Lifeworks Occupational Therapy Blog

There are so many times in our lives where we feel panicked and overwhelmed. It’s hard to feel balanced when life ‘gets on top of us’. With each small, but life-altering crisis we can pause and question – is this anxiety fitting with the initial reason? Am I ok, right now? Unfortunately anxiety can become a serious health problem once it becomes a habit, something that is part of our everyday. The root of the word “anxious” is the same as the root of the word “anger,” the Indo-German word “angh,” which means “to constrict”. The signs of anxiety include short or holding of breath, tightness in the chest/muscles, irritability with others or ourselves, rapid heart beat, restlessness, feeling tense or wound up, amongst others. Let’s face it, sometimes we don’t even know we are stressed until someone else points it out. But there are some things you can do to break the habit of the Serial Worrier. Here’s some ideas to try. 1. Define...

What is yoga? The foundation of yoga lies in Patanjali’s eight limbs or stages of yoga; which offers strategies or tools to help you achieve a more meaningful life, something we aim for with our occupational therapy goals, almost always. They are as follows; Yama: your ethical standards, your sense of integrity and how you conduct yourself through life. Niyama: self-discipline and personal observances. Asana: taking care of your body (the body postures practiced in yoga). Pranayama: breath control. Pratyahara: deep awareness and control of your senses. Dharana: concentration, learning how to slow down your thinking process and shift your focus. Dhyana: being aware without focus, or meditation. Samadhi: enlightenment. Without going into too much detail about the Sanskrit or the intricacies of yoga, it is essentially the practice of mindfulness and learning to listen to your body while breathing and moving to stimulate your body and mind. There have been countless studies showing that th...

If you have developed an aversion to certain everyday activities due to ongoing pain e.g. bending down, picking up a child, walking or sitting for long periods it is most likely due to the fact that the brain has retained the information previously experienced in the acute phase of the injury and remembers these activities as being “dangerous” and remains in a hyper protective state. The brain then sends the same protective messages to prevent you from engaging in the said tasks. This leads to a cycle of fear and avoidance and reinforcing the “danger” message. In recent years elite athletes have been using their imagination to improve their performance without actually physically engaging in the said activity. This is based on the knowledge of neuroscience and has had great success. There is some evidence to show that the brain’s activation is greater when visualising yourself performing a movement than if you are actually performing. (Graded Motor Imagery G. Lorimer Moseley; David S.B...

The current pandemic crisis has highlighted to all of us the importance of maintaining or adapting life’s routines, and the messages we are receiving from all fronts to maintain our overall health and wellbeing is to ensure we have a“ROUTINE” that includes regular sleep patterns, regular meal times, regular exercise and strict work hours (when working from home) and not forgetting the importance of social contact via the many technology platforms we have available to us. Routines provide an anchor to base all of our daily activities around. Many words come to mind when I think of routine, including: purpose, safety, predictability, productivity and habit. Occupational Therapists at Lifeworks OT work with individuals experiencing chronic pain, and one of the areas we consider in our intervention is the person’s ROUTINE in all aspects of life including; Self Care Work/play Leisure Social and emotional Many people with chronic pain have gone fro...

If you have been accepted into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and/or have recently been provided with a new NDIS plan, chances are it may include funding for an “Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment”. So, what does this involve? Essentially, an OT functional assessment focuses on what your goals/hopes are for your future then seeks to identify how you are managing day to day at present and what challenges/gaps need to be addressed in order for you to make progress towards achieving these goals. Where Do I Start? Your first step will be to find an Occupational Therapy Service who can complete the functional assessment. A list of registered NDIS providers can be found on the NDIS website if your plan is NDIA managed, or if you are self or plan managed you can utilise any provider of your choice. You can then book an initial appointment. NDIS Service Agreement At the initial appointment, your OT is required to provide you with ...

In the face of uncertainty, all we have is the present. Mindfulness is something that most of us have probably heard about by now. It has become more mainstream over recent years, but it’s actually an ancient Buddhist tradition which dates back thousands of years (it doesn’t conflict with any religious beliefs or traditions you may currently hold). Put simply, mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (Jon-Kabat Zinn, 1994, p.4). Like anything, it is a skill that we can develop. And an extremely useful skill for getting us through the current situation in the world, if we can learn to harness it. At the moment, what our nervous system needs is (very) regular doses of calm, so that we have the strength to deal with what is happening around us. Mindfulness is one way we can give this to our nervous system. This in turn helps to reduce the impact of current events on our mental health and ...

While it can be challenging to see the trials and tribulations of people with complex chronic health issues, hearing their pain recovery stories can be very rewarding. The patient’s road to recovery is often long and arduous, as most people have to juggle appointments, manage the uncertainties of treatment outcomes, and endure the symptoms of their conditions. This leaves little room for personal expression and growth. As occupational therapists, we see health as not just the absence of illness or injuries, but as an opportunity to do what matters to them. Since the birth of the profession, occupational therapy practitioners have understood the importance of using engaging activities as a means of recovery. A person might wish to regain her ability to dress herself independently, a goal she can use during “dress rehearsal” training sessions to improve her physical performance and self-confidence. Likewise, we encourage people to participate in art...

If you suffer frompersistent pain, you are enduring more than your fair share of obstacles. Inaddition to continual discomfort, they may also confront a lot offrustration.  Persistent pain takesa major toll on your ability to do the things that are important to you daily,such as cooking a meal, having a shower, looking after your family, going towork and going out with your friends. Left unaddressed, it can cause you tolose your independence, leaving you little or no alternative but to rely onothers to do the things you used to be able to do on your own. Medical researchersnow understand that various elements are simultaneously at play in someone withpersistent pain. These elements can be physical (e.g. your body, issues in yourtissues, infection, inflammation), mental (e.g. beliefs, fears, worries,anxieties) and environmental (e.g. heat/cold, pressure, chemical exposure,pathogens). Researchers have even discovered that our social and culturalenvironment can affect how we experienc...

Clothing Come prepared with clothing that allows easy access to place electrodes. Loose-fitting and elasticated clothing are recommended. Depending on the location of your pain, bringing a robe or draping towel may be the easiest option for you. Activity Tracking It is important that you create a diary of the activities you engage in between Scrambler Therapy sessions. You are not required to change your activity levels during Scrambler Therapy but having a record of your activity is of great help when it comes to monitoring your progress. In addition to tracking your activity levels, it is also useful to track other important measures related to your goals. For example, if your goal is to improve your sleep, you may want to also tack your sleeping time or number of times you wake at night. If your goal is to use less medication, then tracking how much you take may also be helpful for you (note: never change medication dose or type unless authorised by your doctor!). Your therapist wil...

By this stage, if you have been following my blog posts, you may be asking yourself: “So what does a Scrambler therapy session actually involve – what happens during the treatment?” First things first, as a disclaimer, your therapist will ask you many questions about your pain. We apologize. We know you have probably spent much time and effort learning to keep thoughts of your pain away from your attention. However, your therapist needs to know where your pain is and the intensity of it in order to provide you with the best opportunity for successful Scrambler Therapy. Here is a simple step by step breakdown of a single Scrambler Therapy session: Welcome – at your first session, your therapist will welcome and introduce you to themselves and the Scrambler device. The therapist will then ask you questions about your sleep, activity and pain levels. Your therapist will then ask you “where is your most painful area now?” Once the most painful area is identified, your therapist will ask ...

Pain is complex and fascinating. It is there for our protection and survival. However, when pain persists and no longer acts to protect but limit your movement and everyday activities, it really becomes a pain! If you are reading this, you probably know exactly what I mean. Pain can make us suffer both physically and emotionally. You are probably seeking a cure. What kind of pain does Scrambler Therapy work for? If your doctor has diagnosed your pain as “neuropathic” (nerve pain) or if your pain is related to cancer, you may be a suitable candidate for Scrambler Therapy. If your pain is due to an acute injury or musculoskeletal conditions, Scrambler Therapy will not provide you with lasting pain relief. We do not recommend Scrambler Therapy if you know that your pain is not neuropathic or cancer-related. Scrambler Therapy only provides lasting relief to neuropathic pain or cancer-related pain.  Is Scrambler Therapy a quick fix? We are all looking for a quick fix. Minimal effort and max...

Scrambler Therapy, also called ‘Calmare’ (Italian for “to soothe or ease”) is a drug-free and non-invasive treatment for nerve and cancer-related pain. Scrambler Therapy is a form of ‘neuromodulation’ . Neuromodulation is a long word, but it is easier to understand when we break it down: neuro relates to ‘nerves or the nervous system’ and modulation relates to ‘changing’ . Therefore, neuromodulation simply means “changing the way the nerves or nervous system behave”. How does Scrambler Therapy change the way the nerves behave? Scrambler Therapy changes the danger message sent by the nerves to the brain, which then results in the sensation of pain. Scrambler Therapy sends a message of “no danger” along the nerves to the brain, which results in a reduced or eradicated sensation of pain. The brain is responsible for deciding how to interpret different sensory messages from the body. The brain often interprets the sensory messages resulting from an injury (for example a papercut) as painf...