Early physical and occupational therapy in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients: a randomised controlled trial

This is a very important article for patients anticipating or recovering from ICU stays. In this randomized controlled clinical trial, Occupational And Physical Therapists took ventillated patients through a course of functional tasks. In the process they had a trememdous impact on patient's lives.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60658-9/fulltext

This shows that it is not just about surviving. Healthcare has the technology to save your life, but it's therapy, and particularly "Functional Therapy", that cares about getting you back to a life of purpose and meaning.

Congratulations to the excellent teams at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago and University of Iowa. The effort to take and confirm scientifically things we know (or think we know) intuitively is very appreciated.

Go Therapy, even in this critical and frightening time in a person's life, the worry that you are too sick to do therapy is turned on it's head. You might be too sick not to do therapy.

Yours,

Ed Kaine, OTR, RFT
President of the American League of Functional Therapists
http://www.functionaltherapist.org/

Functional Therapy... the Next Generation of Occupational Therapy!