I’ve been going to therapy since I was nine days old. No,
you did not misread that. Nine. Days.
Old. For this reason, I consider myself
a professional patient :) and without these therapists I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am eternally
grateful to them.
Below I have included an overview of different forms of
therapy, in the order that I began them, that have been really beneficial to
me:
Occupational
Therapy: I had occupational therapy from nine days old until the age of
fourteen. At first, I received therapy
at my house. Eventually I received it in
school as part of a 504 Plan1.
My mom fought tooth and nail to get these services. She had to justify why occupational therapy
was necessary for me to receive and, because I write with my other hand, it was
often difficult to make this justification because it had to affect your
progress in school.
- Occupational therapy helps with daily living activities, including fine motor activities, such as writing, buttoning, zippering, etc.
Physical Therapy
(Structural and Functional): I began physical therapy at the age of two
in Connecticut. My parents drove me up to Hartford at Regional Physical Therapy
because it had been recommended by my occupational therapist at the time. At the age of six, I met a physical therapist
named Steve Moran, at another one of Regional Physical Therapy’s offices, who I
still visit to this day at Crossroads Physical Therapy in Columbia,
Connecticut. (He opened his own office
soon after I met him.)
- This type of physical therapy is actually considered manual physical therapy, which means that the therapists use techniques, such as craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, joint mobilization, and others.
Aquatic Physical
Therapy: I began aquatic physical therapy at six years old at Hope Physical and Aquatic Therapy in Plainview, New York. My parents had been searching for a physical
therapist that was nearer to our home and thought that aquatic therapy would be
really beneficial.
- Aquatic therapy is great because the water makes exercises easier to do and more fluid. Additionally, having an injury to your arm affects your ability to swim, so this type of exercise is essential.
Physical Therapy
(Traditional): After about seven or eight years of aquatic physical
therapy, my neurologist suggested that I start traditional physical therapy to
gain more muscle strength and range of motion.
I received this type of therapy up until a few years ago and only go if
I’m having severe pain.
- This type of therapy involves electric stimulation, massage, light weightlifting, stretching, and machine exercises.
Massage Therapy:
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had many stiff necks and pain in both shoulders, which are definitely related
to my injury. These things especially spring up
when I've been reading for an extended period of time or I am stressed at work. Three years
ago, I had a stiff neck for the whole summer and sought out massage
therapy. I found an amazing woman named
Sharon Klein in Bellmore, New York and since seeing her, I have had significantly
less pain.
- Sharon does therapeutic deep tissue massage with acupressure and cervical traction.
1504 Plan: Accommodations made for children in
primary and secondary who have disabilities that affect their function in
school.
