Occupational therapy is defined as “a health and rehabilitation profession that assists individuals of all ages who have had an injury, illness, cognitive impairment, mental illness, developmental, learning, or physical disability to maximize their independence” (AOTA). An occupational therapist’s goal is to maximize a person’s independence in all aspects of daily functioning. Various performance areas such as activities of daily living, work and productive activities, as well as play and leisure activities, guide the practice of occupational therapy.

Occupational Therapist has a great role in neurological rehabilitation. Occupational Therapy neurological rehabilitation is a therapeutic program designed to improve function, reduce limitations and improve the overall well-being of patients who have experienced disease, traumatic injury or disorders of the nervous system. The goal of the neurological rehabilitation program is to design a treatment program that will help the patient return to the highest level of function and independence in daily activities.

Occupational Therapists use different sensory-motor & neuro-developmental treatment approaches like-Brunnstrom’s Movement Therapy, Bobath Approach, Rood’s Approach and Arnadottir OT –ADL Neurobehavioural Evaluation (A-ONE) for CNS dysfunction.

Many medical conditions can affect the function of the human nervous system. Infections, tumors, degenerative disease and disorders of the circulatory system are commonly associated with injury to the nervous system. Some examples of such diagnoses include:

Brain Injury
Stroke
Brain or spinal cord tumors
Multiple Sclerosis
Muscular Dystrophy/ALS
Spinal Cord Injury
Parkinson’s Disease
Myasthenia gravis
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Huntington’s Chorea
Physical symptoms of neurological problems may include the following:
Partial or complete paralysis
Muscle weakness
Partial or complete loss of sensation
Seizures
Difficulty reading and writing
Poor cognitive abilities
Unexplained pain
Decreased alertness
Occupational Therapy Neurological Rehabilitation Services:
Occupational Therapist will perform neurological and musculoskeletal-based evaluations to determine baseline functional and cognitive status. The therapist then designs a course of treatment with specific interventions and attainable goals to improve function and independence in daily activities. In order to help reach these goals, Occupational Therapist may utilize many different treatment approaches. Some examples of therapeutic activities included in an Occupational Therapy neurological rehabilitation program are:
Activities to improve mobility, coordination and balance
Exercises and splinting to manage spasticity and pain or increase ROM
 Retraining in activities of daily living (ADLs) such as grooming, bathing, feeding, handwriting, meal preparation and basic housekeeping
Activities to improve cognitive function, specifically problems such as perceptual deficits, loss of memory, decreased attention span, lack of concentration or altered judgment
 
Measures to assure safety
Pain management
Recommendations for assistive devices that promote independence
Home Environment Modification
Occupational Therapist also maintain following psychosocial considerations:
Education and counseling to the family members.
Education about disease process of the patients and their family member.
Encourage the family member to continue individual role (like schooling).
 Encourage in social interaction (like religious program).

Rabeya Ferdous
Occupational Therapist