Future OT Megan

Implicit bias is something that everyone, not only OT students and practitioners, need to be aware of. Implicit bias in short is someones subconscious stereotypes. Sometimes, you don't even know you have them but being aware of them can help us to fix them or get rid of them. They can be about anything from people, religion, politics or disabilities. Although everyone should be educated on implicit bias, it is extremely important for OT students and practitioners to be educated about it. Occupational therapists believe in occupational justice, or the idea that everyone should have equal opportunity to engage in meaningful occupations that play a part in their personal idenity. OTs also must have cultural-humility, or understanding that occupations are very different for people in different cultural contexts. We need to have cultural-humility and strive to keep learning about other cultures in order to be more client-centered. OT practitioners need to make sure that they are making ...

Scapulohumeral rhythm is extremely important to shoulder range of motion but what is it? The scapulohumeral rhythm is the ratio of the movement between the scapula and the humerus. In normal range of motion of 180° of shoulder elevation, the glenohumeral joint will move 2° for every 1° moved at the scapulothoracic joint. So, it is extremely important that the humerus and scapula are moving in synchrony. If the scapula becomes fixed in retraction and does not upwardly rotate, then the arm cannot flex correctly. This can cause contralateral trunk flexion as a compensatory movement to try to get the arm up higher. Making sure the humerus and scapula are moving and working together can help prevent injury to the glenohumeral joint, bursae and ligaments surrounding the shoulder. Proper scapulohumeral movement requires the scapula to protract and upwardly rotate. Clinically, therapists must pay close attention to this rhythm when assessing the shoulder girdle. Therapist should move the humer...

When testing range of motion, it is extremely important to use bony landmarks to know where you should place your goniometer. This makes your measurements reliable and also repeatable for when you test range of motion again or if another therapist checks the range of motion of the same client. You also need to make sure to position your client correctly. This ensures that the client is able to perform full range of motion of the joint being tested without any other part of the body coming in the way. When looking at MMT, the "test position" is important so that the client is in the position for optimal muscle contraction. Most levers in the human body are at a mechanical disadvantage. So, moving the limb into this "test position", which is usually at the middle of the movement, will ensure that is where the lever is at its optimal strength. Using the gravity eliminated position is very important for clients low strength. You always try MMT in an against gravity pos...

One thing I do every morning is drink a cup of coffee.  My start position is sitting on the couch holding the cup coffee in my right hand with my elbow flexed at 90 degrees in an isometric contraction.  At this point, my bicep muscle is the agonist and my triceps muscle is the antagonist. I then use my bicep to complete a concentric contraction to flex my elbow further and bring the coffee cup to my mouth.  My bicep would be the agonist muscle, my tricep would be the antagonist and a synergist muscle would be my brachialis muscle. Durning this action of elbow flexion, I am moving in the sagittal plane about the frontal axis. The osteokinematics of this movement would be voluntary flexion of the elbow. Using the concave on convex rule, the arthokinematics of this movement of elbow flexion would be the ulna rolling and sliding in the same anterior direction. To finish my movement, I use an eccentric contraction of my bicep to lower the cup of coffee back to 90 degrees. Here...

Life can look so different for all individuals in different areas around the world so it is extremely important to look at determinants of health. Determinants of health are anything socially, economically, and physically that can affect a person's health. This can be things like access to health care, social support, public safety, culture, socioeconomic status, the natural environment, housing and education. All of these components affect your health in a negative or positive way. Knowing the individuals we are working with and what some of these things look like for them can help us to give them the best care and resources to live long, healthy lives.  Changing or improving these areas can help create or promote a healthier population. Some determinants of health can also affect health literacy, or how much individuals understand, process, and analyze health services and information. Health literacy can depend on communication between the person and the professional, the person...