Occupational Therapy Services

What is Occupational Therapy?
 

Advanced Fitness & Therapy at Abacoa offers occupational therapy to those in the Jupiter, Florida area in Palm Beach County.
 
The term, “occupational therapy”, sounds like it should apply to work-related activities, but it’s actually associated with the word occupation in the broader sense, that is, to any activity in which a person is occupied. Occupational therapists treat patients with physical, mental, emotional, or developmentally disabling conditions. An occupational therapist may work with a stroke victim who needs to re-learn daily living skills, such as dressing or bathing. . . may teach individuals with arthritis numerous ways to make daily activities easier to perform. . . may assign patients exercises to help increase strength and dexterity or may structure programs to help improve a patient’s memory, problem solving ability, abstract reasoning or coordination.

Occupational therapy is skilled treatment that helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. It assists people in developing the "skills for the job of living" necessary for independent and satisfying lives. To become an occupational therapist, one must earn at least a master's degree. To practice as an occupational therapist in Florida, both national certification and state licensure are required.
 
Some of the health conditions that benefit from occupational therapy include:

• Work-related injuries including lower back problems

• Repetitive stress injuries

• Limitations following a stroke or heart attack

• Arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or other serious chronic conditions

• Birth injuries, learning problems, or developmental disabilities

• Burns, spinal cord injuries, or amputations

• Broken bones or other injuries from falls, sports injuries, or accidents