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Occupational therapists celebrate OT Month by Robyn Horvath Occupational Therapy “No, I can't find you a new job,” said one occupational therapist to a gas station attendant, and “No, Grandma, I'm not a physical therapist” and “No, we're not craft ladies.”  Each year we attempt to educate the public, as well as the medical community, about OT. Occupational therapist Victoria Whalen, right, and OT student Erin McCoy work with Damione Foster on releasing a cup using the neuromuscular electrical stimulation system. So, what is occupational therapy? We don't find people new jobs, but we do help people regain the skills they need to return to work. We're not physical therapists, but we do assist people to get in and out of the shower and to move around the kitchen safely. We're not craft ladies, but we may use crafts as a functional activity to increase a person's coordination or strength or ability to follow directions. We don't just play with babies and children all day, but we do help infants learn to eat and children to develop age appropriate skills using toys and games. Historical Use of Occupation First, occupation refers to “man's use of time, energy, interest and attention.” Today, we describe this as Activities of Daily Living (ADL) which is broken up into three areas: work (or play for children), self-care and leisure. Ancient origins of occupational as therapy can be seen as early as 2600 BC. The Chinese believed a person could become sick from inactivity, so physical training was used to promote health. One such activity was King Fu. Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used recreation to treat the physically and mentally ill. The Greek philosopher, Socrates, wrote “a man should inure himself to voluntary labor, and not give up to indulgence and strong connection between physical and mental health and healthy activity. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries mental health facilities were the predominant location of occupation as a form of treatment. In France, mentally ill patients were treated with exercise and occupation. This same type of treatment was used in Philadelphia Hospital, the first hospital in the American colonies. In 1844 the therapeutic value of an activity was considered, and activities were selected based on how a patient could benefit from them. The term “occupational therapy” was introduced in 1914 by an architect who had benefited from the use of occupation as treatment. He described it as a “science of instructing and encouraging the sick in such labors as will involve those energies and activities producing a beneficial therapeutic effect.” World War I Reconstruction Aides It was during World War I that therapeutic occupations was applied to persons with physical dysfunction. A young social work student, who had become interested in occupational therapy, suggested its use to the armed forces early in the war, because there were so many injured soldiers in need of help. Initially, four reconstruction aides (as they were called) were stationed in army hospitals in Europe. Their efforts were so successful that in 1917 Gen. (John J.) Pershing requested 200 young women to serve.  The following year training programs began which led to 460 reconstruction aides serving overseas. These programs were divided into physiotherapists, to give massages and exercise, and occupational therapists, to provide forms of occupation to soldiers with long illnesses and “to give to patients the therapeutic benefit of activity.” The 1950s saw a shift in focus to developing techniques to deal with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, polio, stroke and congenital defects. The aim was to reduce the effects of a person's conditions thus allowing the person to function at the highest level of independence possible...rehabilitation. Modern Occupational Therapy Today, occupational therapy is one of the allied health professions, with more than 50 accredited schools in the United States (including MUSC) and more programs in occupational therapy assistants.  Therapists obtain a bachelors or masters degree to enter practice, but can continue to receive a doctorate. Therapists and assistants can be found in hospitals, schools, outpatients clinics, nursing homes, home health and private practice. Therapists may choose to specialize in an area such as pediatrics or hand therapy and may become certified in specific treatment techniques. Regardless of the area of practice, occupational therapy encompasses a person's emotional as well as physical well being. It focuses on helping people participate in life to the best of their abilities when faces with traumatic physical changes, chronic illness, developmental disability or mental illness. OT addresses how they fulfill their life roles and perform their daily activities. OT provides activities that are meaningful to the patient and will help him or her regain skills or develop new skills to adapt to a permanent loss. The Department of Occupational Therapy at MUSC is comprised of 18 therapists with advanced training and special interests in hand therapy, burns, spinal cord injury and chronic pain. Staff provide service to acute patients in the medical center, TCU and Kindred Hospital and outpatients in the main hospital, Rutledge Tower, the Sensory Integration Lab for pediatrics and a satellite hand therapy facility in West Ashley. For information on occupational therapy at MUSC, call 792-3036.   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.