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The Differences Between Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

Jul 9, 2015 | Students

When it comes to rehab therapy, the two most common professions that come to mind are occupational therapy and physical therapy. However, these two healthcare jobs, despite their differences, share enough commonality in the realm of rehabilitation that a large amount of people cannot explain the difference between the two. So hopefully, if you’re one of the blissfully ignorant folks that don’t understand how they differ from one another or if you’re a student considering a rehab therapy career but unsure which path is right for you; this will serve as an easy guide to square away the difference for once and for good.

The difference mainly is that occupational therapists (OTs) are the medical professionals that help a patient improve their physical impairment by teaching them to complete everyday tasks. Hence, the “occupation”, meaning your natural life work and not literally necessarily helping people work. Although oftentimes occupational therapists are used to help patients regain abilities, which actually do help them, when they are able to properly get back to their workplaces.

Physical therapists (PTs) don’t just work to get people to function better at their tasks, but they will also lessen the pain and work to regain mobility. They actually are the ones who treat a patient’s ailments instead of just simply helping them be more capable of carrying on everyday tasks. You’d also notice that physical therapists and PTA’s (physical therapy assistants) are licensed to treat physical limitations of patients with exercise and recommending tools to help them. For example, they might suggest wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, and things like that to help. Additionally, PTs educate their patients on preventative techniques that can help avoid expensive surgeries or the use of medications for long term. Preventative medicine is a huge topic right now, so as the affordable care act came into play, more people than ever began getting access to physical therapy/physiotherapy.

Occupational therapists also can recommend tools to aid a patient. But, they will suggest items like special utensils they can use, splints, reaching apparatuses, and other items that would help a person carryon everything from bathing to eating to dressing. In fact, occupational therapists help patients with much more than just the physical movement aspect of a patient’s life. They also are able to analyze a client’s life and work skills while finding out their limitations. OTs are likely to come into a patient’s natural environments like their home to determine how they can be most mobile.

One reason that physical therapy and occupational therapy might also confuse most people is because a lot of times patients have to use both in order to have a successful recovery after an accident or a surgery. For instance, although a physical therapist would be seen initially to assist with the pain and teach how to get around, they probably would then be referred to an occupational therapist then to learn how to get around with a wheelchair or other walking aid. OTs and PTs working together help patients have the most optimal results for clients that are recovering from an injury.

Both occupational therapy and physical therapy job outlooks are sunny. However, in the next decade or so, it’s likely that all OTs and PTs require a doctorate to practice.

 

Caroline has her bachelor’s degree in communication with a focus in public relations from Millersville University. She is the Digital Marketing Specialist for Track5Media, a parent company to Allied Travel Careers.

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The Differences Between Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

 

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