Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Anne M. Haskins

Keywords

Hand Injuries -- therapy; Occupational Therapy -- methods; Upper Extremity -- injuries

Abstract

Increased attention has been placed on sports and athletes within the United States cultural. The latest reports of the noted sports economist Andrew Zimbalist estimated that the annual revenue of only 4 North American sports amounts to approximately $15 billion (Markovits, 2010). Athletes with upper extremity orthopedic injuries have traditionally been treated by occupational hand therapists (Hanson, Nabavi, & Yuen, 2000) however; research does not adequately address their needs outside of physical injury and musculoskeletal gain. Evidence is lacking within the profession of occupational therapy that encompasses the athlete as an occupational being. An occupational being is a person who participates in everyday occupations as an essential aspect of life. The physical dimension of wellness has traditionally been at the forefront of occupational hand therapy neglecting all other areas of wellness (social, spiritual, environmental, occupational, emotional, and intellectual dimensions of wellness).

The Seven Dimensions of Wellness with Upper Extremity Orthopedic Injuries: A Manual for Occupational Therapists will provide occupational hand therapists with a resource to achieve successful outcomes with a client-centered Occupational Adaptation approach within a hand therapy facility. The manual was developed to guide intended to be used as a guide for therapists to implement at the beginning (initial evaluation), during (intervention), and at the end of therapy (discharge planning) to direct the client and therapist through a process of adaptation (rehabilitation) involving the Seven Dimensions of Wellness. The manual includes case studies, activities, and possible interventions associated with each dimension of wellness. The step-by-step instructions enable the therapist and the athlete to collaborate the treatment direction based on a combination of the athlete's concerns paired with the occupational therapists‟ professional knowledge. It is hypothesized that athlete satisfaction and wellness recovery will be increased in treatment of athletes through guidance from this manual.

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