April is Occupational Therapy Month, so it’s the perfect time to learn a little more about our often misunderstood health care field. A lot of people believe that occupational therapists help injured workers get back to work. Although we do help people get back to work, we do a lot more for a wide variety of people!

We can help babies achieve their developmental milestones through planned therapeutic play. We can provide recommendations and adaptations to help an injured worker get back to their job. And, we can help a 75-year-old man get back to being a grandfather after he has had a stroke by working on balance, strength, coordination and memory.

When occupational therapy started in the early 1900s, anything you did during the day to occupy your time was called an occupation. So in basic terms, occupational therapy helps people get back to the job of living and doing the things that they want to do.

Occupational therapists evaluate each patient to determine their problem areas and their specific goals. Then they work together to make an individualized plan for improvement with daily occupations. This evaluation could include assessment of strength, motion, balance, mobility, memory, vision, and gross and fine motor coordination.

Cognitive issues after a stroke or brain injury such as short-term memory, long-term memory, and abstract thinking can affect the ability to balance a checkbook, or follow directions to cook. Occupational therapists focus on how activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, money management and household tasks have been affected by an injury or illness.

In outpatient settings, occupational therapists treat numerous diagnoses such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, hand, shoulder and wrist fractures, hand pain, trigger finger, tennis elbow, shoulder tendonitis, rotator cuff syndrome, stroke, head injury, chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease and spinal cord injury.

Occupational therapists specialize in the rehabilitation of the upper extremity - improving the motion, strength and coordination of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. We examine a person’s range of motion related to their daily tasks. For instance, can you reach overhead to get items out of the kitchen cabinet? Can you bend your elbow far enough to feed yourself? Can you make a fist so you can hold your silverware?

At Aultman, occupational therapists play a vital role in leading our community to improved health. We treat our consumers at all levels of care – acute care (hospital), acute rehabilitation and transitional care (Woodlawn), home therapy and outpatient therapy.

If you think you would benefit from occupational therapy, please talk to your family doctor or orthopedic physician about a prescription for occupational therapy. You can call us to schedule an appointment at any of our locations, listed below.

Aultman West in Massillon
330-834-4101

Aultman Tusc in Canton
330-363-6215

Aultman North in North Canton
330-244-8113

Aultman Carrollton
330-627-6801