Occupational Therapy
Defined: “1: a health, wellness, and rehabilitation profession; 2: looks at the whole person:
3: devises positive strategies for everyday living; 4: customizes environments;
5: develops and maximizes potential; 6: achieves outcomes, e.g. Living Life to its Fullest.”
Jim Coleman, Ltd
As an occupational therapist I use a self-empowerment focus, with assessments to determine the underlying causes and needs, working with you to plan a program to meet your goals and work on your wellness pathway. I focus on small steps to make changes which are sustainable, supportive, and manageable to your wellness path.
If you would come in with shoulder or arm pain, my initial focus would be to reduce the pain but also to determine the cause. I might teach you a way to reduce the muscle or tendon spasm to reduce pain or stiffness in a muscle or joint, that you could do at home.
Hand Therapy
I am a certified hand therapist with over 35 years of experience, and certified since 1996. I use all the tools in my toolbox to first reduce pain, then help you to move and function better. Some of the tools might be myofascial release to work on soft tissues, muscle energy to improve joint alignment, or vagus nerve exercises to reduce stress in the body. I am most helpful with those who have chronic problems, soft tissue dysfunction, stiffness, and/or pain.
Please note: I no longer fabricate splints
Integrative Manual Therapy
Integrative Manual Therapy is my primary hands on modality, which is whole body focused, identifying the primary source or underlying causes of a problem rather than treating symptoms. My goal is to help restore wholeness with less pain and more flexibility.
The body is interconnected and often the site of pain or dysfunction may not be the area that needs treatment. I often find referred areas in the body, or sites in the body that are influencing your symptoms, which are not close to the site of your symptoms, but they are connected. Often these connections may be past trauma either physical or emotional. These traumas can be illness, accidents, or surgeries.
I will explain as much as you are interested in hearing, and learning. My hope for our work together, is you begin to be more in touch and connected with your body and find that communication to be beneficial to your and your health and wellness pathway.