mOTivation with mikayla

I watched the TED Talk "What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's" by Lisa Genova. I chose this video because after learning the statistics about this debilitating disease in addition to how little there is you can do for it, I thought learning more about how to prevent it would be the best alternative to treatment - you don't have to treat a disease if you never develop it! That's exactly what Genova talked about! She went into detail about what is believed to be the main cause of Alzheimer's disease on the molecular level, which is a gradual accumulation of amyloid plaques in the synapse space between two nerve cells. This gradual accumulation is asymptomatic until the synapse is completely blocked and the two neurons can no longer communicate with each other any more. Once this level is reached, symptoms appear and rapid degeneration occurs.  Genova went on to explain how strong of an effect genetics and predispositions can have, but that lifestyle choices a...

Throughout my journey in OT school, I have learned so much, but I think the most striking thing that has been brought to the forefront of my mind is social determinants of health. This is a person's level of access to health care and resources based on where they live, what they do for a living, their level of social support, and how much education they have. This more often than not has a negative connotation attached to it, insinuating a lack of health care based on these factors. This is alarming because good health is not something just for important people, but rather a human right  everyone is worthy of. In the TedTalk given by Dr. Manchanda, I learned that the environment one works and lives in intertwined with their social networks affects one's health much more than one's genetics or the medications a doctor might provide. He emphasized a need for an "upstream" approach that would tackle these environmental root causes of health conditions.  If someone ...

It's important first to consider the individual's physical condition, age, endurance, and psychological condition in order to choose the most beneficial assistive device for a client & their needs. After assessing someone's mobility needs and environment they will be using it in, you can determine if they need to be fit for a cane, axillary crutches, loftstrand crutches, platform walker, or rolling walker. For safety reasons, it is important to customize the assistive device to the client's unique height and posture. Educating the clients and fitting them accurately will prevent injuries as well as increase efficiency of the assistive device. The whole purpose of an assistive device is to help the client move more efficiently despite their mobility limitations. Let's look at the specific mobility aids available and how to appropriately customize them for clients. For someone who needs the least amount of stability support, they should be fit for a cane. To do ...

The order for restoring confidence in mobility starts at the most basic level and gradually increases difficulty based on increasing activity demands until you reach the most complex level. A client will start with bed mobility, then progress through mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADLs, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, community mobility, and finally, driving. For safety reasons, it makes sense to gradually build confidence in this way. The skills learned and mastered in the early stages will prepare the client for the progression of transfers. For example, the muscles engaged in bridging, scooting, rolling, and sitting for bed mobility are the same muscles that are going to be engaged in the future transfers, but with added challenges like dynamic balance and stability. It is important to build confidence in oneself's ability to move and control their body in bed before in more potentia...

With 80% of the adult population having low back pain at some point in their life and 90% of those cases being a recurrent problem, it is extremely important to educate clients on these statistics and teach them proper posture and body mechanics. If people knew there is a 300% increase in intra-disc pressure within the first three hours of the day, they would probably think more about their additional taxing habits. This is important information for everyone, but especially vital for someone who already has faulty posture and poor body mechanics. The accumulation of habitually bad posture wears on the ligaments, discs, and muscles that support the natural alignment of the spine. Knowing what causes back pain, becoming aware of your own postural habits and body mechanics, and then correcting them will prevent work-related injuries, prevent painful disc herniation, maintain range of motion and functionality at the spine, and ultimately, promote engagement in occupations.  As an OT,...

One of the most visually and musically appealing ads I have ever seen was for an Apple MacBook Air. Normally seeing an ad more than a couple times sends my mind elsewhere, but this one never gets old. Watch for yourself,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7iI7YmIr30 , and you'll see what I'm talking about. The beautifully crafted visual of a thin laptop floating and flipping through the air and being carefully unveiled by a soft sheet reminded me a lot of an aerial silk dancer I once saw as a kid. The colors were natural and calming and the angles the laptops made were so satisfying to watch. The visual input first undergoes transduction via photoreceptors in the retina. This information then travels through the thalamus and into the primary visual cortex located in the occipital lobe. This takes up a substantial portion of the brain, so it is not surprising this is what stuck with me long after seeing this ad initially. From here, the visual information will travel through do...

What a suspenseful read! We read a short story about a bet made between a peculiar old man and a prideful soldier. After the soldier offered to light the old man's cigar, the old man refused and bet him that his lighter could not light ten times in a row. If the old man lost and the lighter successfully lit ten times in a row, the old man would give the soldier his Cadillac, but if the old man won, the soldier would lose his pinky finger. The reason the soldier even took the bet in the first place was because he couldn't think of any use at all for his pinky finger, but he couldn't be more wrong! If the soldier had lost the bet, he would be missing more than just his pinky finger. He would be missing a lot of grip strength and control. His ability to light his cigarette with ease would decrease significantly due to not being able to grip it tightly before flicking it. By the end of the story, the soldier is saved by the man's wife bursting through the door. After la...