1. Occupational Therapy and Carpal Tunnel
When the average person hears the phrase "occupational therapy," the
mind tends to conjure up images of therapists working with people
suffering from a variety of developmental disabilities. While this is
certainly a large portion of occupational therapy, it is by no means the
limit of its scope. Occupational therapists deal with all sorts of
disorders, from the complex to the seemingly benign; they even treat
common disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Carpal tunnel syndrome results when the muscles and tendons in your
wrists swell, putting pressure on the median nerve as it passes through
the carpal tunnel from your arm to your wrist. It's often the result of
repetitive motion of the hands and fingers over long periods of time.
People who work primarily with their hands are prime candidates for
the disorder, especially those who work at computers all day. But, as
any occupational therapist will tell you, there are certain things you can
do to prevent carpal tunnel or to alleviate the pain if you're already
suffering from it.
Breaking the Routine
After researching statements from both staff therapists and those in traveling occupational therapy jobs, it's clear that
the consensus among professionals regarding preventing carpal tunnel syndrome is to break up your routine. In other
words, if you sit at a computer doing repetitive tasks like typing and moving the mouse, break up that routine for a few
minutes every hour. You might retrieve some documents from a file cabinet, open your mail or do anything else that
interrupts what you're normally doing.
To understand how this works, just consider that office workers used to type on typewriters for eight hours a day. It may
seem like the same task as working on the computer, but it's really not. The typist was normally breaking the typing
routine by instigating manual carriage returns, adjusting tabs, inserting sheets of paper, and so on. Since those tasks are
not necessary when working on a computer, it takes more effort for us to think about breaking up the routine.
Helping Those with Carpal Tunnel
Helping those with carpal tunnel syndrome is just one of the many options available in traveling occupational therapy
jobs or staff positions. But in a world that relies heavily on working with our hands, it's one of the most important things
you can do for the average worker. This type of work is just as important as working with the disabled or those recovering
from accidents or surgeries. It's all about enabling patients to complete their daily tasks with as little difficulty as
possible.
Traveling occupational therapy jobs are plentiful, so you may want to consider taking one if it is appealing to you. There
are facilities all over the country looking for workers to fill their staffing needs on a temporary basis and lots of staffing
agencies working to provide qualified workers. As a traveling occupational therapist, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy
doing the work you love while traveling around the country at the same time.