What is the difference between Occupational therapy and Physical therapy?

PHYSICAL therapy is basically just moving the muscles and joints so the don't get weak, stiff, or atrophied. They can even do this to patients who might be in a medically-induced coma, or otherwise bedridden for a long period of time. PHYSICAL therapy can include such "mundane" things as squeezing a rubber ball, weight lifting, or walking down the hall with an IV bag attached. My mother had a knee replacement, and they attached her to a machine that straightened and bent her knee -- even when she was asleep. OCCUPATIONAL therapy is training you to do the things you used to do before your "problem". This would include teaching someone to walk with an artificial leg, making sure a stroke victim can still use the toilet and shower by themselves, teaching an amputation victim to write left-handed, or getting Peyton Manning back to throwing ability after three neck surgeries. Occupational Therapy is usually done by a human trainer, NOT a machine.

PHYSICAL therapy is basically just moving the muscles and joints so the don't get weak, stiff, or atrophied. They can even do this to patients who might be in a medically-induced coma, or otherwise bedridden for a long period of time. PHYSICAL therapy can include such "mundane" things as squeezing a rubber ball, weight lifting, or walking down the hall with an IV bag attached. My mother had a knee replacement, and they attached her to a machine that straightened and bent her knee -- even when she was asleep. OCCUPATIONAL therapy is training you to do the things you used to do before your "problem". This would include teaching someone to walk with an artificial leg, making sure a stroke victim can still use the toilet and shower by themselves, teaching an amputation victim to write left-handed, or getting Peyton Manning back to throwing ability after three neck surgeries. Occupational Therapy is usually done by a human trainer, NOT a machine.

Physical therpy helps you recover from a physical injury,usually from sports or an accident. Occupational therapy does that, but also often involves brain injury, and helps you get back to doing a job.