What is Occupational Therapy?
It’s a bit of a confusing term, because when we talk about occupation, we tend to think of our paid work. Occupation actually means any meaningful activity we do, be that our paid or volunteer work, or our basic activities of daily living, such as toileting, brushing our teeth, and bathing.
It also includes more complex things, like being able to grocery shop, take care of children, or do the dishes. Leisure activities and play, as well as educational activities are also occupational in nature. Pretty much anything that’s meaningful to you in your day-to-day life is an occupation.
So, occupational therapy is simply a therapist working with you to make your day-to-day activities more functional. In this clinic, I tend to focus on pain and mobility, as well as coordination and balance. By lining up the body structure, alleviating pain, and increasing function, people are more able to do the activities that are meaningful to them.
I try to always frame my practice in terms of what’s important to somebody. If it’s not important for you to be able to run a marathon, I don’t need to focus on helping you run a marathon. However, if it is important for you to be able to hike up a mountain, we’re going to make sure your knees are strong enough to be able to do that, and that your body is resilient enough to be able to do those activities.