Ergotherapy and shoulder TEP
Occupational therapy can also be performed in physiotherapy. The objectives of occupational therapy treatment do not usually differ from those of physiotherapy. It often focuses on restoring the patient’s fitness for everyday life.
Exercises close to everyday life can be performed. Coordination and mobility are trained and improved. In most cases, occupational therapy has an ADL (acitivites of daily life) friendly equipment, which means that there are many possibilities to simulate and train in everyday situations. The use of aids in occupational therapy can also be practiced. For example, for the shoulder TEP devices such as gripping arm, extended hairbrushes or similar are used.
Further therapeutic measures
In addition to the active treatment of the joint through exercises, passive techniques are also used. Transverse stretching and transverse friction are physiotherapeutic techniques for the targeted stretching of muscles and ligaments. The blood circulation is increased and the structure is mobilized.
Pain points can be released by trigger point therapy. Especially in the early stage shortly after the operation, the therapy should be supplemented by lymph drainage to remove the wound fluid from the surgical area and create good wound healing conditions.The removal of lymph also has a pain-relieving effect and can improve mobility. In addition, massage techniques for tense muscles can round off the therapy.
Heat (fango, red light, etc.) and cold applications (ice lollipops, cooling pads) are used equally; which stimulus is used depends on the patient. In rehabilitation, group therapy is usually also offered.
In shoulder courses or also with Aquagymnasitk the patients can train the mobility also in teamwork. Even after rehabilitation, courses can be supported by the health insurance company. The consultation with therapist and doctor can be helpful to find the right offer.
Summary
A shoulder TEP (total endoprosthesis) is usually used after previous arthrosis in the shoulder joint or after severe fractures, where endoprosthetic joint replacement is used. The use of a shoulder TEP is much less common than that of a knee or hip TEP. There are different forms of shoulder TEPs.
These can replace the entire joint, i.e. socket and head, or only one of the two joint partners. One speaks of either a hemi- or a total endoprosthesis (HEP or TEP). Normally, the head is the convex (spherical) joint partner and the socket is the concave (hollow) counterpart.
There are prostheses, the so-called inverse prosthesis, in which the shapes of the two joint partners are reversed. The shoulder TEP is therefore strictly speaking the complete joint replacement of head and socket. The use of an inverse TEP depends on the condition of the fixing muscles, the rotator cuff.
The shoulder TEP is a joint replacement that is not used too frequently and is only used in cases of severe wear and tear or trauma that cannot be corrected. Physiotherapeutic treatment begins immediately postoperatively and serves to restore joint mobility. From light active and passive movement exercises, mobility is slowly built up until later in rehabilitation, exercises for strengthening and coordination are also used with aids.
The perception of the joint is particularly important in order to remove existing relieving postures and to avoid the occurrence of new ones. Ergotherapy is also used in the treatment of shoulder TEP. The goals of occupational therapy correspond to those of physiotherapy, with special emphasis on everyday functionality and the use of aids can be practiced if necessary.
In addition, courses such as shoulder gymnastics or aqua groups for shoulder patients can be useful. The active therapy is supplemented by passive treatment. This includes therapeutic mobilization techniques, lymph drainage, or the application of heat or cold stimuli.
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