“OH, LIKE PHYSIOTHERAPIST?”.

Just some of the usual comments I get when explaining to others what exactly an Occupational Therapist does. Needless to say, the Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists work alongside each other very closely in rehabilitation settings. A reason why PT/OT is a common referral indication by physicians in case notes, a joke some therapists and patients alike refer to as the ‘buy 1, get 1 free promotion’.  But of course, each profession differ in their underlying philosophies and treatment approaches.

If there is a simpler quote that I have come across to distinguish the two, it will be:

Physical therapy teaches you to walk,
Occupational therapy teaches you to dance

This means to say that an Occupational Therapist looks into the basic task of walking, breaks the task down into skill-sets and incorporate them into an activity that is not only important, but meaningful to a patient. Being client-centred – one of the many beautiful things about Occupational Therapy.

Stay tune for my next post on Occupational Therapy and Dance!