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Hey bloggers! I recently learned about the occupational therapist's role in health promotion, health literacy, and prevention. Two topics that stuck out to me that I wanted to further talk about today was health literacy and prevention. Health Literacy:  Yes, many people can't afford to buy healthy food items; but, this is not always the case. In some cases, people aren't capable of making better decisions about their health for themselves; they have poor health literacy. Health literacy is the extent at which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. It is dependent on the following: communication skills of people and professionals; knowledge of health topics by people and professionals; culture; healthcare and public health systems demands; and situational/contextual demands. Prevention:  Preventative measures consists of interventions that aim to reduce risks o

Hey bloggers! Today I'm going to talk about the shoulder complex in kinematics. The clavicle, scapula, and humerus function together as a kinetic chain to produce functional upper extremity movement. Each joint contributes to the total motion, so a much larger range of motion is produced than if each joint worked individually. During shoulder abduction (overhead elevation of the arm), there is a relationship of movement that exists between the humerus and the scapula. The collaborative movement between the humerus and the scapula is referred to as the scapulohumeral rhythm . This movement is achieved when, beyond 30 degrees of abduction or 60 degrees of flexion (little scapular movement), for every 3 degrees of shoulder elevation, 2 degrees occurs at the glenohumeral (GH) joint and 1 degree results from the scapulothoracic (ST) joint upward rotation. The amount of humeral movement maintains a ratio of movement with the scapula of 2:1. Therefore, a full 180 degrees of motion dur

Hey bloggers! I recently listened to a podcast called Glass Half Full - Occupational Therapy Talk , where they discussed the OT's role in diabetes management. I found this topic to be really interesting because I have two family members who were diagnosed with the disease; my grandfather (William Robinson - type 2) and my cousin (Bria Beene - type 1). Although the podcast addressed type 2 diabetes specifically, clients with type 1 diabetes can benefit as well. Bria Beene "I have diabetes... it doesn't have me." OT's can educate clients with what to expect and how to manage their diabetes. Some people are afraid to ask questions when talking to healthcare professionals; or some people may even forget what they wanted to ask. It is important for the OT to explain to clients that it is okay to ask questions. Successful management of chronic diseases can also be dependent on a consistent routine. OT's can help in being conscientious in working with the

Hey bloggers! It is important for practitioners to use bony landmarks and proper positioning when measuring ROM to ensure intrarater reliability of testing. Intrarater reliability is better than interrater reliability. In order to increase reliability of MMT, it should be conducted in the following ways: at the same time of day to avoid varying levels of fatigue by the same therapist  in the same environment  using the same patient position  following a standard testing protocol (using bony landmarks to locate correct and appropriate areas to palpate) The purpose of the "test position" for Manual muscle testing (MMT) is that it takes gravity into consideration. Gravity is a resistance; it is a force. When grading on the MMT grading scale, if a client is at a 3 or lower, they need to be tested in the gravity eliminated testing position . In this position, the resistance of gravity is eliminated for the test of movement. Practitioners need to make sure that the cli

Hey bloggers! I am a barista at Starbucks. As part of my daily routine, I make coffee, tea, and a variety of beverages. In doing so, one of the more frequent movements I make is ulnar deviation of the wrist as I am pouring milk or drinks from the pitcher and into the cup. Start and End positions I start out in the neutral position, with my wrist in straight alignment with my forearm (ROM = 0 degrees in the start position). My wrist is at a mid-point position that can also be thought of as the "handshake" position. As I pour the beverage out of the pitcher, my wrist deviates toward the ulnar side. The end position is ulnar deviation of the wrist (ROM = 30 degrees in the end position). Ulnar deviation moves within the frontal plane, and around the sagittal axis. Joint Classification, Osteokinematics, Arthrokinematics The wrist (radoiocarpal and mid carpal joints) is classified as a condyloid joint (2 degress of freedom). Osteokinematic movement permits flexion/extensio