first blog entry ever

As I was scrolling through various media sites in search for a topic to write about, I stumbled across this article posted on Twitter by American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA):

What to Do When MS Affects Your Ability to Write

This article stuck out to me. The piece started with "numbness, tremor, and lack of fine motor control can make it difficult to write by hand, but a number of strategies can help." Already I'm interested. Writing is something EVERYONE should be doing on a daily basis - the young, the old, and the in between. It is actually good for our brains to keep this task. Juliann Hansen-Zlatev, an OT from Colorado, explains that writing actually promotes brain health. Isn't that amazing?! A task I complete every single day, is promoting my brain's health. But I also realized that this task, while easy for myself, may not be so easy for the people around me, or even other populations of people. 

As I continued on into the article, the writer began to explain what it felt like for someone with MS to write. Here are just a few examples:
1. Like they're wearing gloves
2. Like their hands are thick and clumsy
3. Slow
4. Jerky

And this isn't just in writing; no, it's in other fine motor activities as well. How rendering that must feel. But, not to fear. OTs can help brainstorm other ideas with someone to help them with these fine motor tasks or even in making adaptations to their current situations. OTs can give a person an activity related to their occupational goal (the thing they want to do in real life, like hold a pencil). MS does not come in one shape or size, so while I agree with the suggestions in the article, I also believe consulting with an OT who will cater to personal wants and needs. 

What is important here is that OTs can help with more than just fine motor tasks. Anything that renders a person they need to do daily, or even just something they love to do, is something an occupational therapist can help.

Another thing I realized after stumbling across a great article was how I may not have found it if I wasn't on Twitter. Oh, the power of the internet people. We take it for granted in a lot of ways, but we must realize the connections it brings us; closer to ideas, closer to goals, and closer to each other as professionals. 

Thanks for reading! Hope it brought some new perspective!

Sincerely, 
The Young OTS


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