Occupational Therapy in District of Columbia

 Occupational Therapy - a method of restoring the functions of the body of the sick person. It includes a variety of workflows used medically.

The basis of  Occupational Therapy constitute recovery of motor skills, systematic training of industrial and household moves. Normalizing the psyche and by stimulating the function of the affected organ, occupational therapy is the main component in the entire system of rehabilitation of patients. In the process of occupational therapy applied activities such as drawing, modeling, locksmithing and Carpentry works, sewing and weaving, cleaning, working in the garden and others.

 Occupational Therapy is aimed at preventing the development of subsequent pathological changes manifesting in the tissues of the musculoskeletal system, which restrict motor function. The methodology of application of labor processes includes the physiology of labor movements. Injury, various orthopedic diseases, pathology of the spine and nervous system lead to the development in patients the heavy functional disorders that disrupt work capacity. Such disorders often lead to disability.

Earlier use of means of Occupational Therapy helps partially or completely restore the patient's work capacity, helps prevent disability and acquire self-service skills.

The objectives of Occupational therapy in the recovery period include:

• rendering psychological and general tonic effects on the body of the patient,
• social reintegration,
• restoring of consumer and professional skills, the recovery of functions that were lost.

The main factors of occupational therapy are: to determine the level of occupational disability; making of simple adaptations that will help develop in a patient self-service skills; recovery of working skills, motor functions and training to kinds of activity, that come in handy to a patient in everyday life.

In  Occupational Therapy are three main forms:

• Production occupational therapy, which prepares the patient to the professional activity. Such a form is carried out in similar conditions to the production (at the stands, simulators, machine tools and so on);
• A fortifying occupational therapy, which is aimed at maintaining the work capacity in a situation with long-term course of the disease;
• Restorative occupational therapy, which aims to restore lost functions or prevention of disorders of movement.

Among labor operations are the following groups:

• Occupational therapy, which develops coordination, and increased sensitivity of the fingers. It includes printing, weaving, knitting and other exercises.
• Occupational therapy, which develops strength and endurance of muscles in his hands. It includes such exercises as the work with a File, Planer, molding, and others.
• Occupational therapy with light work. It includes the production of gauze masks, toys, winding yarn, Cartoning and other works.

The main indications for a functional (regenerative) function of Occupational Therapy:

• Limiting the amplitude of movements in the joints;
• Reduction of strength and tone of muscles;
• Poor coordination of movements after injuries, operations, inflammatory processes, diseases of peripheral nerves, and others.

During the period of Occupational Therapy, patients are constantly under the supervision of instructors, medical personnel, doctor occupational therapist.