Occupational Therapy: Keeping YOU at the Heart of the Matter
“I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they are great and noble.” Helen Keller
When we think of “occupation” in the context of occupational therapy, it’s easy to connect the term with someone’s job or career. While this is an important aspect, “occupation” actually refers to the activities that make up a person’s daily life. For individuals without health challenges, everyday tasks like dressing, walking, managing household duties, caring for children, and running errands are often taken for granted. But when pain or dysfunction arise, these basic activities can become challenging.
Occupational therapists (OTs) are skilled professionals who combine creativity with an in-depth understanding of the body and anatomy to help individuals achieve their goals and regain independence, even when facing physical limitations. Through a holistic approach, OTs assess how a person’s habits, routines, and roles are impacted, offering solutions to enhance health and well-being. Since our body functions as a whole, identifying the root causes of dysfunction often requires understanding how different systems interact and affect one another.
Achieving your goals often requires collaboration with multiple healthcare professionals, and occupational therapists play a vital role in filling in the gaps.
At Orthopedic & Spine Therapy, our OTs specialize in areas such as geriatric care, balance and fall prevention, chronic condition management, and pain relief for the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, and women’s health. We offer a range of interventions, including home modifications, dry needling, myofascial release, and exercise programs, to help you understand how a new diagnosis or condition can impact your body’s functions. Therapists work closely with you during each session, focusing on smaller goals that contribute to the larger aim of independence and fulfillment.
By: Jenna Packer, Occupational Therapist, OTR/L
Jenna Packer works at Orthopedic & Spine Therapy’s Brillion and Menasha locations. She strives to provide patient-centered care, while looking at the whole person and connecting the dots on their health journey. Jenna is passionate about preventative care and providing education to patients and their families in a new diagnosis, or making modifications to daily tasks and environments as needed.
She has treated diagnoses ranging from traumatic accidents, neurological conditions, pre- and post- operation orthopedic patients, geriatric strengthening and fall prevention, and more. Her career has been specialized in geriatric care, but her services are inclusive of the entire lifespan. Since having her daughter, her passion for women’s health and serving the postpartum mom has grown immensely.
Jenna wants her patients to leave their sessions feeling like they can accomplish their daily tasks with safety and success, and be empowered to live a fulfilling life with confidence.