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Occupational therapy is an important branch of health care that helps people of all ages regain their independence so they can live happier, healthier lives.

It’s an occupational therapist’s role to help patients with sensory, cognitive or physical problems — often due to a severe injury, illness or a neurological condition — rebuild strength, improve function and provide the tools they need to participate in the activities of daily living.

Simply eating a meal, getting dressed or using a computer can be extremely difficult for patients who have lost function in part of their body or have cognitive impairments.

Occupational therapists work to identify what barriers and challenges make performing an activity difficult and then create an individualized care plan for each patient to address their physical, developmental and emotional challenges step by step.

Occupational therapy includes activities such as daily living retraining and hand therapy. Daily living retraining simulates occupation-based activities — such as unloading the dishwasher — and introduces strategies to overcome task barriers. Occupational therapy also helps individuals with physical limitations or injuries increase strength, range of motion, endurance and balance, with the goal of completing the tasks that are important to them. Hand therapy and splinting is a specialty practice area of occupational therapy that focuses on rehabilitating the arms and hands, following injuries or surgeries. In addition, therapists can work with patients to adapt movements and introduce helpful tools such as shoehorns, dressing sticks and walkers to make tasks more manageable.

While every patient’s journey is different, occupational therapy works overtime to improve function, help manage pain and increase independence. Therapists also use cognitive retraining to help patients improve memory, attention and problem-solving skills. Cognitive retraining activities often include games or functional tasks, such as money management, medication management, or meal planning and preparation. They can also provide physical and emotional coping strategies to help individuals do the things that matter to them.

Occupational therapists often work with children of all ages to reach their developmental milestones, address play and social skills, and meet their sensory needs. They work closely with parents and families to ensure they have the skills and education to support their growing children.

As an occupational therapist in Tullahoma, I’ve helped pediatric patients reach critical developmental milestones and worked with patients who have lost almost all control of their hands regain the strength and coordination needed to perform tasks such as the laundry or cooking. I have also had the opportunity to start a program for pediatric incontinence which helps children overcome bladder or bowel issues to live happier, healthier lives.

When patients can participate in meaningful activities again, it positively impacts their mental health and overall well-being.

This Occupational Therapy Awareness month, join me in recognizing the occupational therapists who are doing life-changing work for patients in Tullahoma and throughout the state of Tennessee.

Hailey Matlock is an occupational therapist at Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital Rehabilitation Department in Tullahoma.