#stroke occupational therapy

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Occupational Therapy Treatment | Stroke Occupational Therapy

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Does your child have difficulties with day to day activities at home, school, or in the community? If yes, an occupational therapist may be able to help your child. Occupational therapy interventions are OT exercise for children to help with child development of functional expertise. For more visit us.

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New Post has been published on Life After Stroke

New Post has been published on http://life-after-stroke.com/how-creative-art-activities-help-stroke-occupational-therapy/

How creative art activities help stroke occupational therapy?

Painting, sketching, drawing, sculpture, collage and doodling all are forms of art used by stroke occupational therapy to improve an individual’s physical and emotional health. Art therapy can help define and treat anxiety, depression, addiction as well as the issues arising from disability and the traumas of illness and loss. Now, it is beginning to be used to help treat physical, cognitive and neurological issues stemming from physical illness such as stroke.

How stroke patients benefit from creative art activities?

The use of art as therapy is grounded in the healing possibilities of the human creative process and through the act of self-expression. Creating an image uses our physical and cognitive sides and making art combines the two. During the rehab process the art therapist and the patient use an art medium to assist the patient with recovery issue such as verbal communication, depression and the physical pain associated with stroke.

Art stroke occupational therapy is a relatively new field, yet studies have shown overall improvement in patients who tried art therapy. Patient feedback has included increased feeling of worth, feeling more in control, feeling more interest in life and more relaxed and sociable.

The left and right sides of the brain are the focus in art therapy. The left side of the brain is responsible for our ability to analyze information, to perform organizational tasks and to communicate verbally. The right side of our brain is responsible for spatial information, what we see, our visual memories and the differences in color and color hues. If our brains are operating as intended, the two sides of our brain integrate with each other and work together.

Unfortunately, a stroke can leave the survivor with one side of the brain damaged and the opposite side of the body with physical deficits. The goal in art as a stroke occupational therapy is for the artist/patient to re-gain a sense of their ability to combine the physical motion with their thought.

How creative art therapy to enhance rehabilitation for stroke patients?

My 8 weeks in rehab did not offer art therapy but rather focused on physical, occupational and speech therapy. Many of us have tried, or currently participate in, alternative healing methods, so why not include the creative process? Our motto ‘recovery never stops” is an inspiration, at least for me, to give art therapy a try.

Okay, sounds good, but I can’t draw! Art therapy is not about what a great artist you are but rather about expressing your personal voice, finding joy in the process and exercising our brains. The art you create is for you. Art therapist Catherine Asher, M.A., believes anyone no matter what age or ability can make art. “People with disabilities can use their mouth or feet to create masterpieces. The important thing to remember is to concentrate on the act of creation its self.”

One of our Strokenet forums focuses on hobbies and sports, and many of the posts express survivor struggles and difficulty in returning to hobbies and interests regarding the creative aspect in life. Motivation, fear, fatigue, physical deficits and the area of our brains affected by stroke can all create barriers to resuming our previous creative projects.

The creative process can take so many forms beyond drawing, painting and sculpture. The important thing is that as stroke survivors we have a way to express ourselves.

Stroke occupational therapy

Much like meditation, when an individual focuses on the act of creating, other issues and problems disappear. For example, the physical act of pounding and throwing clay can relieve stress, just as painting or drawing can be soothing and calming. Just as the art therapy used in rehab, we can use our art to communicate physically what we cannot say verbally. It is through the act of creating and expressing ourselves that we open windows into our emotions, thoughts and problems and give a sense of control and increased self-esteem.