Orthopedic injuries include but are not limited to spinal injuries, repetitive motion injuries, trauma accidents, amputations and joint replacements. The therapist will assess the abilities that the individual had prior to the injury, as well as expectations of future lifestyle. The Occupational Therapist may consult with family members, the treating physicians as well as other professionals to develop a program that will best suit the expectations of those involved.
The Occupational Therapist implements treatment strategies which emphasize getting the individual to participate in daily tasks such as basic self-care, employment or education and training, as well as social and recreational activities.
The therapist may also help to find and assist in using mobility supports and wheelchairs. Cognition processes include but are not limited to orientation, attention, perception, problem solving, memory, judgment, language, reasoning, and planning. Healthy cognitive faculties are essential for processing internal and environmental information during ones daily activities. In doing so, the Occupational Therapist facilitates recruitment of underutilized brain pathways as well as improving functional skills by adapting activities and retraining.
Enabling people to more fully participate in self-care, work, leisure, and community activities enhances their quality of life while reducing the burden on caregivers and societal resources.
In cooperation with other members of the healthcare team, many of these issues can also be addressed at the neuronal level, utilizing Neurofeedback interventions, thus retraining neurologic processes associated with brainwave disregulation.
