Ron, Some would say too much to say! I believe your assessment might be pushing the boundaries a bit. While the modalities employed by the PT have purpose and thereby a function, I was referring to functional activity as it relates to the client. Function to me entails an engagement aspect as well as a goal which is purposeful. TENS does not require engagement of the client due to its passive nature. Isometric exercises while requiring the engagement of the individual, have limited purpose and goal direction. I did like your statement about perception as it relates to meaning and relevance.
Jimmie -----Original Message----- From: Ron Carson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 7:38 PM To: Jimmie Arcenaux Subject: Re: [OTlist] what is OT? Hello Jimmie: I tend to disagree with your statement that: "A functional activity by its definition has meaning and relevance to the individual's life" Well, maybe I don't disagree 100% with the statement but from a therapeutic perspective, I will disagree. Here's an example. My wife recently began seeing PT for what was diagnosed as degenerative disk disease. The PT has evaluated her and began treating with the following modalities: hot/cold, cervical traction, TENS, isometric stretches and massage. All of these are functional activities in the sense that each modality has a function. However, these activities may have little meaning and relevance to my wife's life. Yes, they may be improving her spinal function but are the activities full of meaning and relevance. Probably not, but in truth only she can answer that question. And I think that points to one of the biggest differences between function and meaning. Something's function is what you see on the outside, however, something's meaning is what one experiences on the inside. There is almost no way that you can look someone engaging in an activity, regardless of its function, and understand the activities meaning and relevance to the client. Only the client experiences the meaning so only the client can fully express the meaning. Almost everything in which a person engages or experiences has a function. But of that in which we engage, how much has true meaning and relevance? I guess the debate begs the question, what is the difference between function and occupation. For my opinion on this question , I point you to the following link: www.otnow.com/newsletter/current_newsletter.htm Thanks for the interesting debate, Ron P.S. My wife says that male OT's always have a lot to say!!! :-) ============================================= On 7/30/2003,[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: JA> Biraj, JA> Are you implying that "activities which an individual needs to do or is JA> expected to do" are not functional? I agree that occupation is a broader JA> concept, but I believe what is occupational is also functional. Occupation JA> to me is the work of living as a human being. A functional activity by its JA> definition has meaning and relevance to the individual's life. JA> Thanks Brian for the reference to the roots of OT. I could not agree with JA> you more. JA> Jimmie JA> -----Original Message----- JA> From: Incandescent [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 9:04 AM JA> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> Subject: Re: [OTlist] what is OT? JA> Hi Jimmie: JA> Not to put too fine a point on this but my sense is that when viewed from JA> the JA> perspective of activities "Occupational" is a distinct and larger concept JA> than JA> "functional". The former also includes within it what is meaningful to the JA> individual, whereas "functional" as the word implies refers to those aspects JA> of JA> activities which an individual needs to do or is expected to do - thus JA> functional. JA> What do others think? JA> Biraj JA> Jimmie Arcenaux wrote: >> I believe also that the use of occupational or "functional" (I hate using >> that term because it is coined well too often by OTs) activities as the >> primary treatment modality is a hallmark of occupational therapy. It is >> what the professions history is based upon. >> Jimmie JA> *****************************��********************************** JA> To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, send a message to: JA> [EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> In the message's *body*, put the following text: JA> unsubscribe OTlist JA> - JA> List messages are archived at: JA> http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> *****************************��*********************************** JA> *****************************��********************************** JA> To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, send a message to: JA> [EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> In the message's *body*, put the following text: JA> unsubscribe OTlist JA> - JA> List messages are archived at: JA> http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> *****************************��*********************************** *****************************��********************************** To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist - List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] *****************************��*********************************** *****************************��********************************** To remove yourself from the OTnow mail list, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist - List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] *****************************��***********************************
