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Occupational Therapy and Pain in the Rehabilitation Patient

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Comprehensive Pain Management in the Rehabilitation Patient

Abstract

Occupational therapy (OT) is the art and science of daily living. “Occupation” refers to any purposeful daily activity for which an individual holds meaning and value. Occupational therapy practitioners work with people of all ages and any diagnostic presentation to promote optimal independence in daily activities and a satisfying quality of life. Many people receiving occupational therapy services have complaints of pain. This chapter is an overview of OT’s unique approach to working with individuals who have acute or chronic pain. It defines occupational therapy, emphasizes holistic, individualized evaluation and treatment, encourages a multidisciplinary team approach, and emphasizes the importance of a working partnership with each client. Areas of evaluation and potential treatment techniques are described, and the chapter concludes with several case studies. The overall theme is to combine direct treatment for pain reduction with skill development in pain management for the most effective impact on daily function.

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Abbreviations

OT:

Occupational therapy

OTs:

Occupational therapists

OTAs:

Occupational Therapy Assistants

ADLs:

Activities of daily living

HPI:

History of present illness

PMH:

Past medical history

PSH:

Past surgical history

ROM:

Range of motion

MMT:

Manual muscle test

VAS:

Visual Analog Scale

UEs:

Upper extremities

LEs:

Lower extremities

IADLs:

Instrumental (higher level) activities of daily living

AROM:

Active range of motion

AAROM:

Active assistive range of motion

PROM:

Passive range of motion

A/AA/PROM:

active, active assistive and passive range of motion

PREs:

Progressive resistive exercises

RSD:

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, now known as complex regional pain syndrome

HEP:

Home Exercise Program

TENS:

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

MLD:

Manual lymphatic drainage

CTS:

Carpal Tunnel syndrome

TOS:

Thoracic outlet syndrome

CRPS:

Complex regional pain syndrome

References

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Additional Reading About Occupational Therapy

  • www.aota.org

  • Scaffa M, Gillen G, Cohn ES. Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy 12th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; 2015. ISBN-13 978-1451116807.

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  • Obrien JC. Introduction to occupational therapy. 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2011. ISBN:13 978-0-323-08465-9.

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  • Hinojosa J, Blount ML. The texture of life: occupations and related activities. Bethesda: AOTA Inc.; 2014. ISBN:13 978-1569003527.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Services, Occupational Therapy, Rhode Island Hospital, 765 Allens Avenue, Suite 102, Providence, RI, 02905, USA

    Janet L. Rivard Michaud OT/L & Jill Kauders Levine OT/L, CHT

Authors
  1. Janet L. Rivard Michaud OT/L
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  2. Jill Kauders Levine OT/L, CHT
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janet L. Rivard Michaud OT/L .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Brown University, Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, USA

    Alexios Carayannopoulos DO, MPH

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Rivard Michaud, J.L., Levine, J.K. (2017). Occupational Therapy and Pain in the Rehabilitation Patient. In: Carayannopoulos DO, MPH, A. (eds) Comprehensive Pain Management in the Rehabilitation Patient. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16784-8_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16784-8_25

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16783-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16784-8

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