The Life of a BrOT

          What is the term implicit bias? Implicit bias is our perception of the negative stereotypes towards particular groups of people that we have been influenced by throughout life, yet we may not be aware of. It is very important that we as OT's learn about implicit bias so that we can treat each patient equally, advocate to others that everyone is created equal, and try to spread love and hope throughout each interaction with our clients. It is our job to provide the best care possible regardless of the clients views, status, background, how they treat us, etc.           There are many different things you can do to examine and address your own implicit bias. For starters, you can take surveys to find out what your biases are, read books or watch movies about different biases, listen to podcasts on the subject, and finally, ask more experienced OT practitioners how they were able to set aside their biases when they started pract...

          Scapulohumeral rhythm is the relationship of movement between the scapula and the humerus. There are two joints that contribute to the movement which includes the scapulothoracic joint and the glenohumeral joint. When there is movement in this region it is important that the movement is synchronous between the two joints because if it is not, it can lead to shoulder impingement and injury. If there is impingement in this area it can seriously lead to occupational performance deficits. For every one degree of movement at the scapulothoracic joint there is 2 degrees of movement at the glenohumeral joint. It is important that the movement here is congruent in nature to reduce the amount of shear force from the humeral head in the scapula socket. For a person to get full ROM the humeral head must rotate laterally. This is also important because if the humerus does not rotate laterally it can cause injury from the shear forces. Additionally, this movement a...

          When a client comes in for the initial evaluation for therapy it is always important to use the correct bony landmarks and place them in the correct position when measuring ROM because it allows the therapist to obtain correct measurements when performing the tests. Having the correct measurements will allow the therapist to build the proper treatment plan for the client so that they can accomplish their goals. Using the correct landmarks and positions is also important so that there is consistency in between practitioners. For example, if for some reason you are unable to make it to work one day and your client is seeing another therapist, it is important that you are both consistent with your measuring. This ensure the client receives accurate measurements and care from each therapist and gives them the reassurance that we are on the same page. When a therapist is performing MMT (Manual Muscle Testing) it is always important ...

In this activity analysis I will explain to you my daily routine of pouring a cup of milk. My starting position is in front of the counter with a cup and a gallon of milk in front of me. My left elbow goes into flexion due to a concentric contraction of by biceps brachii muscle in the sagittal plane about a frontal axis. My next movement is slight shoulder flexion and finger flexion in digits 2-5 to reach and grasp the handle on the gallon of milk. My next movement is increased elbow flexion and forearm pronation, which occurs in the transverse plane about a longitudinal/vertical axis, to pour the milk from the gallon jug into the cup. After the desired amount is poured, I slowly supinate my left forearm and slightly extend my elbow to place the milk back on the counter. The osteokinematics of the left elbow are extension to flexion in an open kinematic chain. From an arthokinematics standpoint, the moving of the radius and ulna on the humerus (humeroradial joint) is in a spinning moti...

          Over the course of this preparatory work, the two things that really stuck out to me were what exactly social determinants of health are and what health literacy is. Before this session I was unsure of what social determinants of health were. I was unaware that the range of social determinants is so broad and includes all the conditions where a person lives, worships, plays, learns, works, etc. and the resources available to a person/persons in all those specific places. I also did not realize the strong correlation between accessibility of resources and peoples' perceptions of the area in which they live. A person may have a more negative view of where they live, their health, and life if they do not have easy access to resources, whereas someone who has does have access might perceive all of these things much more positively.           The other concept I was uninformed about was what exactly health literacy is. Health lite...