Occupational therapy practitioners use energy conservation techniques, also known as work simplification principles, in many settings. With respiratory patients, this is especially important. These patients often require oxygen on a daily or as-needed basis, and overexpenditure of movement can lead to oxygen desaturation. OTs can help with education on planning, prioritising, pacing and delegating tasks.<\/p>\n
Fatigue is a common side effect for cancer patients. It can affect every aspect of their life and is different from everyday tiredness. Cancer-related fatigue is often severe, persistent and not relieved by rest. It is often exacerbated by other medical conditions associated with the cancer or its treatment, such as anemia and alterations in normal sleep patterns. Additionally, some medications used to treat the cancer or its effects may cause fatigue, including sedatives, antidepressants, analgesics, steroids and antiemetics.<\/p>\n
Fatigue can be assessed using a variety of patient self-report scales, including the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS). A CFS score of 3 to 5 indicates mild, moderate or severe fatigue.<\/p>\n
CFS is a symptom that can have a direct impact on functional outcomes and quality of life, but it also has a significant indirect impact through increased risk for depression and anxiety. It is important to evaluate and treat any underlying causes of fatigue, such as pre-existing comorbidities, which can worsen during cancer treatment, including hypothyroidism, sleep disturbances and chronic pain.<\/p>\n
In addition to assessing the symptom and its severity, occupational therapists can provide education on energy conservation, which involves pacing activities throughout the day and focusing on tasks that are most important. Providing strategies to improve the quality of sleep and recommending regular exercise that increases heart rate can also decrease fatigue.<\/p>\n
Studies have shown that fatigue can be reduced by psychosocial, mind-body and pharmacological interventions. However, because the etiology of CRF is multifactorial, there is no one \u201cgold standard\u201d approach to the management of this symptom.<\/p>\n
In cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiac conditions, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) patients often struggle with fatigue. OTs can help their clients to manage their symptoms through education and training on energy conservation techniques.<\/p>\n
The key issue with respiratory patients is conserving oxygen for the brain. Frequently, these individuals are on oxygen therapy daily or as needed, and over-expenditure of physical movement can lead to oxygen desaturation (unsafe numbers dropping below 90% saturation). OTs can provide education and visual handouts to help patients learn when they need to cut back and utilize pursed lip breathing to keep their numbers up.<\/p>\n
Cancer patients can experience CRF from multiple sources, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, medication side effects, anemia, poor sleep, and stress. It’s also common for CRF to continue well into survivorship, which can lead to discouragement and debilitating fatigue for patients who expect their normal energy level to return as soon as treatment ends. OTs can use the 4 P’s (Plan, Prioritize, Pace, and Position) framework to educate cancer patients on planning their day around when they have the most energy and to group together similar tasks. This can reduce decision fatigue, which is another drain on energy.<\/p>\n
In multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system attacks and breaks down the protective sheath that surrounds nerve fibers. This stops messages from being sent from the brain to the body and vice versa. MS can cause numbness, weakness, trouble walking and changes in vision. It also causes a range of other symptoms, depending on where the damage happens and the type of MS a person has. Most people with MS have the relapsing-remitting form of the disease, which means they experience periods of new symptoms (called relapses) followed by quieter periods when their disease is in remission. OU Health neurologists can prescribe disease-modifying drugs to help reduce relapses and slow the progression of MS.<\/p>\n
Fatigue is a common symptom of MS. PT and OT can teach strategies to conserve physical energy and provide treatments like acupuncture, relaxation training and stress management programs to help people manage fatigue.<\/p>\n
Repetitive use injuries, also known as repetitive strain injury, occur when repeated movements stress or damage muscles, tendons, and ligaments over time. These injuries can result from work or extracurricular activities. For example, factory or warehouse workers may develop carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff tears, tennis elbow, or other RSI in their wrists, hands, arms, and backs. Health care workers, such as nurses and therapists, can develop RSIs in their fingers, wrists, or backs from transferring patients frequently.<\/p>\n