common causes of pain
Over time, seemingly normal, every-day activities can hurt us. Sitting or standing for long periods of time. Carrying something over one shoulder. How you ride your bike. Having an awkward posture while doing something. And the trouble is, we are so used to such habits that we usually can’t see them.
If you have pain from your work or other life activities, you may need a specially trained observer to find out exactly what movements and postures are causing it. Early intervention can prevent serious injury and avoid long-term complications.
Extended postures like this one (left) can cause damage to the upper and lower back muscles and intervertebral discs, as well as injuries to the wrist, shoulder and neck.
Chronic pain conditions
If your pain has become a long-term, chronic condition, you may need the help of several disciplines in your health care team
- The specialization of Occupational Therapists (OTs) is analyzing how your daily activities affect your physical condition and how your physical condition affects your daily function. OTs then design solutions to address the underlying causes of physical injury or dysfunction. Also, OTs work with patients to improve your function for permanent or chronic conditions. Early OT interventions can prevent joint and muscle degradation, and improve the outcomes of other treatments and therapies.
Daily activities can gradually cause wear and tear on joints and muscles and create a new injury or aggravate an old one. This is especially the case over time as behaviours become stereotyped into daily routines – so “normal” they aren’t even noticed. To solve such cases, you need a precise analysis of how your activities affect your muscles and joints. With this analysis, your Occupational Therapist will identify what you need to change to minimize the injury or strain underlying your pain symptoms. With modified equipment or postural/movement strategies, you can get back to your daily activities with reduced or eliminated pain symptoms.
Occupational Therapists are trained for exactly this kind of analysis, bridging the analysis of specific tasks with a biomechanical movement analysis of how your body moves in carrying out the tasks. This will illuminate how specific movements are affecting your muscles and joints, given your personal anatomy and health history. In this way, OTs as part of your health care team will help bridge the gap between the clinic and your daily life.
A detailed ergonomic consultation will ensure that you get the full benefit of the medical, surgical or therapeutic interventions prescribed by your doctors and therapists.
Contact us to find out if you may benefit Occupational Therapy Ergonomic Assessment.