Lifting OThers: Journey of a Future OT

 Scapulohumeral rhythm may be a term that sounds fancy or like it would be too hard to understand, but it really just describes the relationship between the movement of the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (arm proper). Essentially, as the humerus abducts, the scapula rotates upwardly as well. Clinically, scapulohumeral rhythm has many reasons that it is relevant. One reason is that it helps to ensure that the head of the humerus stays aligned with the glenoid fossa. This means that the head of the humerus has a surface to roll and glide on. Another reason that scapulohumeral rhythm is relevant is that it helps to maintain an optimal length-tension relationship. If the scapula was not able to move, the deltoid muscle would shorten to a point in which it could not shorten any more before the arm reached 180°.  Because the scapula contributes to some of the range of motion, the deltoid is able to maintain its ability to contract through a longer range of motion. Yet anot...

Landmarks are used to help identify locations or provide directions frequently in everyday life, but what are bony landmarks, and how are they used? Bony landmarks are points on bones that can be palpated on the skin and used in determining where to place goniometers when testing for range of motion. These landmarks are important because they provide guidance on where to place the fulcrum (the center) and where to position the stationary arm and the mobile arm of the goniometer. By using the bony landmarks, a practitioner can ensure that they are measuring the range of motion properly, and inter-rater reliability can be increased which means there is more consistency when measuring across practitioners. Proper positioning is also another important aspect of measuring range of motion. If a client is not positioned properly, then the measurements for range of motion might be wrong from the start. One example of this is measuring the range of motion in the knee. Knee range of motion is me...

   The KAWA Model of Practice is a theory of occupational therapy practice that comes from an Eastern practice of thinking. It looks at circumstances and surroundings and how they relate to goals in a holistic manner. This model is one that requires a significant amount of participation by the client as they are responsible for identifying the different concepts and working through these to problem solve. The word "Kawa" comes from the Japanese word for river. The idea is that the river represents life and the journey people take from the beginning to the end as well as obstacles that might get in the way. The water (Japanese: mizu) is the actual flow of life. Throughout life, we are surrounded by many environments and participate in many relationships that provide support. These aspects are what make up the walls and floor, or the torimaki, or the river. Along the way, the water might be obstructed by rocks (Japanese: iwa). The rocks in this model represent obstacles that bl...

One movement that is part of my routine is eating a meal. This starts with me in a seated position with my arms at my side. The first movement done is reaching forward to pick up a fork which creates flexion at the shoulder and extension at the elbow. Flexion and extension both take place in the sagittal plane around the frontal axis.  The flexion at the shoulder has the glenoid fossa of the scapula (concave) stationary while the humerus (convex) rotates on it. The head of the humerus rolls back and slides down to achieve this movement. The prime mover of this action at the shoulder is the anterior deltoid completing a concentric contraction. For extension at the elbow, the distal end of the humerus (convex) remains stationary while the proximal end of the ulna (concave- trochlear notch) glides back. The prime mover of this movement due to gravity is the biceps brachii contracting eccentrically in order to control the movement. When the effects of gravity are not present, the trice...

Assistive technology can be many things: a spoon with a strap, a calculator, a tablet. This list really is endless. According to a definition by Dr. Stephanie Lancaster, assistive technology is, "special devices or structural changes that promote self-confidence, competence, the further acquisition of developmental skills into occupational behaviors, or improved balance of time spent between an individual's goal and the external demands of the environment." Essentially, assistive technology is materials equipment, or technology can fall into three categories: low tech, medium tech, or high tech. The main way that these categories are organized relates to how much training or knowledge is required to use them, their price, and if they require power. As the names indicate, a low tech piece of assistive technology is the most basic and probably does not require much training, and a high tech piece is more complex and most likely requires training for the user and anyone invo...