Adventures in Occupational Therapy

 Experiencing the Civil Rights Museum  Image 1: Exhibit about the Bus Boycotts and Rosa Parks. On April 25th, I had the opportunity to visit the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. The engaging and interactive exhibits made this experience a rich and moving one. I developed a deeper understanding of the history of social injustices and inequality in the Unites States by learning about the stories of individuals who lived through the Civil Rights Movement. As I walked through the museum, I was moved to tears and challenged to consider the need for continued progress. I read the story of Ruby Bridges, a sweet six-year-old girl who was the first child to integrate into the all-white elementary school in New Orleans. As I learned about Ruby being escorted to school by four white men, a young African American girl about Ruby's age walked up to the exhibit. Tears began to fill my eyes as I overheard her Dad talking to her about the exhibit. I began to think about how...

Conceptual Model of Occupational Therapy By Claire Morris (AOTA, 2020, p. 7-16) (Lancaster, 2022) (Lancaster, 2022) (Lancaster, 2022) (Lancaster, 2022) References American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy , 74(Suppl. 2), Article 7412410010.  https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001   Lancaster, S. (2022) Foundations of Occupation-Centered Practice Session Guides [PowerPoint presentation] Blackboard.  https://blackboard.uthsc.edu/ultra/courses/_19594_1/cl/outline  

 Scapulohumeral Rhythm Image received from: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/bramwell-tovey/ What exactly is scapulohumeral rhythm and why is it important? Does it have to do with keeping the rhythm of a song or with the movements of your shoulder? Scapulohumeral rhythm refers to movement of the scapula along with the humerus in order to maintain contact. The anatomical structure resulting from the scapulohumeral rhythm allows greater range of motion and mobility at the shoulder joint, making it most mobile joint in the body. Movements at this joint are involved in numerous activities of daily living. For every degree of movement at the scapulothoracic joint there are two degrees of movement at the glenohumeral joint. These degrees of movement are added to determine the total range of motion occurring at the shoulder. If a client has limited mobility at the ST joint, then the GH joint is also impacted.  In addition, the scapulohumeral rhythm is important in helping the shoulde...

 Neurobiology: Blog Post 1 In the Ted Talk "The Science of Touching and Feeling," the speaker discussed how the sense of touch is interconnected with emotions. This is evident throughout the lifespan. Touch plays a critical role in child development such as caregivers rocking a baby, a mother nursing a child, or a parent hugging a toddler. Emotional connects are made with safe touch that develop bonds of trust, empathy, and care. There are even areas of the body with specialized nerve cells that are more sensitive to touch such as the hands, lips, and tongue. A visual representation of this is seen through the homunculus. In addition, touch plays a big role in people's lives as social beings. I believe all people can relate to this at a personal level due to lack of touch during COVID-19. Consider hugging your loved ones who you haven't seen in months for the first time or embracing your grandmother who had been in the nursing home. Experiencing a world that was socia...

 Test Positioning When measuring ROM, testing begins with identifying bony landmarks and properly positioning. The primary concern of practitioners is client safety. Therefore, the understanding of how and where to position the client and yourself as a therapist is paramount. When using a goniometer, correct placement of the axis, stationary arm, and mobile arm insure accurate measurements. Recording these measurements over time allows OTs to observe client progress. Practitioners place clients in Mid-ROM when performing MMT- against gravity Break Test. The Mid-ROM position allows for the most cross bridge formations to occur. In other words, optimal muscle contraction can take place in this position and client strength can be measured. In some instances, a gravity eliminated position would be utilized. If a client is too weak to perform the Break Test, a practitioner would use a gravity eliminated position to test a client's ROM. In order to see what ROM is available, the OT would...

The Biomechanics of Putting on Headphones Every day I use headphones while watching online lectures, FaceTiming loved ones, and listening to music. These activities involve the occupations of education, social participation, and leisure respectively. While analyzing the biomechanics involved in putting on AirPods, I will focus on the elbow joint. To put on my AirPods, I begin with my elbow fully extended. I lift up the headphones to my ears. During this movement, elbow flexion occurs along the sagittal plane about a frontal axis. The osteokinematics of the elbow are extension to flexion in an open kinematic chain. Considering the arthrokinematics, the concave trochelar notch of the ulna is rolling along the convex surface of the trochela of the humerus. The convex/concave rule is seen in this movement where the concave surface of the ulna rolls in the same direction as the gliding humerus. The prime mover in elbow flexion is the biceps brachii muscle, which is contracting concentricall...

OT, Breast Cancer + Pilates Podcast In the Podcast OT, Breast Cancer + Pilates, Naomi Aaronson talks about how she uses pilates as a form of intervention for breast cancer survivors and patients. This prompts therapists to consider what interventions could benefit the specific individuals or populations they're serving. Naomi emphasized the importance of understanding a client's unique health history and breast cancer journey. BE INFORMED! I was encouraged to be dedicated to learning about diagnoses and symptoms.  While discussing intervention methods, Naomi focused on teaching fundamental body movements required to performing activities. From this I learned you must start with the basics and communicate in simple terms. This could relate to how to breathe properly in order to relax and have control. Another example would be learning how to engage specific muscle groups. Often individuals who have had breast cancer surgery will compensate or neglect to activate certain muscles....