The American Occupational Therapy Association defines an occupational therapist as someone who “helps people across their lifespan participate in the things they want and/or need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities, or occupations.” At Theradynamics, we aim to restore, adapt and modify pain and disabilities through exercises, education, training, and tools. Occupational therapy is for people of all ages, and has a variety of benefits, but what does occupational therapy do, and how can it help you?
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is a global healthcare profession that helps patients develop, recover or maintain the ability to perform meaningful activities in everyday life. Occupational therapists are educated and trained to improve mental and physical performance. During therapy, therapists work alongside their patients to help them recover from physical or mental illness in a manner that encourages rehabilitation through the completion of everyday tasks, or occupations. These tasks include typical activities of daily living, such as education, work, play, household chores, and social participation. Occupational therapists work with infants, children, youth, and adults as well as their families in a variety of settings, including schools, clinics, homes, hospitals, and the community
What Does Occupational Therapy Do?
Occupational therapy aims to restore, adapt and modify pain and disability through training, adaptive technologies, and exercise. Occupational therapy has a wide range of benefits;
1. Motor Control and Coordination
2. Executive Functions
3. Attention and Concentration
4. Working Memory
5. Language
6. Processing Speed
7. Reading Comprehension
8. Sensory Processing
9. Self Regulation
10. Mathematics
11. Expressive and Receptive
12. Reading Rate and Fluency
13. Academic Performance
14. Athletic Performance
Through the use of adaptive technologies like the interactive metronome, we have been able to help hundreds of patients improve their mind-muscle connections and be able to regain motor control.
Is Occupational Therapy Right For You?
Whether or not someone needs occupational therapy can be assessed through the observation of several factors.
- Changed health condition
After major surgery, serious illness, or a change in mobility level, occupational therapy might be the key to regaining some of the strength you may have lost. Occupational therapy can also benefit those who have suffered a stroke or other type of brain damage.
- Balancing issues
If you are having trouble balancing, or have had a few falls, this should be cause for concern. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of all injuries, both fatal and non-fatal. Occupational therapy can help you regain your ability to balance and help you prevent falls in the future.
- Poor hygiene
A lack of hygiene could be a sign that occupational skills are needed. Occupational therapists teach basic skills including dressing, grooming, and general hygiene. If certain life changes have made it difficult to put on clothes, comb hair, or perform other physical upkeep, occupational therapists can help you find new or easier ways to perform these tasks.
- Low independence
If someone is beginning to wonder if they are going to be able to keep taking care of themselves in the near future, the best way to help them maintain their independence is through occupational therapy. Undergoing occupational therapy can be a good way to make sure that someone still has what it takes to do well on their own.
Find Help Through Occupational Therapy at Theradynamics
At Theradynamics, we are dedicated to taking a holistic approach to our services, treating the person, not just their symptoms. We believe in using the latest and most advanced medical technologies in our practice. The interactive metronome is an advanced occupational therapy tool that offers a wide variety of programs to help you develop your motor skills through scenario games that improve mind-muscle connections. If you or someone you know could benefit from meeting with an occupational therapist, get in contact with us today. We have locations in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and New Jersey.