What is Occupational Therapy
OT focuses on helping individuals recover from physical, cognitive or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life. OT is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupation.) Occupational Therapy can address various problems from auto accidents, brain injuries, stroke, post-op surgery, illness and deconditioning. Common orthopaedic injuries that occupational therapists can address are those related to shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. In addition, OT can work on cognitive issues from traumatic brain injuries, stroke, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, in order to address problems with memory, thinking, attention, vision and life skills like organising medication, paying bills, cooking etc.
Occupational Therapy Programs at Tririga Rehab, LLC
Orthopedic
Orthopedic occupational therapy addresses of orthopedic conditions involving the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. At Tririga’s physical rehabilitation centre, we provide individualised, comprehensive treatment to regain mobility, function and decrease pain to return to productive living. Occupational therapists treat conditions ranging from rotator cuff tears, soft tissue injuries such as Tennis Elbow, to nerve neuropathies such as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In addition, OT addresses fractures to the upper extremity and post op surgery.
Treatment:
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Cognitive rehabilitation is an occupational therapy treatment method that help improve cognitive functioning after a brain injury such as traumatic brain injury or stroke. Degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia can benefit from cognitive rehab to provide education, compensatory techniques, family and caregiver training on how to maintain cognitive functioning and habits/routines longer. It is important to exercise your brain, just like physical exercise is good for your body. After a brain injury, your brain needs to stay active in order to preserve function and regain back previously learned skills. Tririga’s expert cadre of occupational therapists provides brain stimulation and supports neuroplasticity (the ability for your brain to change and adapt) through the treatment of increasing aware of the problem, retraining or practising the cognitive skill, memory strategy training and using all the above techniques in everyday activities to increase independence.
Cognitive Rehabilitation can address:
Work Hardening Program
The goal of a work hardening program is to help individuals who want to return to their occupation or work after an injury, by offering endurance and body mechanic training to simulate job responsibilities. Occupational therapists for such training device real or simulated work activities to restore physical, behavioral and vocational activities including pushing, pulling, crouching, lifting, bending, sitting or twisting. An example includes providing education to a parent on proper body mechanics to care for a child or practicing proper body mechanics in order to return to a manufacturing job to reduce the risk for re-injury.
