Occupational Therapy: Return to Doing What You Love
Get to Know Occupational Therapy and Other Rehabilitative Services
Say you have a chronic illness and you’re trying to maintain your independence. Or Dad needs to adapt his daily routines after developing tremors due to Parkinson’s. Perhaps after a stroke, a friend is struggling to regain her balance. Maybe your child is struggling to reach developmental milestones.
In all of these situations and so many others, you can turn to an occupational therapist. And in honor of Occupational Therapy Month, we want to show you what occupational therapy (OT) can do—and how it’s different from physical therapy and speech therapy.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is all about empowering you to perform activities of daily life—such as bathing and toileting, using the telephone, preparing meals and climbing stairs-that have become difficult due to disease or injury. We can help improve extremity function and fine motor control after surgery, or even to prevent it.
Occupational therapists often use repetitive actions and activities to help you regain lost skills. For example, if you experience difficulty eating with utensils, you might practice activities to re-develop fine motor skills.
Occupational therapy is all about you—identifying the goals you have for the activities in your daily life that bring you joy and make you feel whole, and then creating a plan to help you do them independently. Sometimes it takes exercises to gain the strength or coordination for your chosen activity. Sometimes you need a more creative solution, like adapting your home. No matter the activity, we can help you reach the right solution.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help rehabilitate any part of the body. You might seek physical therapy to restore your strength and balance; improve your range of motion; reduce pain after surgery or injury; treat underlying medical conditions; or even just take control of your health with preventive treatments.
Speech Therapy
Improved communication skills can positively impact the quality of a child’s life, and we are committed to supporting and empowering each child to reach their goals. Our pediatric program treats speech disorders, impairments and articulation delays.
We also serve adults who have suffered a stroke or brain injury, as well as those experiencing diseases that impair communication, speech or swallowing. Treaments can include physical strengthening exercises, instructive or repetitive practice, or the use of audio-visual aids.
Get Back To Being Yourself Again
“We help people return to normal function,” says Justin Hammer, DPT, Director of Rehabilitative Services. “Whether they have mobility issues, linguistic difficulties, trouble with cognitive processing or need help managing activities of daily living, we can help restore function and make them more independent. And, we’re the only clinic in Artesia that offers outpatient speech and occupational therapy.”
“Receiving therapy is life-changing for many people,” shares Dr. Hammer. “As a therapist, you help people improve their quality of life. It’s very gratifying.”
To learn more about the Rehabilitation Center at Artesia General Hospital, including occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy services, call 575.736.8174.