What is a Holistic Occupational Therapist?

After 20+ years as an Occupational Therapist, Karen has had the opportunity to work in many settings.  These include inpatient and outpatient hospital based care, skilled nursing facilities, return to work clinics, but primarily in outpatient orthopedic clinics.  It was in outpatient orthopedic clinics that she enjoyed utilizing her specialization in hand therapy to treat acute injuries and post-post-operative clients.  For these clients, working on the specific injury was quite helpful.  However, she was finding that clients with more chronic injuries, compartmentalized hand treatment was only helpful to a certain point.  Often the pain would then show up in their neck or shoulder requiring them to consult with multiple practitioners to address each specific body part.  Often times resulting in frustration, unnecessary diagnostics, prescriptions for pain meds, and a lot of time and money.

Holistic care also includes looking at how stress and nutrition can play a role in one’s health and contribute to inflammation.  Once Karen started to “zoom out” and assess the entire body inside and out, she realized that she can now truly help clients alleviate pain and return to the activities that they love!