Military Occupational Therapy Helps Wounded Warriors And Civilians Alike
Bethesda, MD - Amputations, combat stress and traumatic brain injuries are just a few of the war injuries that Major Matthew St. Laurent has treated as a U.S. Army occupational therapist. Although he is currently assigned to a duty post at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the New Hampshire native also has served on the front lines of the war in Iraq, providing rehabilitative services to both soldiers and civilians at a combat support hospital in Mosul.
"Battlefield medicine is saving more lives than ever before, but these people still have devastating injuries to recover from," said St. Laurent. "Modern warfare is creating injuries and combinations of injuries called polytrauma that we could have never imagined. As a result, occupational therapists have a large role to play in restoring the health and well-being of our wounded warriors."
Occupational therapy is a proven, recognized therapy that enables people to overcome the disabling effects of mental, physical, developmental, and emotional conditions by helping improve their ability to perform tasks in their living and working environments. Practitioners work with individuals to improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, compensate for permanent loss of function, and address the psychological aspects of injury and illness. The goal of occupational therapy is to help people lead independent, productive and satisfying lives through participation.
St. Laurent's specialty is orthopedics (the skeletal system and its associated muscles, joint and ligaments), and he uses that knowledge primarily to treat upper-extremity injuries to the arms and hands. St. Laurent evaluates factors such as range of motion, strength, sensory capability and function as they apply to activities of daily living. Once a patient's capability to do activities such as button a shirt or assemble and clean their weapon is assessed, then a rehabilitation program can be developed.
Occupational therapy also can help patients overcome symptoms of combat stress. Working with a mental health unit in Iraq, St. Laurent managed a rest and relaxation center. Both military and civilian patients had the therapy prescribed by a psychiatrist. "We try to provide an environment where the only thing a patient has to do is relax," St. Laurent said. "We evaluate how well they perform daily activities in order to restore the person to full functionality. Given the nature of the conflict in Iraq, everyone is at risk for combat stress whether they're a soldier or a civilian."
The treatment of combat stress was also preventative in nature. St. Laurent would leave the combat hospital and attend to units in the area of operation. He provided information on topics such as anger management, communication skills and stress management. "By using methods to reduce stress, soldiers can modify the larger effects of combat stress, which will help maintain their overall health," added St. Laurent.
Unfortunately, war impacts innocent civilians, and when they are injured, many receive medical treatment and rehabilitation services. ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff is the most prominent example of the life-saving measures provided to civilians by military medical personnel. Woodruff also received extensive occupational therapy to help him recover from a traumatic brain injury suffered in an IED explosion. Such treatment is not limited to Americans; Iraqi civilians also benefit.
"On Saturdays we would open our clinic to Iraqis," said St. Laurent. "Many of them had been injured in terrorist attacks. Once they were stabilized and released from our hospital, we would invite them back the next Saturday for rehabilitation care as needed. Our unit provided wound care, range of motion exercises and special splints to allow function in an injured limb."
One particular Iraqi patient touched St. Laurent's heart like no other. A 7-year old girl named Haneen was injured on her left arm in an explosion, and St. Laurent provided her a splint that enabled her to grasp items with her hand. Haneen needed further surgery on her arm, and thanks to a program called Project Hope, she and her father were flown to the U.S. for treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital. Project Hope is an international program that primarily serves children, providing them medical care when local resources are limited.
By the time Haneen arrived in the U.S., St. Laurent had already finished his tour in Iraq and was stationed at Walter Reed. Luckily, her travels brought her through Washington, DC, and the two were reunited for a brief visit.
"It was very moving to have Haneen and her father meet my three young children," said St. Laurent. "Here were kids from two different worlds that were able to play together. While the circumstances that brought them together were bad, I am gratified that as an occupational therapist, I could be a part of the healthcare team that enabled our children to meet and play together."
Whether it's enabling injured kids to play again or helping to relieve combat stress, military occupational therapists are making a positive difference in the lives of their patients. St. Laurent is just one of dozens of practitioners who serve in the Army, Air Force and Navy (which also provides Marine care). April is Occupational Therapy Month, and The American Occupational Therapy Association is shining the spotlight on this important work performed by military practitioners. For more information about the profession, please point your Web browser to http://www.aota.org/ .
SOURCE: U.S. Army occupational therapist