Today I had planned to attend an OT conference, this took a fair amount of planning and team work since I can’t drive and don’t often feel well enough to be far from home alone. Unfortunately since life happens everything fell apart at the last-minute. I don’t get to attend the conference so I’m using…Continue reading Models of Disability
Category: Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy themed blog posts. Topics covered include splinting and bracing, mobility aids, pain management, energy conservation and more.
Beginners guide to Kinesiology Tape
By popular demand, here’s a quick introduction to using kinesiology tape. I am not officially trained in any way so if you’re unsure about taping please consult your physio or similar. This guide aims to provide a few hints and tips that will get you started with taping and help you decided if its right…Continue reading Beginners guide to Kinesiology Tape
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Limitless Travel role-emerging placement
As part of Occupational Therapy degrees each student must complete one thousand hours of practice. How this is divided up varies from place to place. Northampton University divides practice hours into three placements. The first is shortest and is mainly observation. The last placement is the longest and it’s expected that each student will carry…Continue reading Limitless Travel role-emerging placement
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Chronic Pain – What does it actually feel like?
This is something I’ve been meaning to write about for a long time. While doing my dissertation before christmas I repeatedly read that most newly qualified healthcare professionals do not have a modern understanding of pain. I reviewed 9 articles for my dissertation, one common theme was the negative patient experience. Patients not feeling validated,…Continue reading Chronic Pain – What does it actually feel like?
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Non-verbal communication
So this is a new topic for me but I think it’s probably going to help a lot of people. Communication is something we all do, usually without much thought but there are some times when communication can be a bit harder. The most obvious types of communication are talking and listening but actually, a…Continue reading Non-verbal communication
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Therapeutic Relationships – Getting the most from Healthcare
I’m often asked how I’ve managed to get the most out of healthcare appointments, there is no quick answer so I’ve decided to write a longer one. As always, this post is written from the dual perspective of expert patient and healthcare professional. Much of this post is written from my own personal experience. During…Continue reading Therapeutic Relationships – Getting the most from Healthcare
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Introduction to Joint Protection
As usual this post is written from a dual perspective, I’m an Occupational Therapist and I have spent many years learning to manage my own health. With this post I aim to give a few simple ways of looking after your joints during everyday activities, hopefully explained in a simple way. As with all of…Continue reading Introduction to Joint Protection
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Pain Management, it’s not always about pills.
Pain management is a complex and lifelong challenge for many people. The most obvious answer to the pain problem is painkillers right? Pain meds often come with some nasty side effects and can be highly addictive. I’m not saying pain killers are all bad (they aren’t) and I’m not saying everyone who uses them will…Continue reading Pain Management, it’s not always about pills.
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#NHSselfie #SaveOurNHS #NotSafeNotFair
Today I’m sharing a selfie to support all the NHS staff against healthcare reforms. The first photo is me in resus at Worcester Royal Hospital. I was admitted with tachycardia, dehydration and mystery neurological symptoms including muscle spasms that left me with most of my joints dislocated. It took me 6 weeks across 3 different…Continue reading #NHSselfie #SaveOurNHS #NotSafeNotFair
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World Mental Health Day – ‘Health’ & Individuality
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization) We all have ‘Mental Health’, it is literally impossible to be ‘healthy’ without looking after your mental health as well as your physical health. Health of all kinds is on a spectrum,…Continue reading World Mental Health Day – ‘Health’ & Individuality
