I often discuss the ‘disabled people are inspirational’ issue with friends and family. ‘Inspiration P0rn’. I am often told I’m inspirational, some times I smile and say thank you while rolling my eyes, sometimes I challenge the person in question and at other times I take it as a compliment. I could lecture about this…Continue reading Misplaced Inspiration – Being Healthy is HARD
Category: Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy themed blog posts. Topics covered include splinting and bracing, mobility aids, pain management, energy conservation and more.
Self-Care isn’t Self-Indulgent
In my work as an OT and in my life in general I often come across phrases that make me sad. I have lost count of the times I’ve heard ‘I don’t have time to pace’. This phrase is usually followed by a list of things the person does for others… I often have to…Continue reading Self-Care isn’t Self-Indulgent
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Physiotherapy Expectations With Hypermobility Syndromes
Physiotherapy is the treatment of disease, injury, or deformity by physical methods such as exercise, movement, manual therapies and education1. It can be used along side medication and traditional pain management strategies and is often used following surgery too. I often (and quite correctly) see people recommending physiotherapy to treat Hypermobility Syndromes like Ehlers Danlos and Marfan…Continue reading Physiotherapy Expectations With Hypermobility Syndromes
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Flare Up Planning with Shona
Something a little different for this blog post. I recently had the pleasure of working with Shona of My Marfan Life. Here, she share’s her experiences working with me and a bit about her life with Marfan Syndrome. “Recently I had the pleasure of having a 30 minute consultation with Jo to create a flare up…Continue reading Flare Up Planning with Shona
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Sleep Hygiene – Tips for getting a good nights sleep
In this modern age of late night TV and smart phones by the bed, getting a good nights sleep has become somewhat of a struggle. Throw in any kind of health problem and restful sleep becomes almost impossible. ‘Painsomnia’ (insomnia caused by pain) can cause particular problems. This post will explain the basic principles of…Continue reading Sleep Hygiene – Tips for getting a good nights sleep
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Using Splinting with Hypermobility Syndromes
Using splinting is one common strategy for managing the symptoms of Hypermobility Syndromes such as Ehlers Danlos. People with a hypermobility syndromes (HMS) often have very poor proprioception, this basically means we don’t really know where our own arms and legs are so we tend to have a lot of accidents compared to ‘normal’ people.…Continue reading Using Splinting with Hypermobility Syndromes
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Accessibility. There’s more to it than you think.
Accessibility is a word that I hear all the time. Accessibility refers to the design of products, services or environments for people with impairments. It’s often though of as a fixed standard, either something is accessible or it isn’t. When you start looking deeper though you realise that isn’t really true. How can something be yes/no…Continue reading Accessibility. There’s more to it than you think.
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Wheelchair Accessories
Continuing the ‘beginners guide to wheelchair life‘ this post will answer the first question from a JBOT fan… Wheelchair Accessories to answer your wheelchair woes. “How to carry anything whilst self-propelling!” – Ellie May Petty. This is something that most new wheelies struggle with.. balancing things on your lap (and dropping them) hanging things off…Continue reading Wheelchair Accessories
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The Able Label – Adaptive Clothing
“The Able Label provides quality, stylish clothes with adapted designs and hidden extras that make self-dressing easier for those with dressing difficulties.” The Able Label is a stylish and comfy adaptive clothing range, I’m proud to announce my affiliation with them. Their items feature a number of accessibility features. To start with, no…Continue reading The Able Label – Adaptive Clothing
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Wheelchair Types
Not all wheelchairs are the same and much of the information online assumes the reader knows the basics already, the following article is a basic rundown of the types of chair available. There are lots of different types and I wont be able to cover them all so please feel free to ask if I’m…Continue reading Wheelchair Types
