Achieve Your Wellness Goals Through Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy...do you help people get a job? I get this question all of the time. Occupational Therapists are Rehabilitation Specialists, like Physical Therapists or Speech Therapists.  When the profession of OT was established in the early 1900s, the profession focused on the rehabilitation of our wounded soldiers returning from WWI. In those days the word "occupation" meant the activities you need or want to do that "occupy" your daily life.

Occupational therapy (OT) is a global health and rehabilitation profession. It involves the use of assessment and intervention to develop, recover, or maintain the meaningful activities, or occupations, of individuals, groups, or communities.  OTs often work with people with physical health problems, disabilities, injuries, or impairments.[1]

The American Occupational Therapy Association defines an occupational therapist as someone who "helps people across their lifespan participate in the things they want and/or need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations)". 

So your "occupation" goal may be to get your shoulder rotator cuff healed so that you can get back to fishing...or maybe your "occupation" goal is to prevent falls and be safe and independent in your home as you age...maybe you suffer from chronic pain, headaches or other musculoskeletal issues that keep you from doing the things (occupations) that are important to you from cooking meals, picking up your grandkids, housework or maybe your "occupation" goal is being able to return to your career after an injury or illness...for children, their "occupation" typically involves being able to meet their developmental milestones, including handwriting and other school work. 

OTs strive to get you back to living your life to the fullest level. It is customized for your personal goals. 

I schedule new patient evaluations as soon as possible, unlike other clinics that usually have patients on a “waiting list” for weeks at a time, especially during the busier winter season.

My patients have been so happy with the therapy they have been receiving that they consistently refer their family, friends, and neighbors to me when they need therapy services. That level of patient satisfaction and loyalty speaks volumes to the quality of care I provide my patients.

Specialized Treatments For A Variety of Problems

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  • Florida Keys Therapy & Wellness is pround to be the only clinic offering Myofascial Release Therapy Myofascial Release Therapy is a safe, gentle but very effective hands on therapy that reduces pain, improves mobility and function
  • We specialize in complex orthopedic rehabilitation of the arm, wrist, and, elbow or hand, rotator cuff injuries or repairs, as well as tendon injuries and surgeries
  • Florida Keys Therapy & Wellness treats musculoskeletal injuries and associated pain and stiffness, joint replacements, and post-surgical loss of function
  • We are Fully Certified in Functional Trigger Point Dry Needling for Pain Management
  • We have experience treating neurological conditions, including treatment for stroke/CVA and Parkinson’s Disease
  • Florida Keys Therapy & Wellness offers therapy to help people with decreased independence and safety in completing activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, home care tasks, etc.
  • We offer Therapeutic Yoga for balance, strength, flexibility and stress reduction

What Is an Occupational Therapist (OT)?

An occupational therapist is a rehabilitation specialist who focuses on helping patients regain independence in everyday activities (occupations) through therapeutic exercises and adaptations. He/she takes a whole-person approach to healing and rehabilitation.

Occupational therapists help people who are recovering from injury, surgery, or developmental disability to engage in their life fully. They are experts at helping you regain strength, balance, endurance, coordination, and function so that you can be safe and independent with all of your everyday activities. That may mean regaining the ability to use your injured hand or arm to get dressed, drive your car, or go golfing or fishing. Occupational therapists also help you regain much-needed balance so you can prevent falls and walk around safely in your home. If you have been ill or hospitalized and need to regain the strength that you lost, OTs are the people you should turn to.

Occupational therapists are educated in the anatomy and physiology as well as the psychological and emotional aspects of healing and wellness, and they leverage all of these skills to help their patients meet all of their wellness goals.

John Barnes Myofascial Release Therapy is a gentle and safe hands on therapy that creates long lasting results in soft tissues restrictions that cause pain. We assess your entire body structure to find tightness or imbalance and then work to bring everything back to proper anatomical alignment. We release areas of tight fascia/soft tissue, allowing your nerves, blood vessels and lymphatic system to function and flow, which relieves pain, promotes healing and reduces inflammation. Your pain will decrease, your mobility improves, you have fewer headaches, less back and neck pain, you sleep better and of course feel better.

What Is a CHT?

Your hand and arm are complex and amazing parts of your body. They are essential to complete all of your everyday tasks, such as eating, dressing, bathing, and all of your other work and leisure activities. Whether you are writing with a pen, driving your car, or playing golf, your hands and arms must be in good condition to participate in life.

A Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) is an occupational therapist who has participated in advanced studies of hand and arm. These professionals have worked more than 5,000 hours in this specialized area to be eligible to take a certification exam that evaluates competency in all areas of hand and arm therapy. To use this credential, CHT therapists must continue to participate in advanced studies and specialized education programs, perform research, and contribute to scientific journals. There are fewer than 6,000 Certified Hand Therapists worldwide. If you have experienced any injuries or surgeries to your hand, wrist, elbow arm, or shoulder, a CHT will help you regain the functional use of your hand and arm to help you get back to all of your normal activities.

What is Muscular Trigger Point Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a therapy that involves inserting thin, unmedicated needles into a muscle to treat pain and movement issues. The needles are inserted into trigger points, which are areas of tight, irritable muscle tissue that can cause pain, tenderness, and restricted range of motion. Trigger points can be caused by injury, overuse, or poor movement patterns.

Therapeutic yoga, also known as yoga therapy, is a gentle adaptation of yoga that uses specific techniques to address health conditions and improve a person's functioning. It can help with a variety of issues, including:
Managing symptoms of illness and disease
Improving balance
Reducing pain and pressure
Helping with sleep
Stress relief
Mental clarity
Strengthening muscles
Creating a healthy outlook

ASTYM (Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization) is a soft tissue therapy that uses specially developed and researched tools to treat muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues. The goal of ASTYM is to promote healing and tissue regeneration, which can reduce pain and improve mobility. ASTYM can also help remove scar tissue, which can cause pain and limit movement. It improves overall circulation and improved lymphatic flow and function, reducing inflammation and improving the overall function.

Set Up an Appointment

Let me help you as you embark on your journey toward rehabilitation and independence.
To schedule an appointment, feel free to get in touch with me today via phone.