Occupational therapists work with clients to restore previous abilities and develop strategies to maintain independence. They play a crucial role in helping adults live full, pain-free, and productive lives. Consider the following reasons adults should explore occupational and physical therapy in Baton Rouge.
1. Improving Your Posture and Your Ability to Move
At some point in life, you start to notice that certain movements can become more difficult. Additionally, strength may decline, and recovery after strenuous activity can take more time. Your OT can design an exercise program to help you:
- Improve posture and body positioning
- Increase physical strength and endurance
- Improve flexibility and regain lost range of motion
2. Learn to Do Things Safely
It can be tough to change basic daily activities after years of doing certain things the same way. However, small changes in behavior and movement can often make tasks more accessible to your changing body. They can also make your daily routine more efficient and comfortable.
In addition to changing your physical movements, minor modifications to your surroundings can also have a significant impact. Occupational therapists often perform home assessments to see what obstacles can be removed to improve safety and efficiency. This could include things like moving frequently used items to a more accessible location in the kitchen, using adaptive equipment where necessary, or adjusting your vehicle settings to fit your body better.
3. Significantly Lessen the Pain
Many different things cause chronic pain. For example, you may have an old injury that didn’t heal correctly, or you could have weakness in one muscle that results in a corresponding overuse of another. Regardless of what causes your chronic pain, learning how to manage and overcome it is crucial. Many patients can do this naturally and without prescription medications.
Increasing muscle strength around the affected areas is crucial in reducing joint and spinal pain. Your occupational therapist will study your current movements and limitations and develop an exercise program to strengthen weak areas. As a result, you will grow stronger and more confident while reducing perceived pain.
4. Improve Vision
Visual ability decreases are common in adults, especially after age 40. However, many people do not realize that many types of vision loss can be minimized; some can even be reversed.
Explore occupational therapy near me to find an OT who can identify the causes of your vision difficulties and build a therapeutic program to counter them. For many clients, this includes eye exercises to strengthen relevant muscles and balance the use of each eye.
There are also many different types of visual aids that you can use to compensate for vision loss. Again, occupational therapists know what aids are available and how to use them, so they are an excellent resource if your vision has reached this point.
Learn More About Benefits of Occupational Therapy
As an adult, you are likely aware of your body’s limitations. However, they do not have to define what you can and cannot do long-term. Look into options for occupational and physical therapy near Gonzales today to learn more about the benefits of working with an OT.
