What Is The Difference Between Physical And Occupational Therapy?

What Is The Difference Between Physical And Occupational Therapy?

Physical therapy deals with the entire body, anywhere from the inner ear and vision to the arms and legs. Physical therapists look at the body as a whole and are focused on getting people up and walking and working on balance, overall strength and core strength. Occupational therapy specializes a little more in the upper extremities, arms and hands. OT is very task-related and goes more into depth with someone’s fine motor skills and memory-type exercises and cognitive strategies. 

Often PTs and OTs collaborate with others on a therapy team—doctors, nurses, social workers, speech therapists, recreational therapists and music therapists.