Occupational therapy according to the definition given by the Spanish Association of Occupational Therapists is an:
“Socio-health discipline that assesses the person’s ability to perform activities of daily living and intervenes when that ability is at risk or impaired for any cause.”
In general there is a wide ignorance of the existence and usefulness of occupational therapists. Our goal is to improve the independence of those people who, as a result of a neurological disease, have difficulty in performing the following tasks:
- Basic activities of daily living, which, as their name suggests, are those essential for living (feeding, dressing, grooming).
Cutlery adapted for food
- Instrumental activities of daily living, which are those aimed at improving the person’s ability to live self-sufficiently in his or her usual environment (control of medication intake, computer use, driving).
Ball mouse for people with reduced mobility.
- Advanced activities of daily living, which although not indispensable for life, are related to the way of living it (e.g., leisure activities, participation in groups, travel).
Wheelchair adapted for sports.
To achieve this goal during our therapy we carry out various activities aimed at
- Encourage motivation.
- Acquire the Activities of Daily Living.
- Improve joint movement, strength and motor skills of the extremities.
- Prevent and reduce impairment and functional limitations.
- Encourage the development of social skills.
- Enable the use of support products.
- Eliminate architectural barriers and adapt the environment.
- To favor access to the labor market.
Neurological diseases that can lead to decreased autonomy include :
- Acquired brain damage (stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumors and infections of the nervous system).
- Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s disease, parkinsonisms, dementias)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neuromuscular diseases (Guillain-Barre Syndrome, radiculopathies, muscle diseases)
- Infantile cerebral palsy
To achieve optimal results, the occupational therapist first performs relaxation and/or stimulation exercises and then others aimed at facilitating the performance of the activities of daily living mentioned above.
- Fine motor skills exercises (e.g., stringing balls on a string by pinching with all fingers, placing pieces of different sizes on a perforated plate).
- Coordination exercises (e.g., take coins until the hand is full and release them one at a time by pushing with the thumb).
- Joint mobility exercises (e.g., performing a tower of cubes).
- Sensory stimulation exercises (e.g., putting your hand in a sandbox, looking for and recognizing objects with your eyes closed).
In conclusion, the objective of Occupational Therapy is to prevent or correct the person’s disability through occupation and through various activities.
[toggle_item title=””AUTHOR”” active=””true””]
Montserrat Ibañez
Montserrat Ibañez, Occupational Therapist specialized in neurorehabilitation and member of the Neurorehabilitation Unit team.[/toggle_item]
