Group items tagged

This site by the Mayo Clinic offers an easy guide for treatments choices and available medications along with the possible side effects.

Food Choices will not act as a panacea for arthritis, but they can have a positive or negative effect on the condition. This article lists 10 foods that help and hurt someone with arthritis.

This youtube video by Markerbot and Robohand shows how two men use a 3D printer to design and make prosthetic hands.  The 3D printer allowed them to make cost effective mechanical hands for boys born without hands.  The mechanical hands work due to 'tenodesis grasp'.  The video specifies the need for an OT to strengthen the wrist for better use of the hand and a need for an OT to fit the gauntlet and hand cap.  Is this the future of prosthetics?  The possibilities of 3D printing are limitless when being used to make not only prosthetic hands but various adaptive equipment solutions for all populations.

Great video Kellie!

This study explores how effective energy conservation techniques are for three tasks: shopping for groceries with a grocery bag vs. a shopping cart, washing clothes while standing vs. sitting, and hanging clothes to dry at shoulder height vs. waist height. The subjects were divided by age; one group was 60 or < and the other group was over 60. Read this article to find out why two of the EC techniques benefited only the younger group. This study raises interesting questions about considering clients' contexts before suggesting EC techniques.

This article is full of helpful information for post stroke patients. it address several potential difficulties and ways to avoid them such as, taking breaks, knowing side effects of medications you are taking and what effects they may have on your sexual performance, experimenting to see what techniques or positions work best for you and more

This is an interesting association called Adaptive Design Association that works with PT, OT, and parents to help make your own adaptive equipment out of cardboard and other resources.  You can design specific and client centered equipment that is very cost effective.     Truly amazing!

This article is very technical at times, but describes therapeutic ultrasound and its use nicely. It describes thermal and nonthermal effects and which form is used when. There are different reasons to use each like pain, stretching collagen, or to increase blood flow. What was really interesting was the use of ultrasound to facilitate the delivery of medication administered on the skin. Precautions and contraindications were included.

Great infographic on the long term effects of stress on the body. Infographics are easy to read for all populations of patients and they can be an easier way to communicate with diverse patients especially if there is a language barrier.

Findings are showing that even so-called mild concussion has long-lasting effects, including anxiety, personality changes and even Parkinson-like symptoms in older adults.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of static resting splints in an early RA population. The study hypothesis was that there would be a difference in the change of hand function after 12 months in patients with early RA who received standardized occupational therapy plus static resting splints compared with standardized occupational therapy alone.

Study conducted to look at the effectiveness of PAMs

This source lists many ways occupational therapy practitioners can help cancer patients maintains or regain meaningful activities.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that accelerates the rate at which your skin cells grow. An effective method to treat psoriasis is phototherapy or light therapy.

Psoriasis is an auto-immune illness that affects almost three percent of the world's population. People who suffer from psoriasis experience a great deal of skin irritation and discomfort.

Yet another benefit of taking fish oil. It tends to help with RA and has added health benefits from way back in the olden days. Even at my age I am taking my fish oil daily! Last semester we learned it helped ward off effects of dementia also.

This article is useful because it points out that contact plans are not just beneficial for safety! Virtual technology can be incorporated and effectively decrease loneliness, promote self- efficacy, and assist families in connecting no matter how close or far away they may live from their loved one.

I think pinterest is a great place to get wonderful ideas to make your own assistive devices. This is cost effective for us as therapist and for our patients as well.

Looks like we had the same idea. I should have looked before I posted :/

Discover how the WalkAide changed the life of Davy (stroke survivor) by enabling him to effectively manage his Foot Drop. WalkAide is a sophisticated FDA cleared medical device that uses advanced tilt-sensor technology to analyze the movement of your leg.

The mission of the VA Center of Excellence for Limb Loss Prevention and Prosthetic Engineering is to provide broad based investigators the opportunity to conduct basic and clinical research and effectively disseminate their findings in an effort to impact the quality of life and functional status of veteran amputees and veterans who are at risk for amputation.

Amputee Coalition is a national non-profit organization providing extensive resources, peer support, outreach and education to individual amputees, amputee caregivers, limb loss professionals and those dealing with the effects of limb loss.