Occupational therapy is a relatively new field since the First World War or the beginning of 1900. Many still do not know what type of therapy it provides or provides. I am a practitioner in the field of professional therapy, and I believe that, although they know more about what this field entails, time is still not able to understand its function. Since this is a fairly wide area, it also contributes to general confusion and lack of clarity regarding the type of therapy.
In general, occupational therapy is focused on the functioning and activities of the patient or person in everyday life (ADL) and a healthy balance is achieved through appropriate work, play, rest and recreation. It can also be broken down into four main areas of a wide range of population that are served. Adults, pediatricians, the elderly and mental health. In each area, there are almost endless subgroups of therapy. Some probably belong to all major areas and some of them are exclusive and specific to one area. For example, ADLs are addressed to adults, children, and areas of mental health, but needs in each area vary and change. The balance of work, play, recreation and recreation applies to everyone, but again this varies depending on the area / population served.
For example, adult needs for their ADL are different from a child. The obvious reason is that children are in the process of development, and adults (although they continue to develop through the stages of life) differ in their developmental needs. This is further complicated by the condition or conditions being treated. A premature baby with cerebral palsy, of course, is assigned a different treatment plan than an adult, and, say, carpal tunnel syndrome. This brings us to many specialties in the Professional Therapy category. Manual therapy will be one of the areas under which carpal tunnel syndrome falls. Professional therapists may specialize in a variety of endless areas, too many to go into details here.
Before continuing, I would like to briefly describe the development of occupational therapy as a profession and its basic philosophy. The goal of occupational therapy is to help the patient reach maximum potential and function in life in the common areas mentioned above, simply put, ADL. The name "Professional Therapy" itself entails an act of occupation. The theory and philosophy of occupational therapy is the process of restoring or achieving functional abilities through the use of actions. The basic premise of OT is that the balance of work, rest, play and rest brings, supports and improves ADL and the optimal quality of life.
Historically, professional theory / philosophy therapy developed during World War I to help people with disabilities return to work and continues to evolve. The word "invalid" in itself can aggravate many conditions, not excluding mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Occupational therapists have found that one very important aspect of recovering from any disability is a meaningful occupation. The term “occupation” used in this sense means a lot of things. Craftsmanship is a form of "profession" therapy. Preparing a meal or getting dressed is another one. Most of us take it for granted, but people with disabilities often need to learn to do it again, which most of us do not think about.
Many confuse Professional Therapy with Physical Therapy, and there is an overlap - but they are two very different and separate fields. A professional therapist is working to improve physical and cognitive function, as he turns to ADL and the physical therapist focuses on restoring the damaged function of the body through exercise. Both forms of therapy are the same in many ways, but in the process they affect different areas. Both PT and OT are very important areas and work well together and complement each other.
