Rehabilitation Care

Occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) both focus on improving an individual’s ability to perform daily activities and enhance their quality of life. While there is some overlap between the two, they have distinct differences in their goals, approaches, and areas of focus.

While OT and PT share common goals of improving individuals’ functioning and independence, they have distinct roles and approaches tailored to the specific needs of their clients. In many cases, individuals may benefit from receiving both occupational therapy and physical therapy services as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program.

The primary goal of occupational therapy is to help individuals develop, recover, or maintain the skills needed for daily living and meaningful activities. Rather than just treating an injury, they work with patients to understand how a condition or injury is affecting all aspects of their lives. Occupational therapists work with clients to address physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and sensory impairments that may affect their ability to engage in activities such as self-care, work, leisure, and social participation.

OT addresses a broad range of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial issues that impact an individual’s ability to participate in meaningful activities. Interventions are highly individualized and may vary depending on the client’s age, diagnosis, goals, and environmental factors.

Physical therapy primarily focuses on musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and pulmonary conditions affecting movement and function. PT is centered around a specific injury or condition and how it limits the patient from taking part in desired activities. Physical therapists work with people who have sustained an injury and are trying to improve movement, mobility, and function; prevent additional injury; alleviate pain; and promote overall wellness through exercises, manual therapy techniques, and other interventions.

Physical therapists will develop a treatment plan to help strengthen the affected area, increase range of motion and mobility, reduce pain, healing or aligning bones and joints, reducing swelling and inflammation, and more. Techniques used could include therapeutic exercises, manual therapy (such as massage), gait and balance training, posture correction, ice or heat therapy, modalities (such as ultrasound or electrical stimulation), and patient education on body mechanics and injury prevention.