Lifting OThers: Journey of a Future OT

Click here  to watch the Progressive commercial that I will be talking about. This ad impacts be because not only is it funny, but it also has some personal memories attached with it. When I think of this commercial, I initially think back to when I first saw it, my fiancé looking at me, laughing, and telling me that the ladies with the signs are me, specifically the lady with the sign that says, “No fussin’, no cussin’, no backtalkin’.” The other memory I have of this commercial is at my grandparents’ house. My grandma and I were in the kitchen setting up for a get together she was hosting when I brought up the commercial. She then told me that my grandpa hates those commercials because he, too, cannot say the word “quinoa” no matter how many times they go through it and gets frustrated by it.  This commercial is associated with the limbic system within my nervous system as it is responsible for the memories watching the TV and in my grandparents’ kitchen. The emotional aspec...

One reason that assistive devices need to be fitted properly is so that they do not cause injury to the user. For example, using axillary crutches too high can cause damage to brachial plexus. Another reason is that improper fit can also lead to improper use which can be a safety risk as a person could not be using the proper body mechanics.   How to properly fit assistive devices: Cane:  The handle should he at hip height (greater trochanter) or in line with the wrist crease. This makes sure that the shoulders are relaxed and the elbow is flexed about 20-30 degrees. Axillary crutches:  The handles should be in the same position as they are with the cane. The axillary rests should be a few finger widths (about two inches) below the axilla. *The heights of the handles and the height of the crutches themselves can be adjusted Lofstrand crutches:  The armband should be 2/3 of the way up the forearm, and the handle should be positioned the same as the handles in a c...

 

Mobility is a person's ability to move around, and it occurs in levels or stages. Even babies follow stages: holding their head up, holding themselves up, rolling over, crawling, standing, walking, and running. Not everything occurs all at once, and the same principle can apply when people are working to gain or re-gain their mobility. The order for restoring confidence in mobility is listed in a hierarchy shown by a pyramid. From the bottom to the top, the order is as follows: bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and community mobility and driving. I have never really stopped to think specifically about the steps a person has to take to become more mobile, but learning about and looking at the hierarchy of mobility, the steps make logical sense. The first level of mobility is bed mobility. If a person is unable to move themselves on a level ...

Posture is important in maintaining proper forces on various structures in the body. In the first picture, my fiancé, Colt, is demonstrating a fairly proper posture in which he is standing up straight. In the last picture, my cute little neighbor is also standing fairly straight but with a little bit or lordosis in his lower spine. In the middle picture, my roommate is sitting at a desk looking at her phone, and this is the picture that I will be focusing on.  In this picture, the her pelvis is tilted forward, and the lumbar and thoracic spine are kyphotic (or concave anteriorly). The cervical spine is lordotic (or convex anteriorly) as the head is tilted slightly upward and not completely over the cervical vertebrae. Her femurs appear to be fairly parallel to the ground with a slight inward rotation and resting on the seat of the chair. The scapulae are slightly elevated with some forward protraction. This position is more efficient for stability than mobility because with her fee...