Physical Therapy and The Benefits of Occupational Therapy

​Life is filled with a plethora of excitement, movement and constant energy. However, sometimes due to genetics or just other medical reasons, an individual may be born with conditions that will not allow their body to fully function the way that it is normally supposed to. Problems and issues may arise because this person’s life has been hindered because of the fact that they cannot carry out specific motions. In addition, even if an individual was not born with any condition, life happens, and they could become injured at any moment due to various circumstances. Just because someone is injured does not mean that they will stay like that forever, and thus physical and occupational therapy come into play.

​These two types of therapies can work hand in hand to assist people in recovering and healing their muscles. At any age, people can go through physical or occupational therapy to aid in their recovery and build the muscle strength that they may not have been born with or simply could have lost because of an incident. This paper will discuss the similarities, differences and benefits of both physical and occupational therapy within the human body.

During the middle of the 2009-2010 season, Kobe Bryant sprained his ankle. This caused him to miss a total of five games. During this time, he had to have someone to help him get his ankle back healthy in order for him to play. This is where therapy comes in at. There are two types of therapy that are used for people who injury themselves. The first one is physical therapy, and the second one is occupational therapy. Both are used to build muscle strength, but they do have differences and certain benefits that are affiliated with them.

Defining Physical Therapy

​People are placed on this earth to live their life to the fullest and reach their upmost potential. However, life is unpredictable and individuals never know the next time they may get hurt and suffer any bodily injuries or pain. Sometimes people are in so much pain that they need extra assistance to resume the life that they once lived, and this is where physical therapists come into play. Physical therapy is defined as “the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than by drugs or surgery”. Meaning, instead of having to use extremely advanced procedures, physical therapists focus on the part of the body that is wounded and attempts to nurse it back to its original health and maybe even better.

​Physical Therapists (PTs) can be looked upon as “movement experts who optimize quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education”. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) states that the role of a Physical Therapist is to identify and pinpoint a patient’s specific condition or injury, find out what caused it and how it is affecting the body. They then treat it and teach their patients how to regulate and govern their condition in order to continue living the life they were previously living beforehand.

Even though many people have the ability to see physical therapists in the hospital, other physical therapists work in places such as: outpatient clinics/offices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing, extended care or subacute facilities, homes, education or research centers and school. Continuing, PTs also conducts their practice in areas such as hospices, industrial, workplace or other occupational environments and lastly fitness centers and sports training facilities. Although this may be the most common form of therapy, it is not the only kind available to people.

Defining Occupational Therapy

​By definition, occupational therapy is “a form of therapy for those recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life.” In other words, occupational therapists (OTs) help individuals who are having problems that affect their day to day lifestyle. The American Occupational Therapy Association Incorporated says that some of the most frequent situations where occupational therapy is used are “helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes” (About Occupational Therapy).

​The point of OT is to assist patients in coping with their condition and aiding them in carrying out everyday activities that their issue might be hindering them from doing. Some of the things people may have trouble with are simple tasks such as: schoolwork, taking care of certain hygienical aspects, cooking, cleaning, moving around, speaking and many more plain activities.

​During OT, some of the standard procedures that come with treatment include: the assessment and evaluation of an individual, creating a personalized method and procedure to cater to said patient and assist them in developing the ways that they carry out their daily activities and lastly, to draw up a result agenda to ensure that the patient is reaching their goal and if not that they switch up the method and try a different route. OTs may also recommend various types of supplies to place in the patient’s environment in order to accommodate the patient’s condition and aid them in comfortability. One of the main goals of OT is to ensure that the surrounding atmosphere of the patient is one in which they are able to learn and improve with ease.

Similarities, Differences & Benefits of Physical and Occupational Therapy

Similarities

​Though these professions have different titles, they still carry out some of the same duties and have some of the same goals in mind. In accordance with the St. Catherine University Online OT, in both of these careers, the OTs and PTs educate people on how to prevent and avoid injuries, educate people about the healing and recovery process, aid people in developing their ability to execute their daily activities in learning from training and education and lastly playing important roles and specializing in their areas of expertise and knowledge (St. Catherine University, 2017). In addition, these specialists help treat an abundance of people at any age.

​Differences

​There are several components that make it easy to identify Physical therapy from occupational therapy. One of the main contrasts in the practices is what is being treated and for how long. Physical therapy identifies an injury a person may have gotten and fixates a whole treatment plan around the condition of the injury and the damage it has done to the body. PT looks at the income and outcome from a “biomechanical perspective” (St. Catherine University Online OTA, 2017). They map out and plan “individualized treatment plans that can include exercises and games to improve motor skills and strength, as well as massages, muscle stretching, and heat and cold therapy” (MAS Medical Staffing, 2017).

​When it comes to physical therapy for infants, PTs assist children who have disabilities, birth defects, posture issues and problems with their motor skills. Motor skills are learned abilities to generate a predetermined movement result with utmost certainty. Conditions such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, neuromuscular disorders and torticollis hinder a baby’s ability to fully grasp their motor skills. PT also provides young children with alternative movements to do if their body cannot fully perform an ability correctly.

​When it comes to teens and adults, PT helps patients recover from any injury they have by focusing on elements such as dexterity, strength and water exercises to strengthen their muscles. According to a blog by Medical Staffing, PTs use massages, heat and cold therapy, ultrasound and red-light therapy to work on the tissue and muscles throughout the body. Meanwhile, since some older individuals suffer from injuries such as osteoporosis, strokes, hip replacements and hernias, PTs help them with motion that may now be limited or restricted because of how their body is aging. Additionally, type of therapy also teaches patients ways in which they can reduce the pain they may be experiencing within their body. Although occupational therapy works toward similar goals, they have different methods to reach various outcomes.

Occupational therapy works on helping people overcome whatever condition they may possess. They then map up plans to assist these patients in carrying out daily activities that have been hindered or difficult to do because of their condition. Since the condition is something that affects the livelihood of an individual, OTs make plans to take care of the person as a whole, not just one part of the body. They are dedicated to aiding their patient’s everyday bodily movements and depending on the person’s condition, the time needed to treat the patient may be longer than if they just needed physical therapy.

​As mentioned before, occupational therapy is used on individuals of all ages. When treating infants and newborns, the Birth Injury Guide states that OTs work with babies who’s motor skills and sensory processing are not fully intact and functioning like they are supposed to. Some symptoms shown babies are like this are limp muscle tone, hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity and a lack of ingenuity or dexterity. To treat babies with these symptoms, OTs will work to build up muscular strength within the babies with various exercises and equipment catered to the child. In the same manner, for the infants with sensory issues, treatment deals with using distinct acts to help improve those senses that may be lacking.

In the same manner, OTs assist children when they are presented with injuries, chronic conditions, behavioral problems, developmental and physical disabilities. Treatment deals with making sure the children are learning how to do basic functions such as eating and using extra equipment that may be things such as hearing aids, wheelchairs, walkers or anything helping to accommodate them. Meaning that they are focusing on more cognitive tasks that require mental and emotional assistance instead of just physical.

​OT in teens and adults is quite minor and basically just targets the patient’s motor skills if they have been affected by any diseases, as well as teaching patients about their needs and how to go about them. On the contrary, when it comes to seniors there is an abundance that goes into treatment analysis. When senior citizens are impacted by strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or sensory loss they require exercises that will stimulate them physically as well as mentally. Equipping them with tools that help them engage in motion as well as exercises that keep their brain functioning such as coloring, puzzles and balancing help to keep these patients healthy as well as active.

Conclusion

​Therapy is known as the number one solution when it comes to getting people back to their normal lives. This can be achieved through occupational or physical therapy. Physical therapy is using physical methods to treat an injury or disease, while occupational therapy is using activities that a person does throughout their daily life. These forms of therapy are similar in many ways such as having the same goals. On the other hand, they are also very different as they use different methods to make a person whole again. As long as physical therapy continues to be a driving force in the health industry, people will be able to be able to live a normal life again.

References

1. About Occupational Therapy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy.aspx
2. Blog for the Online OTA Program at St. Catherine University. (2017, April 12). Retrieved from https://otaonline.stkate.edu/blog/page/2/.
3. By. (2019, January 25). How Occupational and Physical Therapy Can Benefit All Ages. Retrieved from https://www.masmedicalstaffing.com/2017/02/10/occupational-and-physical-therapy/.
4. Clark, G. F., Watling, R., Parham, L. D., & Schaaf, R. (2019, May 1). Occupational Therapy Interventions for Children and Youth With Challenges in Sensory Integration and Sensory Processing: A School-Based Practice Case Example. Retrieved from https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2733443.
5. Gardner, K. (2019, May 24). Who Are Physical Therapists? Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/aboutpts/.
6. Occupational Therapy & Therapists Explained. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/occupational-rehab#1.