May has been designated as “Better Hearing and Speech Month” by ASHA. Building on the slogan, “Connecting People Through Communication”, the goal is to raise public awareness concerning various communication disorders that affect about 14 million Americans. Some of these are “curable”, but for those that aren’t, Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) can teach their clients ….
An integral, and sometimes stressful, part of modern day travel involves your suitcases and what you pack or don’t pack in them. For travel healthcare professionals this task can be especially daunting, especially if you have multiple assignments in completely different states, completely different climates, with completely different resources. We have collected some tried and ….
Most of the films about occupational therapy are documentaries or educational videos….tools of the trade. So it might surprise you to learn that there are a few good comedies and dramas out there that feature pivotal Occupational Therapy roles. When viewed chronologically, they present a unique perspective on attitudes towards healthcare issues and occupational therapy ….
“Virginia is For Lovers” and for travel OTs! This month we are highlighting the 10th state to join the Union and site of: Jamestown, the first English colony in the New World Richmond the current capital of the state and once capital of the Confederacy The birthplace of 8 American Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, ….
April is not only Occupational Therapy Month, but also National Autism Awareness Month. After about 17 years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has undertaken a revision of its authoritative text, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (The D.S.M.) and with it, a tightening of the definition of autism. The current D.S.M. definition requires ….
A small but significant number of infants and children under the age of fifteen, 6 in 100,000, annually suffer a stroke. The incident of stroke is noticeably higher for in utero and premature babies, as well as children under the age of two. These high risk groups likewise exhibit a higher incidence of cerebral palsy ….
Massage, music and exercise as therapeutic methods for treating mental illness can be traced back to the Greeks, but only in the early 20th century was occupational therapy widely accepted as a legitimate healthcare profession. Modern OT practices can be traced to World War I and treatment of injured combatants, many suffering “shellshock”, what is ….
In a recent article in “US News and World Report”, Nathan Hellman declares occupational therapy to be one of the “Best Jobs of 2012” stating that the profession “should see significant growth over the next decade”. Occupational Therapists work with patients across the age spectrum, but it is the substantial increase in America’s older population ….
April is designated as Occupational Therapy Month. OT students and practitioners are encouraged to organize and participate in a events and educational formats promoting the profession. AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) strongly supports these efforts and offers various tools and educational materials to be used specifically for promotional activities. To show our support, Centra is ….
March 21st is National Brain Injury Awareness Day sponsored by BIAA (Brain Injury Association of America) on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. With over 200,000 troops suffering traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is no wonder that TBI is a “hot topic” in healthcare circles. The drastic rise ….
There is no question that although healthcare is a booming industry, these are still cautious and even tough times for many people in this country. Most of us these days weigh our expenses carefully and are more frugal when it comes to “extras”. Joining a professional association can be costly especially when you are just ….
It’s “March Madness” time again… when the talk is full of brackets, Sweet Sixteens and Final Four. It is also the time when some of those college basketball players will see their season ended by an injury. Of the 98 injured players currently sidelined from the 2012 NCAA Championships, the majority have knee and foot ….
Mention yoga and it conjures up a picture of health-conscious, modern age hippies intoning cryptic chants and contorting their bodies into uncomfortable positions. However, in its most basic form, yoga is a system of physical and mental exercises, originating in India over 3,000 years ago, designed to reinforce the mind-body connection. In particular, yoga’s “pranayamas” ….
A slowly emerging trend in healthcare is the addition of Physical Therapists as permanent staff members in ERs and EDs across the country. About seven states employ full-time PTs in their hospital ERs with Indiana, Missouri and Arizona leading the way, while other states’ hospitals have expanded their on call PT consultations. This novel approach ….
Vestibular disorders have several causes and their symptoms may manifest either on a temporary or recurring basis. Symptoms of vestibular disorders are commonly loss of balance and repeated incidents of falling; prolonged or frequent dizziness; trouble walking in the dark; and functional difficulty following riding in a vehicle. The most common causes of these disorders ….
The trend in patient care has been the use of multidisciplinary healthcare teams to improve treatment success rates and augment preventative care. Multidisciplinary healthcare team members are mutually accountable for both the planning and the execution of plans at every stage of the process. The days of a singular doctor-patient relationship are more and more ….
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In the USA, this disease remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. According to the American Cancer Society’s latest statistics for 2012, there are 103,170 new colon cancer cases, 40,290 new cases of rectal cancer and 51,690 deaths from the disease. The ….
Whether you are studying for a Master’s in Occupational Therapy or looking for an Occupational Therapy job, it is important to demonstrate a wide skill set. Being knowledgeable on new treatments as well as old is vital to progressing through your career path. To help you on your way, we have gathered some of the ….
With this Winter not packing much of a punch in Sunny South Florida (sorry everyone else that is experiencing bad weather), tennis and golf elbow will undoubtedly re-emerge as the big injuries of the summer recreational sports season. Both are common and both are preventable.What is Tennis Elbow? Tennis elbow is an overuse injury and, ….
In an effort to make pediatric speech therapy successful, a collaborative venture must be initiated between the therapist and parents. Often times parents are unsure of what to do pre and post treatment. Here is a list of Do’s and Dont’s that every parent should pay attention to. Do go on vacation–don’t feel guilty, you ….