Maintaining daily tasks can drain you of energy. A physical therapist can teach strategies that will enable you to complete IADLs without exerting excessive force.
Physical therapists differ from other healthcare professionals by spending extended amounts of time with each of their patients and often form long-term relationships with them. Physical therapy professionals can help adjust your home, schedule, and lifestyle to conserve energy efficiently.
1. Use a walker or scooter
Physical and occupational therapists may recommend different mobility aids depending on the lifestyle needs of an elderly family member, such as a walker or scooter to save energy while moving around their home. A walker requires less upper body strength when lifting and using; additionally it can reduce unnecessary trips up and down stairs.
Rollators (wheeled walkers ) look similar to traditional walkers but feature wheels for easier propulsion forward, enabling faster walking speed and efficiency for users with limited hand strength. Such devices can be particularly beneficial.
Energy conservation techniques (ECTs) have proven themselves beneficial in treating various conditions, including multiple sclerosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Studies indicate that using energy conservation techniques (ECTs) for treatment of these illnesses can result in improved fatigue management, work performance and reduced pain intensity – leading to better quality of life for MS patients as a whole.
2. Use a cane or crutches
Utilizing canes or crutches as energy conservation measures is beneficial for patients who struggle with mobility issues, including those living with chronic illnesses such as COPD or neuromuscular conditions such as MS or ALS.
Once a patient feels confident using a cane on flat surfaces, they can be taught how to use it while ascending and descending stairs. Their therapist may instruct them to hold onto a railing and move one leg first followed by the cane before moving the opposite leg.
Occupational Therapists also assist people in learning how to utilize shortcuts in everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning and dishwashing as an energy conservation measure – helping people finish the day feeling accomplished instead of overwhelmed. Utilizing such techniques may also help combat COPD fatigue – something which may turn essential activities into chores over time.
3. Use a splint or brace
Physical and occupational therapy is an integral component of care for those living with ALS. It helps them remain independent, manage their condition effectively, and adjust to any changes to their lifestyles that arise.
Therapists teach posture training and other techniques designed to ease joint and soft tissue stress during everyday movement, work or recreation. Occupational therapists (OTs) instruct patients on energy conservation techniques for safe and efficient muscle and joint use; they may recommend lower limb braces to enhance gait efficiency as well as adaptive tools to aid hand weakness.
Splints and other orthopedic devices may help relieve painful joints temporarily, but for maximum effect they must be properly fitted and worn in order to be effective. To maximize results occupational therapists with additional training in rheumatic diseases can offer guidance regarding joint protection measures; for instance a wrist splint can position the first CMC joint slightly bent to reduce gripping or pinching pain when gripping objects or pinching.
4. Use a lift chair
Lift chairs can help conserve energy by providing you with an opportunity to sit instead of stand or walk, which is especially useful if you need to transfer multiple times per day between wheelchair, sofa, chair and bed – this can use up a lot of energy and can tire your body out quickly. Your physical or occupational therapist may recommend transfer strategies as well as transfer aids that will help conserve your energy reserves.
Occupational therapy assessments may include activity logs to monitor patterns of fatigue. They can also make recommendations regarding home modifications and equipment to help decrease energy expenditure, prioritising tasks or prescribing adaptive equipment as necessary.
5. Use a bath bench or shower chair
A bath bench or shower chair can help reduce bending and reaching during daily activities of living, such as showering. This type of equipment can be used in either a tub shower or walk in shower and features an adjustable arm rest or handheld shower head for increased reach and comfort. In order to improve sitting balance further, consider purchasing one equipped with back support.
An occupational therapist can show you how to safely and efficiently use these tools at home to conserve energy during daily tasks and increase energy conservation. They may also assist in finding adaptive equipment such as long handled dressing aids and bathroom aids that make transferring easier and safer.
Understanding that your tolerance levels will fluctuate can help ensure each activity starts off on an energetic note and save the more demanding ones for later in the day. Plan out activities and keep a logbook to track energy patterns and levels.
6. Use a long-handled reacher or sock aide
Long-handled reachers (also called grabbers) are designed to pick up items on the floor or high places without bending, stretching or straining. Conversely, sock aids allow users to put on socks and shoes without bending, pulling or stretching; both these tools may be found as part of hip kits that help people who struggle bending perform daily self-care tasks independently.
Assist your patient in minimizing bending and reaching, as well as using assistive devices whenever possible. They should wear clothing with Velcro rather than buttons or clasps when possible and use a long-handled shoehorn when putting their shoes on. When bathing or showering they should use either a tub bench/shower chair for comfort and use terry cloth robes instead of towels that require more energy use to dry themselves off afterwards.
7. Use an elevated toilet seat
An elevated toilet seat can reduce stress on healing hip joints and muscles by eliminating unnecessary bending and twisting, helping individuals remain independent when engaging in this vital daily task. Such adaptive devices allow people to retain a sense of dignity and comfort during recovery.
Physical therapists also teach energy conservation techniques for bathing and grooming, dressing and undressing, meal preparation and eating, home chores, errands and more. Examples of such techniques are pacing and planning; setting alarm timers; wearing clothes requiring less energy such as front-closure tops or pants with snaps; using long-handled reachers/sock aides to decrease bending or reaching; using clothes that require less effort such as front closure tops with front snap closures; using clothes requiring less energy; using long handled reachers/sock aides reduce bending or reaching.
These adaptive strategies and equipment can also reduce muscle and joint overuse and prevent injuries by decreasing fatigue, strain, and pain. Physical therapists can make environmental modifications that foster independence – installing grab bars or tub transfer benches; as well as teaching techniques for self-care activities.
8. Use a lightweight cookware or cooking utensils
As an example, using a bath bench and shower head with back support to reduce leaning and reaching while bathing may be beneficial; additionally a terry robe helps you dry off. In terms of food preparation, consider cooking in smaller steps to conserve energy usage; using paper plates or cups instead of dishes helps eliminate dishwashing altogether; keep frequently used items within reach either at eye-level or waist level to save energy, or consider community meal services (if available).
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be an exhausting condition. Energy conservation techniques may be helpful to people living with MS in managing fatigue by minimizing unnecessary exertion. Recurrences or exacerbations of pain may also be reduced through these strategies. These same strategies can also be applied to other diseases with symptoms that impact activity tolerance such as arthritis or Parkinson’s disease, where physical therapy focuses on occupational therapy strategies to treat fatigue and pain management.
9. Use a small electric appliance
Studies on energy conservation techniques tend to focus on managing fatigue or pain symptoms (Grill & Cole 2021 and Racine et al 2020 respectively), though approaches may vary depending on individual patient requirements.
Occupational therapists specialize in helping individuals manage fatigue, a difficult challenge for people living with chronic health conditions that impair activity tolerance, such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Energy conservation techniques may involve anything from creating a regular sleep schedule and prioritizing tasks to using adaptive equipment to combat exhaustion. Used together with other fatigue management strategies, like keeping the body cool and using lightweight cookware, these techniques can reduce the need to exert excessive energy, thus increasing a person’s tolerance of activity throughout their day. The authors do not disclose any relevant financial or other relationships (please refer to Disclosure Statement for further details).