Blog & Resources
Sensory Integration
“Sensory Integration is the processing, integration, and organization of sensory information from the body and the environment.” (Ayres, 1994) The sensory integrative process shows how the interactions between sensory systems provide integrated information that...
Torticollis
Torticollis is a congenital or acquired neck muscle tightness with asymmetrical head positioning. Torticollis can affect acquisition of symmetrical developmental milestones such as head control, trunk control, reaching, rolling, visual skills, and righting reactions....
Featured Treatment TMJ
Some people use their bodies more than others. The body part that gets the most use - now that is what this article is about. You see, I used to play basketball and rollerblade daily, and participate in Jiu-Jitsu several times a week. My joints received a lot of...
Activities of Daily Living
ADLs are all functional age-appropriate activities that are performed throughout the day. Children of different ages are expected to be able to complete different tasks with different levels of independence. Occupational therapists assess the reasons why some of these...
Transitioning from Newborn to Baby
Transitioning from Newborn to Baby by Chani Stewart OTR You and your baby have made it through the first few weeks of life! The perpetual exhaustion of parenting a newborn is ready to be replaced with smiles and new motor milestones. It is just so exciting to watch...
Blood Flow Restriction Therapy
Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Muscle weakness or atrophy can result from a variety of conditions; cancer survivors, post-operative patients, people with COPD, and many more can experience general muscle mass loss as a result of an overall weakening of the body. In...
Therapy SPOT – Bellaire – Newborn Occupational Therapy
Can newborn babies benefit from Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
Sleepless nights, frequent bouts of crying, and feeding-related challenges are all things that parents face with their newborns.
Many parents are left wondering:
Music Therapy
Can Music Therapy Help? Therapy SPOT - Bellaire is now welcoming board-certified music therapists from The Harrison Center for Music Therapy to its rehabilitation team. Modern advances in neuroscience have highlighted music as being processed in both brain...
Gait
Gait refers to the ability to ambulate. Children usually begin walking between 7 and 15 months. Physical therapists provide gait training, in which they work with children on the underlying skills required for walking and on the actual skill of walking to enable them...
Orthopedic Rehab
Orthopedic Rehabilitation works to correct musculoskeletal issues that may cause a person to experience pain. The fastest and most effective results will come by working with a physical therapist who can effectively treat the underlying problem and all related...
Neuro-Developmental Treatment
Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) is a treatment approach that is used to analyze and treat movement impairments, with a focus on posture, movement patterns, alignment, muscle strength, postural control, and mobility. It is used with children who are having...
Strengthening
Strengthening refers to all activities that are performed to increase the strength of specific muscles of the body. Strength of muscles impacts strength of limbs to enable functional strength for activity participation. Children can participate in strengthening...
Coordination
Coordination Coordination includes the ability to coordinate multiple body parts or movements for successful completion of a motor task. Coordination is required for participation in all gross and fine motor activities including rolling, crawling, reaching, walking,...
Balance
Balance is the ability to maintain and control body position during the completion of an activity or task. Areas of balance include both static and dynamic balance. Static balance is the ability to maintain a static position with control, while the dynamic balance is...
Oral Motor Skills
Oral motor skills include the skills necessary for coordination of the muscles of the mouth in order to produce the sounds and movements needed for both speech skills and feeding skills. When a child has oral motor challenges, his/her brain knows what it wants to say,...
Feeding
Feeding is a process that begins with the oral phase. This means bringing food to the mouth, chewing it, and moving it to the back of the throat. Next comes the pharyngeal phase. This involves closing off the airway and swallowing the food. Finally, the esophageal...
Splinting
Children at times benefit from splinting in order to support, immobilize, or protect the arm or hand. Splints may also be used to facilitate increased range of motion or support function. Occupational therapists make custom splints for children or recommend...
Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder
Challenges with sustained attention may be due to difficulty with integration of sensory input. Often parents describe their children’s behavior as “all over the place,” “always on the move,” or “can’t sit still.” Some children cannot “shut out” the lights, sounds,...
Play!
A child’s main occupation is PLAY! It is his or her primary method of learning, developing, interacting, and growing. Play encompasses a variety of areas, including: gross-motor, fine-motor, sensory-motor, pretend, and most importantly, interaction with others. Using...
Self Regulation and Behavior
“Self-regulation is the organized state of behavior that allows an individual to successfully adapt behavior to match environmental demands.” (Boekaerts, Pintrich, & Zeidner, 2000) When children present with difficulty regulating their behavior, often seen as...
When To See a Physical Therapist after a Car Accident
A car accident can take many different forms, ranging from minor scratches and bruises to major injuries like concussions and spinal cord injuries. Most people who have been involved in a car accident will experience some degree of pain.
The Cost of DIY
I will admit it, I am a do-it-yourself kind of guy. When the starter on my 2002 Toyota Camry died, I decided that with the help of YouTube I could change the starter and save money on mechanic fees. Two hours and one lacerated right thumb later, I had a new starter...
Is motion necessary to strengthen a muscle?
Muscles move you. Muscle tissue is designed to lengthen and shorten as it moves the joint by pulling on the bone it attaches to. There are 3 types of common exercises performed to strengthen a muscle; eccentric, concentric, and isometric. Eccentric and concentric...
Adverse Neural Tension: A Poorly Understood Pain Generator
A patient recently asked me "Why does my arm feel like it is on fire and with pins and needles while my MRI does not show any compression of the nerve?" This is a great question and one that many people can echo. While it has been reported that 92% of adults have disc...
Eight (8) foot and ankle exercises
Try these 8 exercises to help improve your foot or ankle pain.Follow the Link to Watch
You get what you pay for. Sometimes.
You get what you pay for. A friend of mine once said “ Good, Fast, cheap. Pick two, but it will never be all three”. I have found this advice to be spot on. Therapy SPOT - Bellaire has really grown over the past 8 years. I had to research installing wall mirrors for...
Therapy SPOT – Bellaire Education Series Featuring Adult Protective Services
Adult Protective Services We protect older adults and people with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. August 23, 2018 at 6 p.m. Light refreshments served 6708 Ferris St., Bellaire, Texas 77401 (next to The ‘401 restaurant)
Does Physical Therapy Help After an Acute Injury, or Should I Immobilize my Joint with a Brace ?
It can be difficult to think of your body as being made up of billions of individual cells each with its own nutrition needs, and more importantly, its own life cycle that eventually ends up in death. Think back to basic biology and you may recall that a group of...
Is Physical Therapy after Rotator Cuff Surgery Cost Effective?
The shoulder is an inherently unstable joint. This is the tradeoff for having all the mobility it affords. Shoulder injuries are in the top 5 of injuries that a patient will pursue surgery to repair. It is widely believed that physical therapy (PT) is not as necessary...
Sleep Disturbance due to Shoulder Pain ?
One of the most common complaints by patients with rotator cuff tears (RTC) is sleep disturbance. It is commonly believed that surgery will improve this problem, however, it is unclear how many patients truly report improved sleep following RTC surgery. Physical...
WE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.
Think you need to see a physical therapist? Therapy SPOT – Bellaire “Therapy SPOT – Bellaire” is your last stop for physical therapy and rehabilitation. Schedule your visit today!