Embracing Technology for Our OT Tool Kit
We live in a world where technology is becoming a priority in everyday living. A lot of people are still intimidated by technology especially clinicians who are used to traditional treatments. Clinicians think of rehabilitation after a traumatic event as hands-on treatment through the traditional ways we have learned to treat throughout our career and schooling. As OTs we have a tool box of treatments that we use with our patients depending on their diagnosis. Technology is not often the first thing we think of when making a treatment plan.
How can technology be affective for our patients?
The first thing that comes to mind is Neuroplasticity. It’s a broad term for the ability of the human brain to adapt to environmental pressures, experiences and challenges. It occurs at many levels from our molecules to cortical reorganization or remapping of our brain. A patients learning is dependent on neuroplasticity, especially after a neurological event such as a stroke. Large portions of our brain are devoted towards production of skilled movements that use on a daily bases. As a clinician we know there is a clear difference between learning a skill with the intact brain and relearning a skill with an injured brain. Physical rehabilitation can take advantage of previously learned behaviors that may still exist within the residual neural circuits of the damaged brain.
Technology can help us introducing new skills while tapping into many different sensory aspects to help with relearning within our brain. For instance, if we have a patient who has suffered from a stroke and is presenting with a hemi arm, poor sitting balance, and visual deficits we can use technology to address all three issues at once. You can use a robotic arm system that using non immersive virtual reality to help simulate functional arm movement while having them attend to a screen to watch their movement. While you as the OT are assisting them with postural stability at the same time. Technology allows us to add multiple therapeutic approaches to achieve the most rehabilitation for our patients. The key to using technology during therapeutic treatments is don’t be scared to try it. As OTs we are creative and always looking to make our treatments more engaging and purposeful, and technology gives us that.
There is so much variety in technology when it comes to rehabilitation. It ranges from low tech to high tech that uses non-immersive virtual reality to immersive virtual reality. So start by researching to see what your comfort level might be along with reaching out to fellow OTs that are using technology to be mentored and educated. This is the time to step out of the box and increase your OT tool box and experience a whole new avenue of rehabilitation.
Ashley Gatewood, MOT, OTR/L