Three questions about occupational therapy answered by the experts

Turning to a type of physical therapy that you know nothing about can be daunting. Physical therapists understand this, so they seek to help their patients learn as much as possible about their condition and therapy. 

Occupational therapy can be helpful for many different types of people. However, before you try it, you’ll probably have some questions about it. Here are answers to three common questions about this form of rehabilitation therapy: 

1. What is occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy is a specific type of rehabilitation. It aims to help patients who are disabled or developmentally challenged live a full and independent life. This may involve training patients on simple tasks like dressing themselves or holding utensils for eating and writing. 

In the case of patients who have suffered a stroke, therapists trained in this specialty can provide speech rehabilitation. While it can be used to help patients return to or hold a job, it’s not necessarily work-related physical therapy.

2. What kinds of conditions does occupational therapy treat?

Occupational therapy is a large category that treats a wide array of patients and conditions. Some examples of patients who can benefit from this type of therapy are:

• A stroke patient who needs to learn to dress using only one side of the body
• An amputee who relearns to walk using a prosthetic limb
• A child with developmental disabilities who needs to integrate and socialize in school
• A patient with physical impairments learning to use modified tools to eat and write

3. How long will it take me to get better with occupational therapy?

Every patient and condition is different, and each person responds differently to treatment. The occupational therapist will perform a thorough evaluation on your first visit to develop a treatment plan based on your goals and needs; they can then set a realistic timeline for what you can expect in your rehabilitation.

For example, stroke patients will typically see the most improvement in the first three to four months of treatment. However, many patients can still continue to get better over a year after their stroke. For patients with permanent disabilities, milestones can still be set for when patients would want to be able to do certain things independently. 

Some common tasks patients seek to do independently include: 

• Driving
• Working
• Performing household chores
• Showering
• Dressing themselves

The biggest variable in how long it takes to make progress while in therapy is how much effort is put in by the patient.

Peak Performance offers high-quality occupational therapy

Our Peak Performance team includes caring and dedicated occupational therapists who want to help patients live their full and independent lives. We offer free screenings that can help reveal the issues you need to have addressed. Our team also excels at building individualized therapy plans designed to improve your ability to function independently. 

Have difficulty leaving home for your therapy? That’s OK! Our specialists offer virtual therapy appointments that don’t require you to leave home. We can even get you started with your therapy if you don’t have a doctor’s referral. 

Don’t wait to start getting our help. Contact us today for more information about the therapy services we offer or to schedule an initial appointment.