Whether your job requires you to spend your day cranking out content on a keyboard or you’re a full time parent with a kid on either arm, you don’t realize how much you use your hands and wrists until they start to hurt. Many people deal with upper extremity pain, but a lot of people don’t know that occupational therapy can offer solutions. From carpal tunnel to post-surgery recovery, occupational therapy can help you get back to your daily actives and live a pain-free life.
First of all, what is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a type of therapy that helps people recuperating from illness perform daily tasks that various ailments and conditions might otherwise prohibit them from completing. Basically, occupational therapy helps you perform activities that pain has previously stopped you from doing.
How is it different from physical therapy?
Many people don’t know the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy. While they are both practices that help people rehabilitate and regain function, the two practices have some core differences. Physical therapists generally work with people to recover from injuries. They are focused on healing the physical injuries, such as damaged tissues or other physical problems. Occupational therapists are focused on helping a person be able to perform their daily tasks despite physical setbacks. Where a physical therapist might help someone be able to bend and straighten their elbow after a broken arm, an occupational therapist might help the same person be able to button their shirt, cook, or complete other tasks while recovering.
What are the benefits of occupational therapy?
Oftentimes, we don’t realize how much we use our hands and wrists until they hurt. When you feel pain when typing on your keyboard, brushing your teeth, or performing other basic functions, it can take a toll on you and your family. The goal of occupational therapy is to get you back to what you want to be doing, and enable people to participate fully in their everyday lives.
How does it work?
Occupational therapy can happen in a number of different ways, but at Rue and Primavera we typically offer 45 minute sessions in our large, open occupational therapy space. Sessions can also be done in private, but many patients enjoy this open, relaxed environment. We have three occupational therapists whose with expertise treating upper extremities on our staff. Our goal is to understand your condition and work to increase your mobility and decrease pain.
What sort of hand and wrist injuries can occupational therapy help you recover from?
Occupational therapy can help people recover from a variety of hand and wrist injuries.Common ailments include carpal tunnel, ganglion cysts, sprains, fractures, dislocations, tennis elbow, recovering from surgery, and others.
If you have upper extremity pain or are recovering from hand or wrist surgery, occupational therapy may be able to help. Our therapists would love to help you thrive in your daily life so contact us today!
