Occupational Therapists help their patients conserve energy by simplifying daily tasks and changing their positioning, breathing and attitude – which can reduce fatigue while increasing independence throughout their day.
These six methods represent some of the most frequently employed approaches in literature. Their implementation primarily takes the form of providing guidelines and close supervision of planned goals while paying special attention to fatigue and pain symptoms.
ALS
ALS, commonly referred to as motor neuron disease, is an illness that damages nerve cells that control movement from brain through spinal cord to muscles in the body. As these nerves extend from brain through spinal cord to muscles in the body, weakness in arms and legs, loss of muscle mass, difficulty swallowing or breathing and eventually respiratory failure occur as a result of this illness.
Patients living with ALS often require assistance in performing daily tasks without becoming exhausted. Physical and occupational therapists at an ALS clinic or home health agency can teach strategies and recommend assistive devices that support mobility and independence, including gait and balance analysis, manual strength testing, range of motion to reduce stiffness evaluation and the provision of dressing aids, special utensils, communication tools and energy conservation techniques.
Early referral to a therapist experienced in ALS can maximize function and quality of life. Rehabilitative assessment may involve education about pacing to avoid fatigue, recommendations for assistive devices like wheelchairs and braces, as well as training in how to safely use such devices. Furthermore, education about home and work modifications, community resources, expected progression rates are crucial in planning accordingly for progression.
Sleep and diet can both help to enhance your mood and give you energy to get through each day. A dietitian may provide strategies and supplements that meet your nutritional needs; additionally, counseling with a mental health professional may assist in alleviating some of the stress caused by living with ALS.
COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is an inflammatory lung condition that causes difficulty breathing. Symptoms may range from mild to severe and fatigue can make daily tasks like dressing or shopping challenging – energy conservation techniques may help keep up your energy reserves for these activities without leaving you too fatigued.
Studies show that everyday activities require significant energy expenditure. People living with COPD often struggle to keep pace, leading to feelings of breathlessness and fatigue. Utilizing energy conservation techniques physical therapy can help decrease activity loads while improving everyday tasks performance.
Patients living with COPD often struggle with dyspnea that limits their performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Teaching patients to perform ADL with less energy may reduce time spent per task and boost daily productivity.
Hospice
Hospice care provides emotional, social, and spiritual support for terminally ill patients who have exhausted all possible cure options. Hospice programs often include medical, nursing and rehabilitative services at either their own homes or nursing facilities as part of an interdisciplinary team approach to improve comfort and quality of life near death. Physical therapists may be part of this multi-disciplinary group due to their unique skills of improving comfort at end-of-life.
Current energy conservation research centers around diseases with symptoms of fatigue and pain; however, non-fatiguing illnesses also benefit from these interventions. Furthermore, researchers use various strategies for providing treatment – from providing guidelines and setting goals to teaching energy conservation habits or client-centric interventions – but generally speaking six generalized strategies can be identified for delivery of treatments.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), an incurable disease which gradually reduces mobility as it progresses into later life, can often be treated through energy conservation techniques. A physical therapist can provide support in order to manage symptoms in order to conserve energy.
Prevention includes avoiding the overexpenditure of oxygen which can result in oxygen saturation dipping dangerously low, leading to discoloration of skin, fatigue, and dizziness. An OT can teach patients how to conserve breath and recommend they wear a pulse oximeter in order to monitor oxygen levels in their blood.
Occupational therapists (OTs) can teach their patients how to prevent falls by teaching safe body mechanics and transfers, using adaptive equipment like walkers and wheelchairs safely, positioning to avoid pressure sores in an ergonomic fashion that promotes maximum airflow while offering maximum comfort, and teaching self-care practices such as hot applications, massage, or breathing exercises that help manage pain effectively. Physical therapists (PTs) may also assist their patients with managing pain through self-care practices like hot applications, massage or breathing exercises.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can be debilitating and drastically diminish your quality of life. While acute pain often stems from illness or injury and fades with time, chronic pain may continue for months or even years and affect any part of the body; its cause could range from an injury or condition like arthritis to cancer or COPD.
Recent research revealed that chronic and high-impact chronic pain (pain that limits daily activities for the past three months) can severely impede health, well-being and employment opportunities. Researchers discovered that chronic pain was more prevalent among older adults, females, those living with disabilities and poor general health as well as nonmetropolitan areas and those below poverty line.
Reducing chronic pain requires an interprofessional team composed of physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, physician assistants and psychiatrists working together. This collaborative approach fosters patient trust while decreasing care fragmentation and encouraging long-term adherence to treatment plans. Furthermore, this allows therapists to focus on honing their clinical skills while providing personalized patient-centric care.
Patients suffering from chronic pain may benefit from various energy conservation techniques physical therapy can offer, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation therapies, biofeedback, group counseling and exercise. Some therapies may help patients manage their pain and fatigue more effectively while others can aid in pinpointing its source or lessening its intensity.
As well as traditional treatments for chronic pain, patients may benefit from nonpharmacological methods, including heat and cold therapy, electrical stimulation, massage therapy, acupuncture and yoga. Some patients can even use interventional techniques such as spinal cord stimulation, epidural steroid injections, trigger point injections or nerve blocks for enhanced relief.
Note that pain assessment is subjective experience that may be difficult to objectively measure. Individuals may underreport their pain due to fear of medication reduction, insurance limitations or work avoidance; conversely, overreport their symptoms due to worries over being able to carry out daily tasks or attend job interviews.
