Teresa Said:

What is the most common injury physiotherapists come across?

We Answered:

hip joint injury

Lloyd Said:

What are the differences between Occupational Therapists & Physiotherapists?

We Answered:

Both of these fields are very lucrative, and offer the same sort of theme which is rehabilitation and preventative medicine, but I will provide a little bit of description of both areas so that you're better able to decide which one you're most interested in.

Physical therapists work in two different areas. They work in the form of rehabilitation and in the form of preventative medicine. I will touch on the rehabilitation side first. Physical therapists will examine you by assessing your injury and what they can help you with. Then they will create an assessment plan in which they will use modalities such as (TENS {like doctor HO}, Suction Cup Machine, Ultrasound {not diagnostic type, has lower frequencies}, Laser, and hot and cold packs), and create exercise regiments on either improving ROM (range of motion) or like a PMVA program (which helps people after a car accident, and usually will consist of three components, which is working with the modalities, then doing ROM activities, and then a kinesiologist will work with the client and ensure that there is a program that involves core strengthening, and cardio, as well as other activities such as swimming). Please note that programs such as PMVA, or other related programs are only performed after scar tissue has broken up and ROM has increased. This is the part of the program to ensure that the injury will not come back and haunt the person in the future. The other part of the physiotherapy field is preventative medicine. This is where a patient may come in, and want to have a program worked out for them because for instance either with work, or in sports they are wanting to prevent such injuries from occurring. This program will show the patient on how to strengthen the body and to make it so that it limits the possibility of other injuries from occuring.

The Occupational Therapy field on the other hand takes a major twist and change. This field is often either done in conjunction when a patient goes through physical therapy, or just after the time. This type of therapy creates recommendations and medical devices such as adaptive equipment, and how to do things with limited range of motion, or limited ability to create a more independant life. Some of the things that occupational therapists will have to show their patients are things such as how to put on their clothes, how to cook, how to take the bus, how to do a lot of daily activities again. Also, they may be responsible for coming up with some adaptations for the worksite such as adjusting the work station, suggesting voice recognition instead of typing etc.

I hope that this gives you enough of an overview of what both fields do.