| Occupational Therapy (OT), helps people regain, | | | | relieve physical and mental stress. |
| develop and build skills that are important for | | | | An occupational therapist can help you identify |
| independent living, health and happiness. | | | | what aspects of the way you carry out your |
| Fibromyalgia sufferers can experience physical, | | | | daily routine is helping or hindering your healing. |
| emotional, or other challenges that prevent them | | | | Patients are also taught stress management, how |
| from living the life they once led. Chronic pain | | | | to assert themselves, time management, and |
| and depression can make it difficult for FM | | | | planning/pacing skills, in order to help to reduce |
| patients to do everyday tasks or be as active | | | | stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Occupational |
| and as independent as they’d like. If you | | | | therapy can help you discover what job or home |
| have trouble performing daily activities because of | | | | activities could be increasing your neck, back, or |
| these limitations OT may be able to help you. | | | | arm pain. Your therapist can watch you at work |
| Most FM patients find there are certain things | | | | and make specific recommendations for reducing |
| they do on a daily basis that seem to make their | | | | the strain on your body and provide specific |
| pain worse. These activities frequently involve the | | | | therapy and exercises to help improve range of |
| repetitive use of muscles or continued tensing of | | | | motion and reduce pain. |
| a muscle, such as the muscles of the upper back | | | | Here are a few tips to optimize your workspace |
| while looking at a computer screen. You need to | | | | for comfort: Allow enough leg room under your |
| note these associations and determine how you | | | | workstation and use a document holder so that |
| can modify or eliminate them. That’s where | | | | your documents are at the same height and |
| occupational therapy can help. OT is designed to | | | | distance as your computer screen. Your feet |
| help Fibromyalgia Syndrome and other chronic pain | | | | should be flat on the floor, your knees should be |
| patients regain the independent lifestyle they once | | | | level with your hips, and good lower back support |
| knew before the onset of their illness. | | | | is a must. Avoid positions in which your body is |
| Occupational therapists are trained in both physical | | | | twisted. Sit about an arm’s length away |
| and psychiatric rehabilitation. | | | | from your screen and tilt the screen back a |
| An occupational therapy program is customized | | | | little. Your arms should rest at your sides with |
| for the patient by combining an evaluation of | | | | your elbows at a right angle and your wrists need |
| medical history, environmental issues and personal | | | | to be straight. Cushioned grips and |
| goals. Therapy includes solutions for pain due to | | | | ergonomically-designed tools to reduce vibration, |
| repetitive movements in the work place or | | | | pressure and relieve stress are beneficial and |
| elsewhere. Job modifications, changes in | | | | something as simple as a pillow behind your lower |
| ergonomics, and a reduction in work hours may | | | | back or a stool to raise your feet can provide |
| be necessary. Sometimes an occupational | | | | relief. |
| therapist can work with the patient's employer or | | | | Posture or movement training is often required |
| supervisors, educating them about FM and | | | | for FM sufferers to undo lifelong bad habits which |
| discussing contributing factors in the workplace. | | | | can cause or increase pain and to re-educate |
| You might be taught to conserve your energy, | | | | muscles and joints that have become misaligned. |
| use appropriate splints if needed, and minimize | | | | The muscles in the back of your neck, between |
| tissue trauma. | | | | your shoulder blades and your upper and mid |
| Occupational therapy should help you maximize | | | | back experience chronic tension. Stretches and |
| function through strengthening activities, retraining | | | | strengthening are crucial. Lumbar (lower & mid |
| cognitive and visual-perceptual skills and helping | | | | back) support is even more so. Fibromyalgia |
| prevent misalignment of the vertebrae. If you | | | | patients who have significant problems with foot |
| have had a back injury, ergonomics encourages | | | | pain resulting from poor posture or body |
| the use of proper equipment and lifting | | | | mechanics may also benefit from special shoe |
| techniques. For muscle pain, the proper | | | | inserts (orthotics) prescribed by a podiatrist. |
| positioning of body and equipment can help | | | | If there are techniques we can use to better our |
| prevent everything from mild soreness to serious | | | | quality of life by lessening our pain, why not do |
| tears and strains. For eyestrain, headache and | | | | it? We need to take advantage of every |
| fatigue, you might need adjustments in lighting, | | | | opportunity to make our lives better! If we |
| noise levels, posture and work positions can help | | | | don’t, who will? |