What Are the Differences Between Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy?

An estimated 2.4 billion people around the world live with a health condition that may benefit from rehabilitation therapy. Rehabilitation is treatment aimed at helping patients restore functional abilities. A rehabilitation team may consist of physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists who collaborate to support patients whose lives have been impacted by illness, injury or disability.

What are the differences between physical, occupational and speech therapy?

Physical therapy focuses on treating the effects of disease, injury and disability through exercise, manual therapy, education and therapeutic activities. Physical therapy is often prescribed as a conservative option before considering more invasive options like surgery and medication.

“The objective of physical therapy is to enhance a patient’s movement and function while reducing pain,” said Mark Hoffman, Director of Rehabilitation Services and Occupational Health, Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Stretches, exercises and functional mobility activities are often components of a physical therapy plan because they can improve movement efficiency and effectiveness while minimizing pain in the process.”

Occupational therapy is often prescribed to individuals affected by illness, injury or disability that limits their ability to engage in everyday activities. Occupational therapy helps patients regain independence by supporting tasks like cooking, bathing, dressing and using the toilet. This may involve the use of devices such as splints, braces and other equipment as well as assistive technology, which can include everything from low-tech solutions like faucet extenders and weighted pens to high-tech devices like advanced prosthetics specialized communication systems.

Finally, the goal of speech therapy is to enhance a patient’s ability to communicate. This type of therapy addresses various aspects of communication, including speech production, language, cognition, voice and hearing. Speech pathologists also evaluate and treat swallowing disorders.

Speech therapy may be rehabilitative (helping patients regain lost skills) or habilitative (assisting patients in maintaining or improving communication and swallowing abilities).

“Speech therapy may be prescribed for individuals of all ages and with diverse diagnoses, such as stroke, autism spectrum disorder, head and neck cancer, traumatic brain injury and vocal fold nodules,” said Mark.

When is rehab needed?

Rehabilitation services can benefit a wide range of patients by:

• Supporting recovery after surgeries such as joint replacement or ACL surgery
• Helping patients regain function and cognitive skills after illnesses or injuries such as concussions or strokes, with occupational and speech therapy
• Managing chronic orthopedic and spine pain by strengthening muscles and tendons
• Preventing injuries through exercises that address weaknesses in joints and muscles
• Alleviating pelvic pain through specialized pelvic floor physical therapy for conditions like pelvic discomfort or urinary incontinence

What can you expect in rehabilitation therapy?

Your rehabilitation therapy team will conduct a verbal assessment and detailed physical examination to evaluate your current functionality. Based on the findings, they will work with you to set therapy goals and create a treatment plan to improve your mobility and function.

Therapists will likely teach you exercises for home or work, techniques for daily tasks and ways to reduce pain and prevent injury. During each visit, they typically examine you to track progress and adjust the treatment plan as you meet various goals to ensure continuous improvement.

The Rehabilitation Center of Penn Highlands Healthcare offers several types of rehabilitation therapy, including inpatient and outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. With more than 25 locations throughout Pennsylvania, you can easily find an outpatient therapy location close to home. To learn more, visit www.phhealthcare.org/rehab.