THE FIELD OF PHYSICAL THERAPY (PT) is commonly understood to help people alleviate aches, pains, and post-surgery conditions. Less understood is the relatively newer field of occupational therapy (OT), for which to get a clear picture we turn to the aftermath of World War I.
What was then the War Department, now the Defense Department, employed civilian women called reconstructive aides. They helped soldiers wounded in body and mind— many suffered from a condition called shell shock, now referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—rebuild their lives.
As told by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in 2017, on the 100th anniversary of OT’s recognition as a health field: “Commanding officers were often resistant to having women in military camps assisting in the advancement of anguished soldiers. When an Army captain asked RA Ora Ruggles how she would help the soldiers, she brought to life the lessons of occupational therapy in her response. ‘Finding and teaching occupations will take their minds off of their misfortunes,’ she replied. ‘It’s not enough to give a patient something to do with their hands, you must reach for the heart as well as the hands. It’s the heart that really does the healing.’” Ruggles is regarded as a pioneer in the development of OT.
Sara Tusing is a part of the Ora Ruggles occupational therapy family tree. Tusing, an occupational therapist with The Toledo Clinic, is aware of her field’s roots.
“We come from more of a mental health background,” she said. For example, if a patient’s hand hurts so much that it affects their daily routine, occupational therapists focus on “what can we do to get them back to daily living despite their hand hurting.”
Tusing continued, “We focus on helping somebody gain their independence, whether it be through teaching them exercises or teaching them activity modifications or teaching them ways to adapt to their environment. We also educate them on how they can safely return to activities of daily living. We typically work with people who have suffered brain injuries or orthopedic injuries, those recovering from an illness, or those recovering from surgery.”
She said, “Physical therapy has more of a background in physical biomechanical training, muscles, nerves, and bones. When a patient has a knee replacement, physical therapy makes sure they can bend their new knee and put weight on it and teach them to use an assistive device to navigate their environment.” Tusing said occupational therapy’s role with that new knee recipient is “can that patient put on their socks and shoes, put their clothes on to get to an appointment, use the toilet, and manage basic self-care needs despite the recent knee surgery.
“A lot of people think ‘I don’t need OT,’” she said. But that particular form of therapy is important. “It’s looking at what we do to occupy our time. Whether that be a job or something as basic as getting up out of bed and taking a shower in the morning. OT can help patients with more basic selfcare and more advanced activities of daily living—not just a job.”
Unlike many health fields where patients seek out care and treatment, “99 percent of patients we see are referred to us by a doctor, whether a primary care physician, orthopedic surgeon, or rheumatologist.”
The Toledo Clinic offers therapy at two locations: 4235 Secor Road in Toledo and 7640 Sylvania Avenue in Sylvania.
She added occupational therapists sometimes make home visits “to assess the patient’s safety and to assess the need for any durable medical equipment. They would also educate the patient and/or family on how to properly use these items.”
Tusing said, “As Baby Boomers are aging, they need therapy services more. It’s important for an aging population to be aware of how occupational therapy and physical therapy can help them. As they get older, they want to avoid injury and avoid living in a nursing home. The rehabilitation world can teach them strategies to be safer and stay in their home.”
Tusing’s advice: “If someone is struggling with a daily activity, like being able to use their hands effectively for their job or household chores, talk with their doctor and say they notice their hands feel sore and stiff. That doctor may try occupational therapy. People should speak up.”
Dennis Bova is a freelance writer and editor. ✲
