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Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

Occupational Therapy, more commonly referred to as “OT,” is a type of therapeutic service that focuses on helping a person complete everyday activities more easily, efficiently, and comfortably.

The everyday tasks are usually those that incorporate necessary activities throughout the day and can include functions typically done at work, home, or school. Some examples are:

  • Household chores
  • Eating
  • Basic self-care – bathing and getting dressed
  • Office work
  • Getting in and out of a car
  • Holding a pencil
  • Carrying a backpack

The overall goal of OT is to improve a person’s quality of life in their every day activities by adapting the specific environment and movements to allow the person to function independently.

 

Who can benefit from Occupational Therapy (OT) services?

Anyone who experiences pain or discomfort when they are completing everyday activities can benefit from OT.  It does not matter whether the pain originates from an illness, disability, or injury, only that the task is considered a challenge.
 
People of all ages can benefit from OT.  Babies, children, teens, adults, and seniors can all utilize the services of an OT.

Commonly people who have a disability, are recovering from an injury, are challenged by disease or other health issues are recommended by their doctors for OT. Including those who suffer from:

  • Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
  • Chronic pain
  • Arthritis
  • Vertigo
  • Extremity joint replacement
  • Spine injury
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Balance issues
  • Parkinson’s
  • Type I & II Diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Cerebral Palsy (CP)
  • Birth defects
  • ADHD
  • Low vision
  • Multiple sclerosis

 

At Monmouth Pain for Occupational Therapy, some of the most common patients that come through the doors are those dealing with worker’s compensation injuries. The OT’s at Monmouth Pain have a vast amount of experience in treating work-related injuries in the Monmouth and Ocean County area.
Occupational Therapy - Wrist Treatment

What does an Occupational Therapist (OT) do?

Occupational Therapy practitioners treat both young and old depending upon their training and specialization. OT’s emphasis can be on injury, disability or prevention. In any of those focuses, the Occupational Therapist’s attention is always on adaptation to the person’s environment for better health and performance.  For example, if a person is struggling with certain functions at their workplace, the OT will study the workplace environment to see where adaptations can be made.  If a child is experiencing limitations in school-related activities, the OT will address the specific school environment in which the child needs assistance.

 

What does a typical visit with an OT look like?

During an initial evaluation, the Occupational Therapists at Monmouth Pain will perform a thorough medical history and examination of your area of complaint, injury, or disability. They will assess your home, work or school environment for potential changes to better suit your needs and prevent future issues. Assessment of your everyday activities such as washing dishes at home or operating machinery at your workplace will be an area of focus with proper adaption for better ease and improved performance.

 

Together, both you and the OT will come up with achievable goals keeping in mind any specific needs in your unique case. Adaptation is key.

Treatment and technique methods associated with Occupational Therapy:

  • Manual therapy
  • Fine motor skill training
  • Self-care/home management training
  • Therapeutic activities
  • Therapeutic exercise
  • Training with cane, wheelchair, grabber and other assisted devices.
 

Typical guidance offered by the Occupational Therapist staff at Monmouth Pain:

  • Teach you how to perform household chores with less pain and discomfort
  • Suggest and train usage with an assisted walking device such as a walker or wheelchair
  • Activity of daily living training
  • Injury prevention instruction
  • Balance and gait coaching
  • Work ergonomic education
  • Improvement of motor skills to perform tasks at home and the workplace

What’s the difference between Occupational and Physical Therapy?

This is a frequently asked question. There is often some confusion between these two areas of therapeutic service. As stated above, Occupation Therapy’s focus is in improving household, school, and work-related duties with less pain and limitation. Its very nature helps patients adapt by improving the function of everyday tasks at home, work or school. The OT’s focus is on fine motor control.

Though similar, Physical Therapy aims to decrease pain and improve function due to injury. However, that type of injury and condition is typically different than an OT patient’s. Physical Therapists treat both acute and chronic pain as well as sports-related injures of the spine and extremities. However, PT’s attention is in the treatment of gross motor control, function and stabilization rather than fine motor control and function.

How Can We Help?

If you are searching for Occupational Therapy in the Monmouth and Ocean County area give Monmouth Pain a call for more information. Our licensed OT’s can help answer any questions you may have before your treatment. Even if you would like to simply have a consultation to see if we are a right fit for you, contact us and we will accommodate your request and answer all of your questions.

We have office locations in the following towns:

  • Shrewsbury
  • Wall
  • Freehold
  • Howell
  • Lacey

 

We are here to assist you in meeting your goals.  Call us today for a free consultation ($245 value) at 732-345-1377 or fill out the form on this page to schedule an appointment.