Complementary Health Approaches for Occupational Therapists

Book excerpt: Complementary Health Approaches for Occupational Therapists provides practitioners and students with foundational knowledge on complementary and integrative health. This guide is a great asset for occupational therapy students at the graduate level and practicing therapists wanting to incorporate these modalities into their treatment or to gain information regarding new trends in practice. Written by Brittany Ferri, MS, OTR/L, CCTP, this text enhances one’s occupational therapy education as it pertains to treatment addressing occupational performance. Introductory information is provided on more than 30 complementary and alternative modalities, including acupuncture, aquatic therapy, massage therapy, and tai chi. In Complementary Health Approaches for Occupational Therapists, each modality’s chapter includes: Basic guidelines for established complementary and alternative modalities that can be used in practice Literature reviews of the scientific benefits or lack thereof Credentials needed to practice, when applicable Contraindications, precautions, and side effects Practical applications in occupational therapy practice Included with the text are online supplemental materials for faculty use in the classroom. New modalities are constantly generating within occupational therapy. Complementary Health Approaches for Occupational Therapists will help differentiate between new modalities while also encouraging therapists to remain true to the roots of their profession in research and best practice.