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? […]
How to practice splinting for hand therapy Read More »
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
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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
5 Hand Creases every hand therapist should know Read More »
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 »
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
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Are you tired from working at the same job for 40 hours every week? Are you tired of the drama? If so, PRN OT might be for you. Working per diem can be confusing and sometimes difficult to justify unless the pay outweighs the benefits. I’ve worked as a PRN OT for 8 years being
Why working as a per diem OT is worth it Read More »
As an OT, I see patients after cervical fusions on a regular basis. Normally I’m instructing them to avoid movements such as bending, lifting, and twisting but almost all my patients ask how they’re supposed to shower when they go home. In general, patient’s can shower if their incision is safe to get wet, but
How to shower with a neck brace? Read More »
I’m not sure I’m qualified to write this post, but I thought it might be helpful for anyone looking to grow. I think being great at anything requires the ability to distance yourself from fear. That might include fear of rejection, fear of failure, and fear of conformity. To that thought, I’d like to talk
What makes an amazing Occupational Therapist? Read More »
Occupational therapy school is stressful but having OT loans for the next 5, 10, 20 years is even more stressful. When I was in OT school, I worked in the financial aid department and looked into every possible way to pay off my OT loans quicker. I’ve found that the quickest way to pay off
7 tips on how to pay off your OT loans faster Read More »
I recently saw a patient in the hospital with radial nerve palsy, and was surprised that most doctors and therapists don’t know the best splinting options for this diagnosis. Radial nerve palsy results in wrist drop or the inability to extend the wrist and digits. The digits and wrist will still flex, because the median
Splinting for Radial Nerve Palsy (wrist drop) Read More »
