Mack’s Attack on OT

     I chose to watch the TedX video, “ADHD in Girls and Women,” with Martha Barnard-Rae. This topic has become more important to me recently because I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at the beginning of the year. I wanted to expand my knowledge to better understand this diagnoses and how it effects women differently. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not usually talked about in women, so I think this video allowed me to better understand myself and this diagnosis.       As a person with ADHD, each day is a different struggle that is mentally exhausting. Will I wake up and have a clear mind to remember where I put my name badge and keys? Will I be able to concentrate to complete my test? Will I be able to remember all my due dates? Will I be too overwhelmed and overstimulated to go to a lunch with friends? Every day is a fight with your own brain, and these are just a few questions that I ask myself daily. B...

     Regions in the brain that involve emotions and decision-making tend to experience higher activity levels or simulation when watching advertisements. The amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal and the anterior cingulate regions control what we feel and what we do. Researchers have found that advertisement is just a level of manipulation used to get a person to buy a product or whatever is being shown. Advertisements can be tricky and can influence your mind to have irrational thinking when engaged.     Thinking of past times, I can remember sitting in front of the television as a kid, and I hated when an advertisement would come on. I would be so aggravated at the fact my show was interrupted. Although I showed aggravation, my brain was still intrigued. Subconsciously, I was drawn right into the trap of irrational thinking. I wanted every toy on the screen and my brain was going right into the trap that marketers placed for certain audiences.     ...

     It is important to properly fit clients with assistive devices so it does not inflict more harm. If crutches are too tall, it could cause skin irritation, injury to axilla artery, and soreness. Another importance of properly fitting devices is to ensure the client feels comfortable and supported. If the client does not feel confident or comfortable, they are more likely to lose their balance and fall.   When determining what type of device will be used, the therapist needs to assess the client’s physical conditions, endurance, age, and psychological conditions. Standard walkers require the person to have a fair balance and upper extremity strength to lift the device, but rolling walkers can be used in this instance if a client has weaker upper extremities. Platform attachments can be put on walkers, and these can help clients that are unable to bear weight through wrists or hands. These platforms support the forearm and can be attached to walkers or crutches. Th...

     When discussing restoring confidence in mobility, clients want to be as independent as possible for their daily demands. So, the hierarchy of mobility skills helps to guide and give ideas of what level a client is at during treatment. Bed mobility is the lowest on the hierarchy of mobility skills because it has the biggest base of support. Ultimately, bed mobility is the ability for the body to perform activities in bed whether that be supine, prone, side lying, or sitting. These functional skills allow for the client to engage in ADL’s, sleep, and provide pressure relief to avoid pressure injuries. Bed mobility is the basic skill needed in preparation for transfers. These skills are needed in order to build on to one another to become more independent and more mobile.               The pyramid continues with mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub ...

  Cade being a silly goose! ☻ I would like to introduce my nephew, Cade! He just turned four, and has started his T-ball league games every Tuesday and Thursday night. He is full of energy and loves to play baseball in his uniform. Although, he does make “angels” in the dirt, and he normally crawls to the base acting like a dinosaur. In this blog post, I will be doing an analysis of his posture. As he stands on the base, he shows many characteristics of being swayback. His head is slightly tilted forward and to the right due to his arm and gloved resting on his head. He has a reduced lumbar lordosis and a posterior pelvic tilt. With a posterior pelvic tilt, his hips and knees are hyperextended. The spine is in flexion, and his right scapulae is abducted. There are apparent postural compensations made in this position. Cade has right rotation of the pelvis, which causes the left side to come forward. The spine follows the pelvis into right rotation. The left hip is slightly external...

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain                and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), Article 7412410010.      https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001  Lancaster, S. (2022). Emerging and Specialty Areas of Practice in OT: Session 24 Guide. University of      Tennessee Health Science Center, OT425 Lancaster, S. (2022). Roles and Responsibilities in the Field: Session 6 Guide. University of Tennessee Health Science Center, OT425 Stoffel, V. (2016). AOTA. About Occupational Therapy. https://www.aota.org/about/for-the-media/about-occupational-therapy

     After reading about “Man from the South,” it makes the reader question what significance the small finger performs. Most people do not realize the amount of strength and purpose the small finger actually provides. The soldier would ultimately lose a huge proportion of his grip strength due to injury of the ulnar nerve. This would prevent him from grasping larger objects, holding and squeezing a gun, and performing body weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and lifting weights.   There are various adaptive equipment that could be utilized for his disability. Lifting aids, such as hooks or Velcro straps could be attached to the body or hand in some way. These could be incorporated into his daily tasks when carrying equipment or holding on to things that require a lot of grip strength. If the soldier struggles with gripping utensils, cutlery grips could be incorporated. If he is wanting a more permanent solution, there are prosthetics that are powered by the wr...