Helen Prentice, OT, MOT, CHT
Helen Prentice graduated from Austin College in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She received her Master of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 1984. She has focused her practice in outpatient hand therapy since 1995 and received her Certification in Hand Therapy in 1999. Helen has extensive experience in post-operative and post-trauma hand therapy as well as conservative management of hand and UE conditions. Treatment is individualized and based on a comprehensive initial evaluation. Treatments may include custom splinting, modalities, therapeutic activities, and exercises to address the patient’s specific need for a return to maximum independence in daily living and work skills. Helen enjoys reading (with a cat on her lap), walking, and playing the ukulele.
Occupational Therapy in Dallas, TX
Occupational therapy is not like physical therapy. OT does not consist of only exercises. Here you will find everything you want to know about occupational therapy.
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapists help everyone develop the skills they need for their living and routine work. The occupational therapist treats the injured, disabled people with different physical activities. The occupational therapists also take care of a person’s emotional state.
How does occupational therapy treat people?
- Occupational therapists give multiple tasks to perform. These tasks are designed in a way that they can improve a person’s health—for example, writing, running, etc. The tasks are different for different age groups and requirements.
- The therapist may ask about the chores you do daily and what kind of task you are struggling with. After understanding your needs completely, the therapist will suggest suitable therapy.
- The occupation therapist will keep checking your growth and how helpful the suggested activities are from time to time.
Difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy
- A physical therapist focuses on overall body movement, increasing muscle and bone strength, and treating a particular injury or broken bone. A physical therapist will suggest various exercises to improve the health condition.
- The main task of an occupational therapist is to help people in following their daily work without any obstacles. The occupation therapist suggests a few simple activities or games instead of exercises.
Who should go for occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy can be beneficial for those were suffering from:
- Spinal injury
- Autism
- Hand injury
- Movement problem
- Disability
- Arthritis
- Mental health issues
- Bone injuries
- Slow development and so on
Does an occupational therapist treat all kinds of pain?
No different medical conditions require different specialists. Many people go to occupational therapists for hand pain or injury. However, some hand injuries and pain don’t need an occupational therapist but a wrist specialist.
Who is the wrist specialist?
A wrist specialist is an orthopedic doctor who diagnoses the exact reasons causing you pain. A wrist specialist is a doctor, while the occupational therapist is not.
How does a wrist specialist treat patients?
The first thing any doctor or a wrist specialist would do is examine your condition. The specialist may suggest a test, scan, etc., to understand your problem. After diagnosis, the wrist specialist will cure your wrist, arm, and fingers.
One should visit a wrist specialist for severe hand pain instead of an occupational therapist. A wrist specialist treats patients with medicines, injections, or surgery.
How is a wrist specialist different from an occupational therapist?
- A wrist specialist’s treatment style is very different from an occupational therapist’s. A wrist specialist is a doctor specializing in muscle movement, bones, and arm and joint-related problems.
- He can efficiently cure severe pain or surgery. They don’t suggest any playful activities or exercises for the treatment but rather prescribe medicines.
Where to find an occupational therapist and a wrist specialist?
- The schools also appoint occupational therapists to enhance kids’ development. Contact the school teacher for reference.
- You may find an occupational therapist in a rehabilitation center. You can find a wrist specialist and an occupational therapist by visiting your family doctor online.
- If you need occupational therapy in Dallas, TX, or a wrist specialist and find it difficult to get a reliable expert, the North Texas hand center will make it easy.
Occupational therapy and a specialist in Dallas, Texas
North Texas Hand Center provides effective occupational therapy in Texas. Help all the people with injury, pain, tumor, arthritis, joint replacement, and many other health conditions to recover soon.
We have top doctors, kind and cooperative staff, and experienced wrist specialists in Dallas, Texas. We ensure to provide effective treatment. You can get our appointment here.
Frequently Asked Question
The main work of an occupational therapist is helping people with muscle movement problems.
An occupational therapist treats injuries, disabilities, arthritis, spinal injury, or problems with memory loss.
The primary task of occupational therapy is to help people recover from these conditions.
They work for the betterment of muscles and bones. They use different activities to enable people to do their daily tasks.
These activities don't involve any physical exercise. These activities are easy to do but effective in improving the health condition if followed daily.
For more details on occupational therapy in Dallas, TX, you can check North Texas Hand Center.
Running and crossing the hurdles are the activities for the kids. Picking up equipment or squeezing the rubber ball are activities to strengthen muscles.
Games and sports-related activities increase self-confidence and self-awareness. Writing or solving puzzles are activities for enhancing memory skills.
Some other activities are jumping jacks, labeling things, etc. The activities are different for kids and adults.
An occupational therapist's tasks also differ based on the patient's requirements. Schools also have occupational therapists for the better and overall development of kids.
The physiotherapist treats overall body movement and major injuries With the help of exercises. At the same time, an occupational therapist improves the required skills for better living and daily chores through easy-to-do tasks or fun activities.
Problems treated by a physical therapist
- Joint pain
- Several difficulties in muscle movement
- Extreme muscle pain
- Recovery after surgery
Problems treated by an occupational therapist
- The problem with the behavior pattern
- Issue related to sensory processing
- recovery from stroke
- Any disability
- Enhancing memory power
Any adult suffering from a problem with mental health, trauma, spinal injuries, triggered thumb, physical disabilities, etc., can take the help of an occupational therapist.
Occupational therapy will serve the patient through different physical activities. The activities for adults are not the same as the activities given to kids.
Anyone struggling to find an occupational therapist can visit their doctor for a recommendation. As schools also appoint occupational therapists, one can ask the teacher.
One can also visit rehabs to find an occupational therapist. If nothing helps, the internet will. One can search for a reputed occupational therapist in their area through the internet.
Occupational therapy treats various conditions such as:
- Injury in bones
- Spinal cord
- Cervical
- Weak memory
- Slow development of kids
- Arthritis
- Emotional suffering
- Struggle to do a certain activity
- Hand injury
- Disability
- Autism
The conditions treated by an occupational therapist are not limited.
To add a prefix of a doctor, one should have an MBBS degree or PH.D.
The occupational therapist does not have an MBBS degree or Ph.D. Therefore they cannot be termed a doctor.
Although they are not considered a doctor, their work is the treatment of health conditions, which is quite similar to the work of a doctor.
In short, occupational therapists are not a doctor by profession, but they help people with different health conditions just like a doctor.
Yes, it is worth becoming an Occupational therapist. An occupational therapist helps people to get better and lead a normal life. They serve people with disabilities and injuries.
Besides this, the occupational therapist is a respectable and great professional. Although this profession is rewarding, it is stressful too.
It requires a great human understanding to become an occupational therapist. These qualities make the profession of occupational therapist worthy of pursuing.
As occupational therapy comes into the healthcare sector, it can be considered a part of the medical field. However, they don't use medicines for their treatment.
Also, occupational therapists don't have any medical degrees. The therapist treats people without surgery or medicines.
The medical field is broad with many career options, and occupational therapy is one of those options.
No profession is easy, especially when it comes to treating people. Nursing is a bit more hectic and harder than occupational therapy considering both professions' working hours, types of tasks, and routines.
However, both professions require kindness, patience, human nature understanding, and the presence of the mind.
The nurses serve patients throughout the day. They also take care of patients' routine, eating, and hygiene.
In simple words, both professions are hard, but nursing is a bit harder.
The occupational therapist does not prescribe any medicines or give injections. Occupational therapists are not trained to understand the process of giving injections and their after-effects.
But In some countries, they may give injections only if required under proper guidance.
North Texas Hand Center
