October is a busy time: it is Spina Bifida Awareness Month and is also the month for World Cerebral Palsy Day and World Stroke Day (October 6th and October 29th respectively). Yet another global event taking place this month is World Occupational Therapy Day, which falls on October 27th each year. 

A profession that exists across the spectrum of healthcare, occupational therapy (OT) is defined by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) as 'the use of assessment and intervention to develop, recover, or maintain the meaningful activities, or occupations, of individuals, groups, or communities.'

SDO® Original Suit in No. 13 Mermaid theme

Established over a decade ago in 2010, World Occupational Therapy Day exists to raise awareness of the vital importance of OT globally, promoting the profession and celebrating the work of occupational therapists. The event is organised by the WFOT, which comprises over 100 OT organisations and represents almost 600,000 occupational therapists from all over the world. The WFOT created the event to 'set the standard for occupational therapy education internationally and promote excellence in research and practice', as well as to promote the organisation's activities.

Each year, World Occupational Therapy Day is based around a theme: this year, the theme is “Unity through Community.” Anyone can get involved in the various events that will be taking place and the WFOT website offers plenty of resources to those who are interested in taking part. 

As well as playing host to World Occupational Therapy Day, October 27th is also the OT Global Day of Service (OTGDS). Working in collaboration with https://­www.­bu.­edu/­promotingot/, the WFOT organises this related event. OTGDS is aimed at any practitioners and students of OT who wish to deliver community services to OT organisations and/or individuals as a volunteer. 'Service' is defined by the WTOF as 'engaging in any unpaid activity intended to benefit others'. 

The therapeutic benefits of SDO® Original

The unique collection of medical devices and garments designed, developed and manufactured by Medigarments Ltd is widely used by occupational therapists as an integral part of their day-to-day work. Providing an array of therapeutic benefits, these devices and garments are manufactured in Britain to the highest quality standards and there is an abundance of clinical evidence of their efficacy.

SDO® Original Suit in No. 5 Goalie theme

The aim of SDO^® Sensory Dynamic Orthosis Class 1 medical devices, is to deliver continuous and consistent therapeutic pressure to improve functional ability through the application of a Lycra^® orthosis. In contrast to a rigid orthosis, SDO^® Original garments are dynamic and apply pressure and resistance, whilst allowing functional movement.

Role of Dynamic Compression in the Management of Tone 

Clinical observations and the evidence available shows that wearing the SDO^® leads to an improvement in positioning, posture and function because it provides musculoskeletal alignment, postural stability and sensory feedback. This is thought to be due to the stimulation of the somatosensory and musculoskeletal systems which give changes in tone and postural alignment. This will then lead to improved proximal stability and improved biomechanical advantage for muscle activation and enhancement of learning strategies.

Through the use of an SDO^® dynamic Lycra^® garment, providing constant, consistent compression, stretch, support and sensory information, the patient is given the effect of therapeutic handling for the time that the garment is worn. 

SDO^® Original, Reinforcement Panels 

The SDO^® Original garment can be customised to meet the musculoskeletal needs of the patient by using reinforcement panels. The decision will be made by the prescribing clinician dependent on the functional outcome anticipated. There is a selection of panels that can be used in isolation or in combination with other panels to achieve the goal in postural control and body alignment.

You can find out more details about World Occupational Therapy Day on the WFOT website. Information about the Medigarments Ltd SDO^® Sensory Dynamic Orthosis product portfolio is available to view on our own website and you can also contact our customer service team for more information. If you would like to receive more features like this, news or updates, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you need any further advice or information, our experienced team will be happy to help so please do not hesitate to get in touch.