What Is The Difference Between Occupational Therapy And Physical Therapy?
rehabilitative therapies like occupational and physical rehab for seniors to restore health after an illness or injury. If your doctor recommends occupational or physical therapy, you may wonder how these therapies differ. Let’s look at the purpose of these therapies, how they differ, and how they can help with your recovery.
Definition Of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a rehabilitative science that helps individuals recover daily life skills after an illness or injury.
Definition Of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy involves using exercises, heat, and massage to address physical symptoms of illness and injury.
Primary Goals Of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy restores or improves the patient’s daily living skills. Ideally, individuals will relearn how to perform essential tasks or how to complete these tasks with assistive devices.
Primary Goals Of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy’s main objectives are to relieve pain and increase mobility. Physical therapists assign exercises to rebuild muscle strength, help patients move independently, or use assistive devices like walkers.
Critical Differences Between Occupational Therapy And Physical Therapy
Occupational therapists focus on functional motor skills. For example, if a patient has a stroke, they may need to relearn how to button clothes, use a spoon, and write. Occupational therapists identify the motor skills and daily living tasks affected and use treatments to improve the patient’s ability to perform daily living tasks.
Physical therapy typically focuses on gross motor skills. For example, after a stroke, a patient may have difficulty walking. Physical therapy exercises help them rebuild muscle, regain their balance and coordination, and relearn how to walk with or without a walker or cane.
Overlap And Similarities Between Occupational And Physical Therapy
Occupational therapy for seniors in Salt Lake City and throughout the country may include redeveloping gross and fine motor skills. Since walking is part of your daily living skills, it may be part of your treatment plan. Getting in and out of the bath or shower are also daily living tasks, so your occupational therapist may focus on balance and walking skills.
You also need fine motor skills to grip a walker or other assistive devices, so your physical therapy plan may involve restoring hand strength and using your hand to hold objects, which may also be part of an occupational therapy plan.
Related: Skilled Nursing Facility vs. Assisted Living Facility
Common Conditions Treated By Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists treat many mental and physical conditions, including:
- Amputation
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cerebral palsy
- Dementia
- Developmental and neurological disorders
- Diabetes
- Diseases, such as arthritis and cancer
- Fractures
- Hand injuries
- Joint replacement
- Mental health issues, including depression
- Sensory processing disorder
- Spinal cord injuries
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injuries
Older adults may need occupational therapy to retain skills after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis or may need occupational therapy to regain skills affected by an injury, amputation, or illness, such as a stroke.
Common Conditions Treated By Physical Therapists
Common conditions treated by physical therapists include:
- Back pain
- Balance issues
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Diseases, such as arthritis and cancer
- Dizziness
- Fractures
- Frozen shoulder
- Gait problems
- Headaches
- Herniated disc
- Joint replacement
- Limited range of motion
- Musculoskeletal issues, such as lymphedema
- Neck pain
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pelvic floor dysfunction
- Respiratory issues
- Spinal cord injury
- Sports injuries
- Stroke
- Vertigo
Physical therapy helps patients regain their balance and leg strength after a fall, as part of their recovery from cancer, stroke, or an accident injury, or to retain their balance and gross motor skills after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Treatment Methods Used In Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists begin treatment with an evaluation. They will assess your ability to perform specific activities, such as tying your shoes or eating. Your occupational therapist will identify short-term and long-term goals. Suppose you suffered a stroke and can’t get in the shower without help. While bathing independently may be a long-term goal, your occupational therapist may begin with exercises designed to help you regain leg strength and balance. They may teach you to use an assistive device, so you can move without assistance from a caretaker.
Therapeutic exercises are a significant part of occupational therapy. Your occupational therapist will identify exercises to help you improve motor skills, regain strength, and perform specific motions required to complete daily living tasks. For example, suppose you cannot write after a stroke and want to regain that ability. Your occupational therapist can help you regain grip strength by having you scrunch paper, squeeze stress balls, and use hand grips.
Your occupational therapist may also assess your environment to determine how to change it to accommodate your needs and increase your ability to perform routine tasks. Eliminating clutter and improving the lighting are environmental changes they may recommend.
Treatment Methods Used In Physical Therapy
Exercise can help patients regain strength and balance, improve coordination, and manage chronic pain. Exercise can also help people with limited range of motion increase their range of motion. Exercises physical therapists may use include:
- Balance training
- Back lunges
- Bridges
- Floor lateral leg raises
- Quad stretches
- Sitting stretch
- Standing hip flexors
- Straight leg raises
Exercise equipment physical therapists may use include:
- Foam rollers
- Resistance bands
- Therapy balls
Physical therapists may also use cryotherapy, heat, massage, and hydrotherapy as part of their treatment plan.
When To See An Occupational Therapist
You should see an occupational therapist if you’re struggling to perform daily living tasks or have suffered a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or another injury or illness affecting your ability to perform routine tasks.
When To See A Physical Therapist
See a physical therapist after suffering any illness or injury that has caused chronic pain when moving or impaired your ability to move independently. You may need physical therapy to address back or knee pain, assist with recovery from a broken bone, or regain strength while recovering from cancer or a stroke. You should also consider physical therapy if you’re having issues with balance or dizziness because physical therapy could help prevent falls and injuries.
Getting The Rehabilitative Therapy You Need
Monument Health Group’s skilled nursing facilities in Salt Lake City and Bountiful provide on-site occupational and physical therapy for residents. Our elderly care facilities in Bountiful and Salt Lake City enable patients to receive physical and occupational therapy without traveling to appointments, which can be time-consuming and tiring for those recovering from injuries or illnesses. Whether you opt for skilled nursing care in Salt Lake City or choose our skilled nursing facility in Bountiful, you can be confident you’ll receive expert rehabilitative care from professionals who’ll assist with every stage of your recovery.
Contact us to learn more about our skilled nursing facilities.
Sources:
Older Adults. (2024).
Stroke: Stalker of Our Aging Population. (2024).
What Occupational Therapists Do. (2024).