Judy Kyin
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy (OT) is a branch of Rehabilitation Medicine that offers non-invasive options to promote and restore function after an injury. Occupational Therapists are dually trained in mental health and physical mobility, which allows them to provide an integrative and comprehensive approach to recovery. Occupational Therapists aim to address these barriers by structuring rehabilitation towards restoring function for the purpose of continued engagement with meaningful activities.
What is Osteopathy?
Osteopathic medicine was founded by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D. in the 19th century. It introduced a branch of medical practice that allowed the clinician to identify patterns of strain and dysfunction in the body and provide treatment through palpation. My therapy sessions incorporate osteopathic manual techniques with traditional approaches in Occupational Therapy to offer additional options for care and rehabilitation.
Myofascial Release
Fascia is connective tissue that exists throughout the body, providing support and stability for the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system, internal organs, and the vasculature system. Fascial tissue can tighten and thicken after an injury or surgery, forming adhesions that can cause pain and limit mobility. Myofascial releases are manual techniques designed to decrease pain, free up range of motion and facilitate mobility by addressing these adhesions throughout the body.
Cranial Osteopathy
Consists of gentle manual techniques that are designed to specifically address restrictions along the head, neck, and spine. Soft tissue restrictions in these areas are often linked to pain and discomfort in the surrounding regions during movement and can cause irritation and inflammation of the nerves underneath. Cranial Osteopathy offers a gentle way to facilitate alignment and mobility in the external structures, while alleviating stress on the internal systems.
Visceral Manipulation
Examines strain patterns between the musculoskeletal system and the viscera. Soft tissue restrictions in this region can affect trunk and pelvic positioning, which in turn, can affect sitting and standing posture. Visceral Manipulation techniques work on these restrictions to improve alignment and to facilitate motility in the gut area.
Muscle Energy Techniques (MET)
Specific techniques to engage and trigger muscle activation. It targets the interface between the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system to improve the communication between the nerves and muscles. It is used to encourage a particular muscle or group of muscles to activate. More specifically, it can be used to assist motor recovery and to facilitate the overall efficiency of the musculoskeletal system.
Ligamentous Articular Strain (LAS)
Targets the ligamentous structures throughout the body. Ligaments connect bone-to-bone and provide stability to our joint structures as tension is loaded with mobility. These techniques can improve joint alignment, tendon gliding and overall mobility in the body.
Counterstrain
Encompasses gentle techniques that utilize traction to shorten muscle fibers to reduce tension in the musculoskeletal system. Reducing tension in muscle fibers decreases mechanical stress on joints and helps to calm irregular reflex patterns (muscle spasms) that develop in response to persistent pain. In Counterstrain, a person’s body or limb is often moved to a position of ease to minimize direct tension to a particular region. Its gentleness makes it a good option for people experiencing acute pain or hypersensitivity to pain secondary to irregular neural sensory processing.
What is Neurorehabilitation?
A healthy and functioning nervous system is the basis for mobility and livelihood. Neurological injuries to the central nervous system—the brain and the spinal cord—can result from trauma or disease and can impact a person’s physical mobility, cognitive processing, and behavioral pattern. Deficits in each of these areas are dependent on the cause and location of the injury and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Neurorehabilitation is a specialized branch of Rehab Medicine that aims to remediate these deficits and aid recovery. On a physical level, Occupational Therapists will facilitate motor recovery and implement adaptive measures as needed to increase accessibility. On a cognitive and behavioral level, OTs will select or design specific activities to exercise the cognitive skill set affected and strategize to incorporate behavioral approaches into a person’s routine.
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Neurorehabilitation is unique because of the inherent complexity and sophistication of the nervous system. Because of this complexity, every neurological injury and its associated sequelae are expressed and experienced differently. For neurorehabilitation to be effective, it is important to establish a strong framework that is both focused and versatile enough to adapt to the specific needs of an individual. A comprehensive framework entails building a foundation for mobility that supports alignment, balance, body mechanics, coordination, and movement. It also incorporates an understanding of the interplay between cognition and mobility and uses one to facilitate the growth of the other. Lastly, it is a framework that understands the mental and emotional frustrations inherent to neural recovery because it recognizes such complexity requires time to restructure and to heal. A strong foundation optimizes recovery post-injury and provides the groundwork for long-term carryover and continued progress.
Lymphatics
The lymphatic system is part of the body’s immune system. Circulation within the lymphatic system helps to protect the body from infection, provide nutrients to the cells and assist with the removal of cellular waste. The lymphatic system also functions to balance the fluid levels in the body. Lymphatic techniques are designed to improve the circulation of this system throughout the body.