Occupational therapy primarily focuses on evaluating and improving a person’s functional abilities. An occupational therapist helps a person optimize their independence and ability to accomplish their daily activities following an injury or in situations of physical impairment. Occupational therapy improves life skills and may involve use or creation of adaptive tools or equipment. In some settings occupational therapists focus on the smaller joints of the body and fine motor skills along with patient’s activities of daily living.
Physical therapy is focused on treating a person’s injury itself and on helping to prevent injuries. The physical therapist will diagnose and treat the physical source of the problem; the injured tissues and structures. In some settings physical therapy focuses more on the larger joints of the body and helps the patient regain their ability to ambulate and maneuver.
Although the two healthcare professions have distinct differences in their focus, there can be crossover between OT and PT. Both occupational and physical therapists are trained extensively on anatomy and the musculoskeletal system and focus on education about the healing process and injury prevention. With insurance companies now focusing more on patient function, both OT and PT address functional issues in their treatment. In some settings like Hand Therapy both OTs and PTs do the exact same form of treatment for their patients.
