Occupational Therapy vs Physical Therapy
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between occupational and physical therapy?
Each profession has its own association. This is a large group of therapists, assistants, and the like that pay dues for an opportunity to stay up to date on the latest research and have a voice about changes and outreach in the field. On these pages, we find:
OT (https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/OTMonth/what-is-OT.aspx): “Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.”
PT (https://www.apta.org/your-career/careers-in-physical-therapy/becoming-a-pt): “Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education. Physical therapists diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to people at the end of life. Many patients have injuries, disabilities, or other health conditions that need treatment.”
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Aaaand your face is telling me “Ruby, that’s not helpful at all.”
That’s what I thought when I first started trying to tease apart these jobs, too. There is a lot of overlap between what OTs and PTs do! Both professionals want to help you live comfortably, healthily, and with the best possible use of your body. What it comes down to is physical therapists normally help you do the big things like walking, sitting, standing, running, jumping, hugging, and other movements that focus on long term recovery of function. Occupational therapists tend to work more on the details, such as grabbing, holding, writing, controlling body language, and hand-eye coordination. Sometimes, you may only need one or the other. Sometimes you might need both!
I’m going to leave you with some of my favorite silly examples that I’ve picked up from others. I would love to hear more, so put on your creative thinking cap and drop your own in the comments!
“Physical therapy gets you down the hallway, occupational therapy makes sure you do it with clothes on.”
“PT gets you in the bathroom, OT makes sure you can hold the soap.”
“PT helps you get out of the house during a fire, OT helps you get your pants on first.”
“PTs are the mechanics. They get the car running. OTs are the detailers or body work shop. They make sure things are fine tuned and that you enjoy the ride.”
“PT gets you moving, OT gets you doing.”
