Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy and Vocational Therapy

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Rehabilitative care gets divided into two categories: physical therapy and occupational therapy. The purpose of rehabilitative treatment is to improve or prevent your condition or quality of life from worsening due to an injury, surgery, or disease.

In this article, we understand the key difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy and insight into vocational therapy.

The key differences

Physical therapy, or PT, aims to enhance your movement, mobility, and function. It can get accomplished by regularly taking the help of a physical therapist who provides physical therapy near you, who can teach you a range of exercises, stretches, and other physical activities.

For example, if you had knee replacement surgery, you may need to meet a physical therapist as a part of your recuperation.

The physical therapist works to strengthen the patient’s knee joint and expand its range of motion, making it easier to move around with less pain and suffering.

On the other hand, occupational therapy, commonly known as OT, aims to make it easier for you to complete daily chores. This type of therapy focuses on enhancing your fine and gross motor abilities so that you can do specified daily tasks. 

The occupational therapist works to improve your home or school environment to be more conducive to your daily activities.

An occupational therapist, for example, may assist someone recuperating from a stroke in relearning daily routines such as dressing and eating with utensils. They might also make home modifications, such as placing a grab bar in the shower, etc.

Who are physical therapists?

Physical therapists are healthcare professionals diagnosing and treating patients of all ages suffering from medical problems or other health-related conditions. It might take a toll on their ability to move and make it difficult to perform day-to-day chores.

Physical therapists offer cost-effective treatment that helps in improving the mobility of their patients and relieves pain while reducing surgery needs and cutting on prescription drugs. 

Physical therapists providing physical therapy near me work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before the person loses it by developing fitness plans and wellness programs.

Who are occupational therapists?

Occupational therapy (OT), an allied health profession, focuses on the therapeutic use of ordinary activities or occupations to address physical, mental, developmental, and emotional conditions that interfere with a patient's ability to do daily tasks.

As a result, an occupational therapist is a healthcare professional who employs therapeutic strategies to help patients improve, recover, or preserve their capacity to do daily tasks.

Vocational therapy

Vocational therapy frequently gets used in conjunction with occupational therapy and physical therapy to assist you in returning back to work following an injury or handicap. A special emphasis is on assessing your strengths to match you with a profession or career that allows you to succeed. Instead of focusing on what's holding you back, a vocational therapist will focus on what you can do. You'll get resources and coaching to help you re-enter the workforce, land interviews, and secure long-term employment.

Vocational therapy definition

Vocational counseling (also known as vocational rehabilitation) is a set of services to improve a person's skills and abilities to perform a given career successfully. 

When to consider vocational counseling?

Vocational treatment works best for traumatic brain injuries, strokes, amputations, physical deformity, and cognitive difficulties. Throughout treatment, each patient's particular abilities and circumstances get carefully evaluated.

When you're recovering from a catastrophic injury or illness, seeking the help of a vocational therapist is extremely valuable because it tackles a facet of healing that can mean the most to you: being able to return to and flourish in the workplace.

To Conclude:

While PT and OT share many of the same goals and treat many of the same ailments, there is a difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy.

If you have a problem that prevents you from walking or moving a body part without pain, you should see a physical therapist. Perhaps you've noticed that simple chores like picking up objects or getting dressed are becoming more difficult for you. Working with an occupational therapist in this scenario may be beneficial. It's critical to discuss the type of therapy suitable for you with your doctor, and they can assist you in understanding the advantages of each therapy and which one is best for your needs.

Our rehabilitation experts at Advantage Care work with patients and their families to develop physical therapy for managing daily living activities and finding ways to return to meaningful living.