Every hospital has a doctor who doesn’t order occupational therapy. They may order PT and be completely content with the fact that the patient can walk 200 feet. They may even discharge the patient without even thinking about how OT can help. Most doctors don’t know the difference between occupational and physical therapy, and in …
Why doctors don’t order occupational therapy and how to help Read More »
Starting a business may seem stressful and challenging, but taking risks can help you become more passionate about your career. When I started my hand therapy business, I had literally no experience or guidance but it was a great learning experience, and it made my job more meaningful after years of feeling burned out. For …
Working with a patient who has scrotal edema can be a challenge. It can be difficult to get out of bed, use the toilet, get in the shower, or perform any daily routines. Every activity becomes painful, and the only simple solution is to use a sling. A sling can actually provide support and keep …
If you work in acute care, rehab, home health or work with the older population, you may find it helpful to do a quick cognitive assessment to see if you’re patient is safe to be independent with their ADLs or IADLs. The quickest way to do a cognition screening is to have a patient draw …
The best cognition assessments for OT (under 10 min) Read More »
Learning how to splint can be difficult when you’re not doing it all the time. Splinting material can also be costly, and most facilities wont let you practice on expensive materials. Also, you don’t really have the option of messing it up on a patient. So how do you practice splinting and become and expert? …
One of the main reasons people shy away from hand therapy is splinting. You might think you’re not artistic enough or able to craft a good looking splint, but like anything, you become skilled with practice. Splinting without patterns is achieved with practice, visualization, and understanding the purpose of the splint. If you want to …
If you’re a hand therapist, you need to know your hand creases. Creases make splints more functional, and they’re helpful to include in your documentation. The 5 creases every hand therapist should know include Distal palmer crease Proximal palmer crease Thenar Crease Wrist crease MP and IP crease These are the basic wrist creases. Click …
A Sara Stedy, aka sit-to-stand lift, can make transferring so much easier. With little effort, a therapist or caregiver can easily use this device to help someone transfer to a wheelchair, get on and off the toilet, or get in or out of the shower. It’s safe, effective, and really should be recommended to more …
How to use a Sara Stedy (transfer aid) with one or two people Read More »
Today online courses are the new trend for certification and continuing education. With an online course, you don’t have to travel, book a hotel, and they usually have a good refund policy. With all the hype, Medbridge is actually a pretty decent platform for healthcare. If you’re looking for some quality courses and you need …
Medbridge review from a therapist’s perspective (Worth it?) Read More »
Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of patients dealing with pain after wearing a neck brace. The most common complaints I hear are related to discomfort and poor fit. So how do you make a neck brace more comfortable? Most neck braces can be made more comfortable by making adjustments to the angle of …
