Occupational therapy has many benefits, but one of the most important is how it can help you regain your independence after an illness or injury. The loss of independence is often thought of as something that only affects the elderly, but in reality, a serious health incident can steal it from you at any age. Meanwhile, therapy can help you get it back no matter how old you are.
How Occupational Therapy Helps You Get Your Independence Back
Health problems ranging from broken bones to various diseases can make it hard or impossible to safely complete what are known as the “activities of daily living” – things like cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, and things like getting up from the toilet.
Since these activities are essential for being able to live without help, they are the ones you need to focus on to regain your independence.
The success rate of occupational therapy depends in part on the injury that has caused your disability. If you have become weak due to an extended amount of time in a chair or hospital bed due to a problem like a broken bone or a short-term disease, treatment will almost always be effective as long as you are willing to follow your therapist’s instructions.
Occupational therapy can be intimidating to some thanks to exaggerated news reports of the process. Don’t be intimidated by stories of sports stars who have to exercise for hours every day to get their game form back. Reaching into a cabinet is much easier than tackling someone while running down a football field!
