Occupational therapy focuses on promoting health and well-being through daily activities, using techniques to help patients regain independence and happiness. Physical therapy concentrates more on treating injuries directly and preventing future issues by diagnosing and treating damaged body tissues and structures. Both professions work to rehabilitate patients through exercises and training to resume daily life, though occupational therapy considers mental health while physical therapy targets physical mobility. The fields often collaborate to ensure patients can move and care for themselves.

1. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
VS
PHYSICAL THERAPY
THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH
FIELD
By: Rose Nguyen
(“Universal Cuff for Feeding”) (“Physical Therapy”)

2. What is Occupational Therapy?
 “a profession concerned
with promoting health and
well being through
occupation and is widely
used in physical, mental
and community health
settings”
 -Medha Godbole

3. What is Physical Therapy?
 “focused more on treating a
person’s injury itself and on
helping to prevent injuries…
will diagnose and treat the
physical source of the
problem; the injured tissues
and structures”
 -Physical Therapy Web
Space

4. What Do Physical Therapists and
Occupational Therapists Do?
 Rehabilitate patients
using training and
exercises
 Prevent future
injuries
 Assist patients in
resuming their daily
activities
 Use treatments to
develop, recover, or
maintain daily work
skills
 Improve basic motor
functions
 Help clients to have
independent,
productive lives
Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy

5. What Settings Do PTs and OTs
work in?
 Although most physical therapists and
occupational therapists work in hospitals,
many also work in schools, nursing homes,
and outpatient clinics
 Some physical therapists and occupational
therapists even work in people’s homes

6. The Negative Effects of Not
Receiving Treatment from OT or
PT
 The need to depend
on others to perform
everyday activities
 Depression
 Loss of Self
Confidence
 Possibility of losing
mobility to the
injured area
 Not being able to
perform daily
activities without
help
 Possibly lead to
future injuries
Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy

7. Benefits of OT and PT
 Improve motor skills
to perform everyday
functions
 Regain a sense of
independence
 Gain a sense of
confidence and
happiness
 Prevent long term
pain through
exercise and
treatment
 Gain full range of
mobility from
damaged areas
 Ability to perform
everyday activities
Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy

8. Distinguishing characteristics of OT
and PT
 Uses their techniques
to help their patients
perform everyday
activities
 Focuses on the
mental aspect of a
patient through
therapy to assist them
in gaining
independence and
happiness
 Uses their
techniques to treat
specific injured
areas
 Focuses on the
physical aspect of a
patient to help them
regain their full
mobility of their body
Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy

9. Collaboration of Occupational
Therapy and Physical Therapy
 “Most often, physical and
occupational therapists work together
to provide rehabilitation therapy. This
collaborative effort ensures a patient
can move well and remain as
independent as possible with caring
for him or herself”
-Pamela Pope

10. Sources
 Godbole, Medha. "Occupational Therapy vs Physical Therapy."
Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, inc., n.d. Web. 22 Feb 2011.
 "Occupational Physical Therapy? Differences Between
OccupationalTherapy and Physical Therapy." Physical Therapy web
Space. The Physical Therapy Web Space, n.d. Web. 22 Feb 2011.
 Physical Therapy. Digital image. Web. 23 Feb 2011.
<http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/noindex/0304/programs/physica
t.h tml>
 Pope, Pamela. "Physical Vs. Occupational Therapy: Differences in
the Field of Elder Care." Associated Content. Yahoo!, 16 May
2008. Web. 22 Feb 2011.
 Univeral Cuff for Feeding. Digital image. Occupational Therapy.
Web. 23 Feb 2011.
<http://www.fanpop.com/spots/occupational-
therapy/images/397045/title/universal-cuff-feeding-photo>