POTS Occupational Therapy
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is an interactive therapy that promotes healthy behaviors, participation, and well-being for individuals coping with various health conditions.
Occupational therapists (OT’s) evaluate and treat related to activities of daily living such as self-care, home care, school and/or work, family life, and leisure.
OT’s are holistic. They treat the whole person: mind, body, and soul. They tailor interventions to help individuals learn to plan, pace, prioritize, and conserve energy.
Part of occupational therapy can include assisting an individual with adaptations to activities and environments to increase their ability to effectively participate and assessment for adaptive equipment.
Outcomes of occupational therapy can include increased functioning, expanded participation in purposeful, meaningful, and desired activities as well as increased performance, and enjoyment.
All of these can enhance health-related quality of life and well-being.
Why Can Occupational Therapy Be Helpful For An Individual With POTS?
Often there is a delay in diagnosis and treatment of POTS. This may lead to decreased functioning and quality of life. Decreased functioning can result in reduced participation in purposeful, meaningful, and desired activities. Activities that used to be easy may have become very difficult. The varying intensity of symptoms can be difficult to manage. It is easy to become overwhelmed in these situations.
Being holistic practitioners, OT’s are expertly skilled in addressing the unique needs of individuals with POTS.
Additionally, incorporating some of the skills learned in OT can better prepare individuals with POTS to participate in other therapies such as physical therapy, mindfulness training, cognitive based therapy, and adaptive yoga among others.
OT’s can also recommend adaptive equipment, ways to adapt differing environments, and address accommodations for school and/or work.
Written by: Jennifer Dochod, MS OTR/L, Advisor