Fatigue is an all-too-common side effect of many conditions that limit activity tolerance, including cancer and neurodegenerative conditions. Occupational Therapists (OTs) can teach energy conservation techniques that will assist individuals in managing fatigue in everyday life.
Occupational therapists (OTs) can instruct patients how to maximize their energy reserves by pacing tasks, taking rest breaks and placing essentials within reach, which will reduce bending and reaching.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice which trains an individual to be present in the moment and to recognize thoughts and emotions without judgment, without becoming trapped in negativity. Once considered a form of meditation, mindfulness has now been widely adopted into mainstream health and wellness initiatives such as occupational therapy; where it helps individuals manage both their physical fatigue as well as its root causes by targeting both symptoms simultaneously.
Mindfulness has numerous benefits, including enhanced self-regulation, attention, emotional balance and memory. For people living with cognitive impairments, mindfulness can improve focus and concentration by training the mind to focus on one task at a time while filtering out distractions. Furthermore, mindfulness may increase cognitive flexibility allowing it to process new information quicker.
Mindfulness-based interventions have also been found to effectively lower anxiety and depression by lowering stress hormones, promote relaxation, reduce nighttime awakenings, help individuals sleep more soundly, manage pain more effectively by teaching individuals how to accept rather than resist pain, as well as assist in teaching individuals how to accept or acknowledge discomfort instead of avoiding or fighting it – according to Hardison & Roll (2016)’s scoping review, mindfulness interventions were effective at both reducing severity of pain as well as improving function with pain management.
OTs can incorporate mindfulness into their practice through techniques such as body scanning and deep breathing to increase an individual’s awareness of his or her own body and sensations, ultimately helping the individual better control their emotions and avoid negative reactions commonly associated with mood disorders. Furthermore, mindfulness techniques allow patients to gain perspective into how emotions and thoughts influence how they experience pain.
Therapists can utilize mindfulness to teach children coping skills to manage sensory or emotional overload. For instance, children who have autism often struggle to focus and can become overwhelmed by visual or auditory stimuli; teaching these children simple strategies such as focusing on breathing deeply for seven breaths before counting backwards from 100 or listing favorite television shows may help calm them down and refocus their attention.
Transfer Strategies
OTs provide transfer training to caregivers so they can safely assist clients with mobility difficulties. This may include techniques to assist with bed-to-wheelchair transfers, toilet transfers, bed-to-chair transfers or car transfers. Their instruction goes beyond basic lifting instructions by including biomechanically sound techniques as well as person-centred strategies which promote dignity and independence for their clients.
One such case of energy conservation would be in the case of someone living with fibromyalgia who experiences joint and muscle pain that flares up frequently, an occupational therapist can work with them to teach how to use hot water bottles, heat applications or take over-the-counter medication before and after physical activity to avoid flare-ups. They may also assist patients in altering their daily schedules to limit activities which require excessive exertion.
Energy conservation for respiratory patients often means conserving oxygen. Since many are on oxygen therapy, occupational therapists can educate these individuals on when best to perform daily tasks to save on unnecessary oxygen use. Furthermore, OTs encourage these patients to monitor their oxygen saturation level with a pulse oximeter to know when their activity levels have become excessive and need to reduce accordingly.
Occupational Therapists also focus on client-centered transfer training to increase the effectiveness of mobility assistance. This involves teaching clients how to shift their weight when transferring, reduce friction between their clothing and themselves when moving between positions, and utilize sliding techniques (or “slideboard”) if transferring is dependent. If dependent transfers require physical lifts such as Hoyer Lifts for instance, an OT may practice lifting with an able-bodied individual before practicing with clients themselves to prevent injury to both therapists.
As a general rule, occupational therapists assume the skills they teach will transfer directly into daily life for clients they serve. Unfortunately, research shows otherwise. To increase transfer outcomes and foster learning outcomes more effectively, therapists can utilize concepts from educational psychology which have been shown to facilitate learning. Six key principles can be taken from literature for more efficient transfer training: these include guiding, cuing, positioning and communicating.
Modifying Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
An occupational therapist (OT) can assist those living with long-term health conditions manage fatigue by altering daily tasks. This enables them to complete routine activities more efficiently while relieving stress and conserving energy for what matters most in life. OTs can offer helpful tools, assist in making habit changes, and teach strategies for managing cognitive and physical fatigue more effectively.
An occupational therapist (OT) could use mindfulness to teach a patient to walk more slowly and carefully to reduce the risk of falls, while installing handrails in bathrooms would make moving around the house safer. They might also teach how to modify diet so as to maintain a healthy weight without overexerting themselves.
Occupational therapy can also assist people in attaining new levels of independence with ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). ADLs include tasks that most healthy individuals perform daily such as bathing and grooming, eating, toileting, managing continence issues, transferring and ambulating (moving between positions). Healthcare providers should regularly assess patients’ abilities to perform ADLs so that temporary rehabilitation services or long-term care planning services may be necessary to assist individuals.
Discussion of long-term care can be sensitive, particularly if someone fears they’ll need others for their daily needs indefinitely. But healthcare providers need to listen and understand your concerns as much as possible.
An occupational therapist (OT) can teach individuals how to conserve energy by encouraging pacing and taking scheduled rest breaks as needed. An OT may also educate their patient on adaptive equipment that reduces effort required for certain activities; encourage more efficient approaches by delegating certain tasks to family, friends or home health aides; as well as work together with patients in learning pursed lip breathing, an effective relaxation technique.
Assistive Devices
Occupational therapists (OTs) work collaboratively with interprofessional teams, patients and their families to assist them with learning how to use assistive equipment (AE) during activities of daily living. Adaptive equipment can reduce strain on one’s body by eliminating bending and reaching, or provide extra support during an activity for easier completion. Occupational therapists offer education on using this gear in accordance with each person’s specific needs and learning style.
Assistive devices include items like reachers, long handled shoe horns or universal cuffs that help people perform daily activities more easily – tasks such as dressing, shoe-buckle tying or doorknob opening. Reducing the need to repeatedly reposition themselves during activities that may be draining for those living with COPD, cardiac conditions or age can reduce fatigue for someone doing repetitive repositioning tasks during activity – something occupational therapists can educate patients about. They also recommend which devices may best help patients during their treatment plans.
Multiple Sclerosis patients can find even the smallest movements can cause fatigue or pain, making everyday tasks tiresome and taxing on their energy resources. Occupational therapists can teach transfer strategies and recommend adaptive equipment that will make moving more efficiently so as to save their energy for other tasks.
Occupational therapy plays a vital role in hospice care settings, where patients typically have six months or less to live due to advanced cancer, malignant tumors or chronic illnesses that have compromised their quality of life. Occupational therapists in this setting can design treatment plans that teach patients how to conserve both physical and cognitive energy by offering tools, prioritizing tasks and delegating chores and organizing homes so they are safe and organized.
Fatigue is an unfortunate side effect of illness, injury, and age, often making its presence felt in daily life. Sleep may provide temporary relief but oftentimes this daily struggle requires interventions. Energy conservation techniques may provide relief and allow individuals to complete what is important in life.
