Do you know the difference between occupational therapy vs. physical therapy? If not, you aren’t alone.
These are both types of rehabilitative care. The goal is to improve or prevent a condition from becoming worse. They also focus on improving a patient’s quality of life after being affected by an illness, surgery, or injury.
While both practices are important, it’s helpful to know the difference between these two therapeutic practices. Keep reading to learn more.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Some people aren’t familiar with occupational therapy or OT. One reason for this is due to its name, which is slightly misleading.
Despite its sound, occupational therapy doesn’t relate to your career. Instead, an occupational therapist helps individuals with many tasks that “occupy” their lives.
This type of therapy is beneficial for people of all ages, too. From babies to those who have retired and everyone in between, OT can help.
If your mental or physical abilities change, undergoing OT can help you regain what you have lost. However, this type of therapy also treats the entire person. This means OT also focuses on things like leisure, socialization, and self-care.
Some of the people that occupational therapists work with include individuals with:
- Developmental disorders like autism
- Traumatic injuries to the spinal cord or brain
- Behavioral or mental health problems
- Sensory processing disorders
- Other injures that keep them from performing normal, day-to-day tasks
The goal of OT is to help a patient take control of their life. It will help the individual learn or relearn how to handle tasks related to living.
What Is Physical Therapy?
With physical therapy or PT, individuals who have been injured or become ill are treated. Usually, these conditions have experienced a reduced range of motions, muscle weakness, or pain.
Some of the people who benefit from physical therapy include those who:
- Have a sprained joint or fractured bone
- Dealing with women’s health concerns
- Musculoskeletal conditions like generalized back or neck pain, temporomandibular joint disorders, or a torn rotator cuff
- Sports injuries
- Cardiopulmonary conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, or post-myocardial infarction
With PT, the goal is to regulate and manage pain while improving muscle weakness, increasing endurance, and improving range of motion. The specific treatment provided by professionals at Performaxphysicaltherapyandwellness.com depends on a patient’s individual needs.
Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: What’s Right for You?
If you believe you may need therapy of some type, it’s a good idea to look at an occupational therapy guide or physical therapy guide to figure out the right treatment for you. This will help you better understand the differences between occupational therapy vs. physical therapy.
Being informed is the best way to know what type of treatment is right for you.
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