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Transcript of 2255 Occupational Therapy
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TherapyOccupational therapyand arthritis
Occupationaltherapy andarthritisThis booklet provides information
and answers to your questions
about this therapy.
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Occupational therapy canplay a very important partin helping you to manage yourarthritis. It’ll help you find waysof continuing with your work,household tasks, personal careand hobbies independentlyand without straining your joints.
www.arthritisresearchuk.org
What is
occupationaltherapy?
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Arthritis Research UK
Occupational therapy and arthritis
What’s inside?2 What is occupational therapy?
2 How does occupationaltherapy help?
5 Overcoming everyday difficulties
– Making everyday activities easier
– Specialist equipment – Mobility
6 Helping you to help yourself
8 Providing splints to restor support your joints
9 Where can I find out more?
12 We’re here to help
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What is occupationaltherapy?Occupational therapy aims to help people
who have difficulty with their everyday
work, home or leisure activities because
of illness or disability. Some occupational
therapists (OTs) have specialist knowledge
in dealing with difficulties caused by
arthritis and related conditions, and they’llwork with you to find solutions to these
difficulties, allowing you to carry on with
your daily activities independently.
Occupational therapy can help you
to manage your arthritis in a number
of ways.
Occupational therapists can give you:
• advice on using your jointswithout straining them (joint
protection techniques)
• splints to support your joints while
working or resting
• tools and equipment to help with
everyday tasks
• exercises to improve hand and
wrist mobility
• advice on planning and pacing
to reduce tiredness (fatigue)
• help and advice on driving andmobility problems
• relaxation techniques.
Occupational therapists may work within
the NHS, Social Services departments,
some charities or in private practice.
Your GP, consultant or specialist nurse
may refer you to an occupational
therapist, or you can ask to see someone
if you feel it would be helpful. In some
cases, you may be referred to a specialist
hand therapist who’ll be able to offer
similar help and advice.
If you’re having trouble managing at
home, you can ask Social Services to
put you in touch with an occupational
therapist. They’ll probably see youin your own home.
How does occupationaltherapy help?At your first appointment, the
occupational therapist will assess your
condition, including which joints areaffected and where you have pain.
They’ll ask about any problems you
may be having with everyday tasks.
An occupationaltherapist can give
advice on ways toprotect your joints,which can ease painand prevent jointdamage in future.
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Arthritis Research UK
Occupational therapy and arthritis
It’ll help if you think about these before
your appointment. This might include
difficulties with:
• washing and dressing
• household tasks, including difficulty
using appliances
• getting around
• driving
• work activities
• hobbies.
When they’ve highlighted particular
problems, the occupational therapist
will explore possible solutions with you.
This may include:
• practical advice on overcoming
everyday difficulties• suggesting different techniques to help
you complete tasks more easily
• advice on problems at work or in your
leisure activities
• discussing your condition and helping
you to help yourself
• providing advice on your condition
through education/information groups
• providing splints to rest or support
your joints.
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Arthritis Research UK
Occupational therapy and arthritis
Overcoming everydaydifficultiesYour arthritis can affect you in many
different ways, but an occupational
therapist will help you with some
of the difficulties you face.
Making everyday activities easier The occupational therapist can help
you to analyse your work, household
and leisure activities, find out where there
are problems and suggest changes that
might help. You may need to rethink the
way you do things, such as positioning
yourself more comfortably, taking
frequent rest breaks or getting help
with jobs that require lifting. For example,
if you have problems with ironingbecause it’s uncomfortable to stand
for too long or to hold the iron, then the
solution may be to sit or perch on a stool,
to wear a supportive wrist splint and/or
to use a lightweight iron.
See Arthritis Research UK booklets
Work and arthritis; Work-related
joint disorders.
Specialist equipment The occupational therapist can help you
identify and obtain specialist equipment
to help you get about and manage
everyday tasks. There’s a huge range
of aids and appliances available – from
chunky-grip pens and vegetable peelersto kettle-tippers, bath seats, raised toilet
seats and stairlifts. Equipment can be
obtained either through a community
equipment store or via a local retailer.
The occupational therapist can provide
a prescription to help you to get
equipment from accredited retailers.Social Services’ occupational therapists
are experts in home adaptations such
as ramps and level-access showers.
For more information on specialist
equipment and home adaptations,
see Arthritis Research UK booklet
Everyday living and arthritis.
MobilityIf you have difficulties getting around,
an occupational therapist will be able
to advise you. An automatic car with
power steering may be the solution, but
your occupational therapist will also be
able to suggest vehicle adaptations that
may help you, such as a panoramic-view
mirror if turning your head is difficult.
For more complex problems they may
recommend an assessment at a specialist
mobility centre. They can also advise you
about wheelchairs and scooters.
Research hasshown that
joint protectiontechniques really
do help to reducefurther pain and
joint damage.
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Helping you tohelp yourself Whichever type of arthritis you
have, it’s important to start looking
after your joints as soon as possible.
The occupational therapist will show you
how to reduce the strain on your joints.
This is known as joint protection.
Joint protection doesn’t mean you should
stop using your joints, just that you
should try to use them differently.
You can try:
• spreading the load over several joints
(see Figure 1)
• allowing larger, stronger joints to
take more of the strain (see Figure 2)
•
making sure you’re not twistingor straining your joints when you
use them.
The techniques mentioned here
are explained in more detail in our
booklet Looking after your joints
when you have arthritis. They can
be applied to household, leisure
or work activities.
Your occupational therapist can also
advise on how to manage the fatigue
that’s often associated with arthritis,
for example by pacing yourself,
planning ahead and prioritising your
tasks. Relaxation techniques can help
to counter the effects of stress and
fatigue and can help with pain control.
Your OT can offeradvice on pacingyourself, whichcan prevent
against fatigue.
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Arthritis Research UK
Occupational therapy and arthritis
Figure 2Use larger,
stronger jointsto take moreof the strain.
Instead of carrying papers
in one hand......try using both.
Figure 1Spread theload over
several joints.Instead of using
one hand...
...try using two hands
to spread the load.
RIGHT ✓
RIGHT ✓
WRONG ✗
WRONG ✗
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Providing splints to restor support your jointsWearing splints such as a wrist or thumb
splint can help to rest and support
joints that are painful or unstable.
The occupational or hand therapist
may custom-make a special splint for
you or prescribe them ready-made.
Different types of splints are available
to support your joints while you’re
working (see Figure 3) and to keep your
joints in a stable position while you’re
resting (see Figure 4). Corrective splints
may also be used in some cases to help
make the joint less deformed.
See Arthritis Research UK booklet
Splints for arthritis of the wrist and hand.
Figure 4A resting
splint
Figure 3A workingwrist splint
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Arthritis Research UK
Occupational therapy and arthritis
Where can I find out more?If you’ve found this information useful
you might be interested in these other
titles from our range:
Conditions
• Back pain
• Neck pain
•
Shoulder painSelf-help and daily living
• Everyday living and arthritis.
• Fatigue and arthritis
• Gardening and arthritis
• Keep moving
• Looking after your joints when you
have arthritis
• Pain and arthritis
• Splints for arthritis of the wrist and hand
• Work and arthritis
• Work-related joint disorders
You can download all of our booklets
and leaflets from our website or order
them by contacting:
Arthritis Research UK
PO Box 177
Chesterfield
Derbyshire S41 7TQ
Phone: 0300 790 0400
www.arthritisresearchuk.org
Related organisations
The following organisations may
be able to provide additional advice
and information:
Arthritis Care
18 Stephenson Way
London NW1 2HD
Phone: 020 7380 6500
Helpline: 0808 800 4050
www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Assist UK
1 Portland Street
Manchester M1 3BE
Phone: 0161 238 8776
www.assist-uk.org
College of Occupational Therapists
106–114 Borough High Street
Southwark London SE1 1LB
Phone: 020 7357 6480
www.cot.org.uk
Disabled Living Foundation
380–384 Harrow Road
London W9 2HU
Phone: 020 7289 6111
Helpline: 0845 130 9177www.dlf.org.uk
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Forum of Mobility Centres
c/o Providence Chapel
Warehorne, Ashford
Kent TN26 2JX
Phone (freephone): 0800 559 3636
www.mobility-centres.org.uk
National Rheumatoid Arthritis
Society (NRAS)
Unit B4, Westacott Business Centre
Westacott WayLittlewick Green
Maidenhead SL6 3RT
Phone: 0845 458 3969 or 01628 823524
Helpline: 0800 298 7650
www.nras.org.uk
Royal Association for Disability
& Rehabilitation (RADAR)
12 City Forum250 City Road
London EC1V 8AF
Phone: 020 7250 3222
www.radar.org.uk
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Arthritis Research UK
Occupational therapy and arthritis
Notes
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We’re here to helpArthritis Research UK is the charity
leading the fight against arthritis.
We’re the UK’s fourth largest medicalresearch charity and fund scientific and
medical research into all types of arthritis
and musculoskeletal conditions.
We’re working to take the pain away
for sufferers with all forms of arthritis
and helping people to remain active.
We’ll do this by funding high-quality
research, providing informationand campaigning.
Everything we do is underpinned
by research.
We publish over 60 information booklets
which help people affected by arthritis
to understand more about the condition,
its treatment, therapies and how
to help themselves.
We also produce a range of separate
leaflets on many of the drugs used
for arthritis and related conditions.
We recommend that you read the
relevant leaflet for more detailed
information about your medication.
Please also let us know if you’d like
to receive our quarterly magazine,Arthritis Today, which keeps you up
to date with current research and
education news, highlighting key
projects that we’re funding and giving
insight into the latest treatment and
self-help available.We often feature case studies and
have regular columns for questions
and answers, as well as readers’ hints
and tips for managing arthritis.
Tell us what you thinkof our booklet
Please send your views to:
or write to us at:
Arthritis Research UK, PO Box 177,
Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 7TQ.
A team of people contributed to this booklet.
The original text was written by AlisonHammond and Paula Jeffreson, who have
expertise in the subject. It was assessed
at draft stage by senior occupational therapist
in hand therapy Kirsty Bancroft, rheumatology
specialist occupational therapist Debbie
Fletcher and rheumatology occupational
therapist Tracy White. An Arthritis
Research UK editor revised the text to make
it easy to read and a non-medical panel,
including interested societies, checked it for
understanding. An Arthritis Research UK
medical advisor, Dr Angela Jacklin,
is responsible for the content overall.
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Get involvedYou can help to take the pain away
from millions of people in the UK by:
• Volunteering
• Supporting our campaigns
• Taking part in a fundraising event
• Making a donation
•
Asking your company to support us• Buying gifts from our catalogue
To get more actively involved, pleasecall us 0300 790 0400 or e-mail us [email protected]
Or go to:
www.arthritisresearchuk.org
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Arthritis Research UK
Copeman House,
St Mary’s Court,
St Mary’s Gate, Chesterfield,
Derbyshire S41 7TD
Tel 0300 790 0400 calls charged at standard rate
www.arthritisresearchuk.org
Registered Charity No 207711
© Arthritis Research UK 2011
Published April 2011 2255/OT/11-1