Occupational therapy (OT) is a great way to reduce pain, recover from injury, and improve your physical health and quality of life. It can help with a variety of conditions, from chronic pain to post-operative rehabilitation. However, many people wonder if they can do occupational therapy on their own.
Some may think that this is more convenient and a better option than seeking out professional quality occupational therapy — but this isn’t true. You should always seek out professional help and guidance when it comes to occupational therapy.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through why you should never do OT on your own and why seeking out the best occupational therapist in your area is always the better option for you and your health.
Why You Shouldn’t Do Physical Therapy On Your Own
It’s important for you to take the best care of yourself when injured or experiencing chronic pain, and while you may think doing OT on yourself could be the solution for you, we’re here to tell you that it’s not worth the risk. The truth is — it’s never a good idea to do occupational therapy on your own. Doing so can make your pain worse or result in a terrible injury (which you definitely don’t want!)
Before looking for an occupational therapist, it’s common for most people to feel as though they have tried everything to relieve their pain or heal their injury — but no matter what they try, nothing seems to be working.
After trying remedy after remedy, you’re left feeling defeated and start to wonder if this pain is something you’re just going to have to learn how to deal with on a daily basis. This is usually when most people discover that occupational therapy is the solution they’ve been looking for to reduce pain and win back their life.
When seeking physical therapy, usually you’re looking for help in rehabilitation from an injury or could be experiencing chronic pain of some sort — back pain, neck pain, ankle pain, etc.
Without the guidance of a professional occupational therapist that has been certified and trained properly, you may not be doing the exercises correctly or even may be doing too much too soon. It’s essential that you do OT exercises correctly, or you run
the risk of becoming injured. Having a professional occupational therapist alongside you is key because they will make sure you’re performing the exercises correctly and will actively prevent you from becoming injured or making your chronic pain worse.
We know it can seem appealing to try OT on your own. It’s convenient, you don’t have to leave your house, and you can do it on your own time. You feel as though you have the world at your fingertips through the internet, so you do your research, looking up exercises that help with the pain that you’re experiencing. But, we’re here to tell you that even as confident as you may seem in performing OT on your own without professional training — all it takes is one thing to go wrong to make your pain ten times worse than it was before. That’s all it takes – one wrong move can send you into agonizing pain and it’s just not worth it.
Conclusion
As convenient as trying to do it on your own may seem, it’s just not worth the risk of injuring yourself.
It’s important that you do what’s best for you and your body and seeking out the best occupational therapist in your area is the best thing you can do for yourself. In the long run, you want to prevent anything from making your condition worse and the truth is, self-directed physical therapy is not the way to do so.
We understand that it can be challenging to try and find an occupational therapist on your own. That’s why we suggest doing your research, reading patient reviews, and contacting potential OTs with questions ready.
Once you’ve talked to an OT, you’ll be able to tell from the first conversation if they’re able to help you with your specific condition or not. Then, once you find an OT that you feel comfortable with, you book an appointment and can take comfort in the fact that you have a certified, trained professional guiding you through.
Don’t risk your health and well-being over something that a trained professional can help you fix. The right occupational therapist will guide you through. Then, you can confidently return to living life on your own terms.
If you’re looking for an occupational therapist in Miami be sure to contact us today for more information. We would love to talk to you about your condition and how we can help you finally feel better again.
About the author – Hoang Tran: an expert in physical & occupational therapy
Hoang Tran is a Miami-certified hand therapist, the owner of Hands-on Therapy Services, and the author of the book “The Hands-On Approach”. She loves helping people with hand, neck, and shoulder problems because she knows how bad and debilitating they can get if not addressed and treated properly (once and for all!).
The aim of her occupational therapy practice in the Miami area is to bring patients back to full functionality, without pills, injections or surgery. Occupational and Physical Therapy are both offered at Hands-On Therapy by our experienced therapists who provide a comprehensive approach to your care.
If you or someone you know is living with
- elbow pain or
- neck and shoulder pain,
or any other hand or shoulder injuries, speak with one of our specialists for FREE by signing up for a 30-minute Discovery Visit.
Even if you have tried other forms of treatment and are still NOT sure what’s going wrong and need better clarification on what can actually work to avoid the shoulder pain and impingement from becoming worse, there’s no risk in giving us a call at 786-615-9879 or requesting a Free Discovery Visit.
A Discovery Visit is for someone who is not sure therapy with us can help them, wants to speak with the specialist to feel confident that therapy is the right choice for them, and is SURE they don’t want to live in pain, worry, and feeling like they can’t do certain things just because of the pain.
PS. Seven step-by-step tips that you can start right away to recover quicker after hand, wrist or shoulder surgery. Click for the After Surgery Guide.
The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.
