Enhancing Well-being: Occupational Therapists involvement in Managing Autoimmune Conditions
with Hayley Bowers
Living with autoimmune conditions can present unique challenges, impacting most areas of life. Simple, everyday tasks become monumental challenges, affecting independence, social interactions, and overall quality of life.
Occupational therapists (OT’s) recognise the multifaceted nature of these challenges. Whether it’s the frustration of being unable to perform routine activities, the cognitive fog that clouds decision-making, or the emotional toll of navigating a life-altering diagnosis, OT’s are uniquely positioned to address these issues. By understanding the impact of autoimmune conditions on physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being, occupational therapists tailor their interventions to help individuals regain a sense of control and independence in their lives.
OT’s play a valuable role in integrative health care models through combining traditional occupational therapy with integrative and complementary modalities to provide a more holistic approach to managing autoimmune conditions.
This includes:
- Lifestyle modifications: provide guidance on lifestyle modifications, including exercise, nutrition, sleep hygiene, energy conservation, time management, breathing, posture and environmental factors that can impact health. Small but intentional adjustments in daily habits can lead to significant improvements in overall well-being.
- Mind-body interventions: utilise mind-body interventions, such as meditation, relaxation and breathing techniques, yoga and sensory modulation to help clients improve their nervous system regulation, breathing, posture and stress.
- Environmental modifications: help clients modify their home or work environment to support their health and wellness goals. They can provide guidance on assistive technologies, equipment, ergonomics, lighting, and other factors to make tasks easier.
Individuals experiencing an autoimmune condition may present differently person to person, thus OT’s therapists can support to coach clients through their health journey that suits the client’s unique needs. There is no one-size fits all approach.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AT THE HEALTH LODGE
Our OT, Hayley Bowers, has been shaped by her own chronic health journey, which has empowered her to understand the complexities and stressors of a healing journey, giving a lived experience that informs her clinical practice with clients. Living with a chronic condition and having many health professionals and recommendations can be overwhelming. This is where Hayley’s role as an OT becomes integral in supporting her clients be able to implement their treatment plans in a functional and simplified way.
Hayley is trained in trauma-informed yoga training and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) and draws upon these skills as a part of her therapeutic approach.
Hayley Bowers is an Occupational Therapist (OT) that support adults living with chronic health conditions to build function and independence in their daily tasks and lives.
To learn more about Hayley and her offerings click here
