OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
This branch of science is derived from the word “occupation” which means treatment through work situations. Each occupation could be exploited to the use of treatment in different types of disabilities namely Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Orthopedic, psychiatric and Mental and Drug addiction. After having seen the effects of this therapy in above-mentioned disorders one gets convinced that of the successful application in healing of these disorders totally or to a great extent.
Healing
qualities of work, play and exercise were recognized a thousands of year ago.
Interrelationships of these three aspects were also recognized early in the
history of civilization.
Use
of play, recreation and past time were a part of life of all primitive people as
is evidenced by the toys, drawings and sculptures found in excavations of
ancient Egypt, Babylonia and china as well as in the cultural remains of the
Aztecs and incase of the western hemisphere work was used by Egyptians men as
leisure involved in outdoor work and time was not spent in idleness. Through the
subsequent years science of Occupational Therapy so developed that it has almost
invaded every aspect of life of present times, to expoit each aspects
therapeutically for different types of disorders of the human beings.
Occupational
Therapy treats the patients by the use of constructive activity in a simulated,
normal living and/or working situation. This is always has been owe function.
Constructive activity is the keynote of Occupational Therapy.
True
OT cannot be used until the patient is capable not only of performing a given
motion but of utilizing it to carry out a constructive activity. OT’s values
lies in teaching the patient by use of constructive activities to transfer the
motions and strength gained by corrective exercise in the therapy sessions into
co-ordinate activity which will enable the patient to become personally
independent and economically self-sufficient.
Occupational
Therapy concern still is for the health and function of each individual within
his or her own environment. It is committed to uniqueness of individual and
fosters the growth and development of each person. Using both medical and social
vantage points, the Occupational Therapist is committed to providing for
development and maintenance of the highest potential in the Biological,
Psychological and social functioning of each individual. It is also recognized
that there is a function-dysfunction continuum that must be considered. It
provides intervention to alleviate dysfunction and to maintain the highest level
of function in all aspects of living through the use purposeful activity.
Because
OT is concerned with both human function throughout the life span and the
uniqueness of the individual, it is essential that practice be based on normal
development process. The nature of the individual and function-dysfunction
continuum, along with pathological processes that may impinge on function, must
be understood so that appropriate Occupational Therapy intervention procedures
may be determined. The impact of purposeful activity must be understood so that
age-appropriate activities may be utilized in the intervention process.
Occupational
Therapy is the science of present times, which has the answers to all the
problems of a sick or disabled person to make him/her a socially viable
individual.