple issues which are best treated through a team approach. Although we may do activities for strengthening and increasing movement, Occupational Therapists approach therapy differently than Physical Therapists. Generally, Physical Therapists do exercises to increase strength, range of motion, and muscle movements for the eventual outcome of increased function and mobility.
Occupational Therapy has the same goal in mind (increasing function and independence) in regards to physical disabilities and limitations, and we may use repetitive exercises, but most often we use them in the context of a "functional activity". This refers to performing meaningful activities while simultaneously working on increasing function and mobility.
An Occupational Therapist primary role is maintaining or increasing skills and/or adapting environments to meet the unique needs of an individual so they may become as independent, functional, emotionally and physically pain free, and developmentally on target as they are capable of being.
Physical disabilities are only one aspect of Occupational Therapy and is usually the only significant aspect that will overlap with Physical Therapy. Occupational Therapists work on other functional deficits ranging; from mental health, as it interferes with daily functioning, to developmental delays or disabilities