A clinical program of Energize Occupational Therapy Services
Individual Assessment and Treatment
An occupational therapy assessment that looks for patterns—not just limitations
Virtual or In-Home Occupational Therapy
You may already have been told to pace yourself, exercise, relax, improve your posture or take more breaks. You may have tried these recommendations and still find that symptoms interfere with everyday life.
Sometimes the problem is not a lack of effort. The advice may not have been specific to your body, routines or the activities that matter to you.
Chronic pain affects more than where and how much you hurt. It can change how you sleep, move, work, manage your home, concentrate, use your energy and participate in activities that matter to you. Occupational therapy looks at how these pieces fit together. I do more than document which activities are difficult. I look for when effort, tension, fatigue or pain begins to change, what was happening just before it changed and whether that pattern repeats across activities.
One Of These Assessments Is Not Like The Others
Pain and fatigue can be influenced by the interaction among the body, nervous system, thoughts, activities, habits and environment. My assessment explores how these factors show up in your life.
Depending on your needs, I may assess:
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how pain, fatigue and energy change throughout the day;
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whether you notice early changes in tension, effort, breathing, posture or movement;
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activities you avoid, push through or have difficulty stopping;
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what you expect an activity will feel like compared with what your body experiences;
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sleep, rest and recovery patterns;
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positioning, physical support and unnecessary muscular effort; and
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daily demands and strategies you have already tried.
Part of my role is determining which parts of the assessment are relevant to you.
Treatment built around your patterns
My assessment is used to test how changes in effort, support, timing, movement or expectations affect your response during real activities. What helps becomes part of your individualized plan; what does not is adjusted or set aside. I do not use one standard chronic pain program for everyone.
Depending on your needs, our work may include:
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developing interoceptive awareness—the ability to notice, distinguish and understand signals arising from within your body;
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identifying your pain, fatigue and energy patterns;
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examining expectations, habits and interpretations of symptoms;
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rebuilding confidence in movement when pain or fear of reinjury has led to avoidance;
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reducing unnecessary muscular effort through relaxation, positioning and physical support;
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balancing “Active-Working” with “Working-Recovery,” so recovery can begin while you continue to participate; and
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adapting activities, routines and environments to make everyday life more manageable.
Your pain is real
My approach does not suggest that pain is “all in your head.” I consider what may be happening at the tissue and nervous-system levels, along with how thoughts, habits, activities and environments may affect your experience.
I do not assume that every increase in pain means harm, nor that pain should be ignored. Together, we test strategies carefully and use your response to guide what happens next.
No ‘Woo-Woo’ Here
When I make suggestions, I can explain the theory of what happens physiologically in your body. Whether it’s in your tissues, your nervous system or the systems that influence fatigue and recovery, I will always explain why we are doing what we are doing.
I don't believe in magic cures, and I don't expect you to either.
More than “pace yourself”
Pacing can be useful, but simply being told to do less is rarely enough. You may not be able to take a full rest whenever symptoms increase—or recognize that your body is working harder until pain or fatigue has already become severe.
We work on noticing earlier signals and deciding whether to continue, change the activity or allow more recovery. The goal is not to avoid every increase in pain. It is to make more informed choices about how you use your effort and energy.
Who do I work with?
Individual assessment and treatment may be appropriate if pain or fatigue is affecting your ability to work, manage household responsibilities, sit or move comfortably, use your energy across the day or return to activities you have stopped.
Services are available virtually to adults in Ontario and Saskatchewan, with in-home appointments available in Ontario, where appropriate.
No one can promise that pain will disappear, and my individual service is not a one-time 'fix' for pain. The aim is to help you understand your patterns, build a toolbox that fits your life and participate more fully in the activities that matter to you.