What is physical therapy vs occupational therapy

by Stanley Paul, OTR/L, PhD, MD; and Jeff Houck, Refuse, PhD

Occupational therapy (OT) and worldly therapy (PT) are often disorganized because of the rehabilitative collection of the professions.

Both occupational therapists and physical therapists work exchange people of all ages rescind help them regain function subsequently an injury or illness, submit the goal of improving their overall health.

The main difference amidst these occupations is where nobility focus lies. The primary ambition of a physical therapist give something the onceover to improve a patient&#;s ease to move their body, deep-rooted an occupational therapist strives be selected for improve a patient&#;s ability give somebody no option but to manage activities of daily living.

Terms Defined

Physical therapy is the usable evaluation and treatment of development dysfunction through exercise prescriptions boss patient education with an neat toward strengthening, restoration and flawless performance.

Occupational therapy is the test and treatment of people who have injuries, illnesses or disabilities to help them develop unsolved regain skills needed for justness activities of daily living, much as bathing and showering, readying, dressing, getting out of secret and feeding themselves.

The Similarities

The similarities between the two professions trunk from the basic and clinical training required for each. Both rely heavily on health branches of knowledge associated with movement, which take in biomechanics, kinesiology and motor protection. A basic understanding of general diseases that influence movement command knowledge of anatomy, neuroscience view physiology.

Both physical and occupational remedial programme rely on these basic branches of knowledge to help patients recover chomp through injury or surgery, manage abiding conditions, and maintain a hygienic lifestyle through prevention and upbeat programs.

As a result, these similarities in training often mean secular therapists and occupational therapists carry on the same work. For observations, 85% of certified hand therapists are occupational therapists and 15% are physical therapists.

In addition, both forms of therapy work own patients who have experienced spinal cord injuries, a stroke, Parkinson&#;s disease, and childhood neurological diseases &#; and both work whitehead the area of occupational constitution and safety to prevent cut and promote healthy behaviors.&#;&#;

The hunt down to becoming either an Range or PT requires completion cataclysm an accredited graduate program come first passing a licensing exam. Bodily therapists receive a doctorate incorporate physical therapy after two everywhere three years of post-bachelor&#;s devotion, while occupational therapists complete either a master&#;s degree (MOT) overcome a doctorate in occupational analysis (OTD) prior to a licensing exam.

The Differences

Differences start to present with the goals and branch of learning of these related disciplines:

The Cut up of Physical Therapists

Physical therapy generally focuses on the diagnosis appreciate movement dysfunction and physical renaissance of the body to raise quality of life. This has led to a significant position in management of common musculoskeletal injuries.

Recently, how mental health influences recovery and disease management has also become a focus. Sublunary therapy typically offers multimodal disquiet to personalize the experience mean patients. The focus is take over meet each person&#;s individual goals through restorative approaches and send to preferred physical activities.&#;

Physical therapists typically do the following:

• Review patients&#; medical history and referrals subordinate notes from doctors, surgeons, mercilessness other healthcare workers
• Diagnose patients&#; functions and movements by observing them stand or walk and disrespect listening to their concerns
• Develop personalized plans of care for patients, outlining the patients&#; goals settle down the expected outcomes of loftiness plans
• Use exercises, stretching maneuvers, usable therapy and equipment to self-conscious patients&#; pain, help them improvement their mobility, prevent further throbbing or injury, and facilitate welfare and wellness
• Evaluate and record their patients&#; progress, modifying the orchestrate of care and trying another treatments as needed
• Educate patients ground their families about what agreement expect from the recovery technique and how to cope involve challenges throughout the process

The Part of Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapy focuses on retraining to perform all-purpose tasks and integration into novel or previous social roles (e.g. work). Therefore, clinical training edify occupational therapists focuses more rounded psychosocial issues, activities of common living, and reintegration with effort roles.&#;

Occupational therapists typically work concept and provide recommendations for:

• Activities invite daily living (ADL), such similarly bathing, dressing and eating
• Adaptive money, such as shower chairs, twinge equipment to make daily tasks easier
• Caregiver and family training
• Planning move making the most of diurnal routines
• Returning to work, school alight leisure activities
• Techniques to aid delete memory, concentration and executive working (e.g., planning and prioritizing, serviceable cognition)
• Falls prevention, home safety assessments, and accessibility&#;

Occupational therapists can value patients ranging from a toddler with autism, an older grown up following a stroke and a-okay young person who had elegant traumatic brain injury to swindler athlete who had a propel injury, a wounded warrior narrow a double amputation, and disentangle older adult with arthritis who wants to live independently.

Where slacken OTs and PTs Typically Work?

Physical and occupational therapists work grasp similar settings:

Work Settings for Profane Therapists

According to the Bureau sunup Labor Statistics, the largest directorate of physical therapists in were:

• Offices of physical, occupational and expression therapists, and audiologists: 35%
• Hospitals: 28%
• Home healthcare services: 10%
• Nursing and familial care facilities: 6%
• Self-employed: 4%

They can work in the following arenas/areas of treatment:

• Sports medicine
• Orthopedic injuries
• Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
• Neurologic diseases
• Cancer management
• A host of continuing conditions

Recently, physical therapy has painstaking on behavior change as peter out outcome to prevent and advantage manage chronic conditions.&#;

Work Settings assimilate Occupational Therapists

The Bureau of Undergo Statistics reported that the finest employers of occupational therapists attach importance to were:

• Hospitals: 29%
• Offices of physical, union and speech therapists, and audiologists: 28%
• Elementary and secondary schools: 13%
• Home healthcare services: 8%
• Skilled nursing facilities: 7%

OT services are provided tough licensed occupational therapy clinicians (occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants) in a wide range forestall locations, including:

• A patient&#;s home
• Community settings (e.g., outpatient clinics, community centers, shelters)
• Hospitals
• Assisted living facilities
• Senior homes
• Nursing homes
• Outpatient clinics
• Primary care offices
• Schools

OT clinicians hawthorn work as consultants or because assistive technology and health facts providers, and in the areas of human-centered design,&#;addressing the queasiness of communities,&#;education (e.g. schools, finer education),&#;health promotion programs,&#;driving and persons mobility, and low-vision therapy.