Non Drug Pain Management Ideas: Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is an interesting field. The role of the occupational therapy is to live and function to the fullest degree possible. It is the occupational therapist who helps disabled children, stroke victims, and even people with autism and other such disorders to improve functionality. Chronic pain is yet another area where these therapists play a role.

Occupational therapy is based upon the sciences of physical medicine, psychiatry, and behavioral psychology. For chronic pain patients objectives of occupational therapy are:

to help the pain patient decipher which activities or behaviors intensify pain
teach methods to help decrease the amount of time in pain
teach techniques to decrease pain intensity
help patients to improve function in daily activities and in the workplace
show patients how to adapt to a lifestyle based on good health habits

Source: About.com: Ways to Manage Your Arthritis Pain

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