So What Exactly Is Occupational Therapy? April Is National Occupational Therapy Month
as “jammed.” A sprain happens when ligaments that hold bones in place with other bones are stretched or slightly torn. Since there are eight bones in the wrist, known as carpals, there are a series of ligaments that hold them in place that are at risk for being sprained in a fall. Unfortunately, a wrist sprain, while painful, takes time to heal; however, that does not mean you need to keep your wrist immobile while it does. Targeted exercises followed by ice therapy and compression are great for helping a wrist stay mobile and strong while it heals. Hand therapy also strengthens the surrounding muscles and tissue to keep the wrist in place during normal activities. This, in turn, helps the wrist heal properly, prevents injury in the future and keeps you from experiencing lasting pain from a simple injury. Wrist Strain Medically, the difference between a wrist sprain and a wrist strain are the soft tissues involved. In a sprain, ligaments are stretched or torn. In a strain, muscles are injured. While most people think of wrists as having ligaments and bones, but not much muscle, the wrist is the attachment site of several muscles in the forearm. It is possible to fall on your wrist, hyperextending the tendons found there, causing them to tear. Strains are treated similarly to sprains. Time, compression, ice, and targeted exercises can help speed the healing process for wrist strains. Although hand therapy is the ideal solution for helping an injured wrist heal, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you anticipate going out in wet weather or walking on slippery surfaces, be sure to wear low-heeled, sturdy shoes with gripping soles and walk slowly and carefully. Your wrists will thank you for it!
Occupational Therapy and physical therapy are very similar. Both forms of treatment have been around since the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. They both focus on injury prevention and avoidance and educate about the healing process, as well as assist in improving their client’s ability to perform daily activities, but occupational therapy has a different focus. While physical therapy focuses on the physical rehabilitation of the body from an injury or condition, occupational therapy focuses on rehabilitating the patient’s shoulders, arms, or hands so that the patient can return to normal, daily activities, especially for tasks for their job or occupation. Occupational therapy also takes the patient’s mental and social skills into account in an effort to develop, recover, and maintain the patient’s meaningful activities or modify and adapt to life’s challenges. It only takes one slip, fall, or accident to suffer from a hand, arm, or shoulder injury. But if you happen to suffer the misfortune of a broken hand or injured shoulder, occupational therapy can help you return to a normal life. Broken Bone When it comes to slipping and falling, the most common injury to a wrist is a buckle fracture, or incomplete fracture to the radius. Buckle fractures are most commonly treated with a splint or cast while the bone heals. Once the splint is removed, the wrist, hand, and fingers will be weaker than they were before the injury since they have not been in use. This is where occupational therapy or hand therapy treatment program comes in–to regain the strength and mobility in your wrist to avoid injury to the weakened tendons, ligaments and muscles. Wrist Sprain Another injury commonly suffer after a fall is a sprained wrist. Though no bones are broken, there is still pain and tightness, sometimes described
Call Johnson Physical Therapy at 970.564.0311 to schedule your appointment with a physical therapist today!
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