Jana Nel Occupational Therapy

Jana Nel Occupational Therapy OT for all ages: Hand therapy, paediatrics, work, neuro and spinal rehab, geriatrics, etc.

Role of the Occupational Therapist in Spinal RehabilitationOccupational therapists play an important role in helping ind...
28/08/2026

Role of the Occupational Therapist in Spinal Rehabilitation

Occupational therapists play an important role in helping individuals with spinal conditions or spinal injuries regain independence, safety, and participation in meaningful daily activities.

What Neck / Back-school training involves:

* Assessment of functional ability
Evaluating how the spinal condition affects activities such as dressing, bathing, toileting, mobility, cooking, work, and leisure.
* Teaching spinal precautions
Educating patients on safe movement techniques and precautions, including avoiding excessive bending, lifting and twisting (BLT) where medically indicated.
* Activities of Daily Living (ADL) rehabilitation
Teaching adapted techniques for dressing, bathing, toileting, grooming and other daily activities while protecting the spine.
* Assistive devices and adaptive equipment
Recommending and training patients in equipment such as:
* Reachers
* Long-handled shoehorns
* Sock aids
* Long-handled sponges
* Raised toilet seats
* Shower chairs
* Functional mobility and transfers
Training patients in safe bed mobility, including the log-roll technique, as well as transfers and safe functional movement.
* Pain and fatigue management
Teaching pacing, energy conservation, positioning and activity modification to support participation without aggravating symptoms.
* Home and environmental modifications
Assessing the home environment and recommending changes to improve safety and independence, such as grab rails, appropriate seating and reducing fall hazards.
* Work rehabilitation and ergonomics
Supporting a safe return to work through ergonomic recommendations, work-task modification and graded return-to-work programmes.
* Psychosocial support and adjustment
Assisting individuals in adapting to changes in function, independence, roles and participation following spinal injury or surgery.

Overall goal

The occupational therapist helps individuals with spinal conditions safely return to meaningful daily activities and work while promoting independence, protecting the spine and improving quality of life.

Contact us @ 0798853960

11/08/2026

WHY IS BACK AND NECK SCHOOL TRAINING IMPORTANT?

Back pain doesn’t only affect your spine — it can affect how you move, work, sleep, exercise and participate in everyday life.

Back and Neck School Training is an educational and practical programme designed to help you understand your back and learn how to protect it during daily activities.

What can you learn?

• Posture & positioning – Learn how to optimise your posture at work, home and during rest.
• Safe lifting techniques – Learn how to lift, carry and move objects while reducing unnecessary strain on your spine.
• Bed mobility & transfers – Learn safer ways to get in and out of bed and move around.
• Ergonomics – Identify and modify activities or workstations that may be contributing to pain.
• Movement & exercise – Understand the importance of staying active and moving safely.
• Pacing & energy conservation – Learn how to manage activities without repeatedly overloading your back.
• Pain education – Better understand your symptoms and develop strategies to manage them.

The goal isn’t simply to treat back pain — it’s to give you the knowledge and skills to manage your back confidently in everyday life.

At Jana Nel Occupational Therapy we help you translate spinal rehabilitation principles into practical strategies for work, home and daily activities.

Knowledge + movement + practical strategies = a stronger, more confident approach to spinal health.

15/06/2026

Sure Google & AI Can Inform - But They Can’t Replace Occupational Therapy

In today’s world, answers are only a click away. Google searches and AI tools can provide information, exercises, and general advice—but they cannot replace the expertise, clinical reasoning, and human connection of an Occupational Therapist.

Every person is unique. Two people with the same diagnosis can have completely different challenges, goals, environments, and recovery journeys. An OT doesn’t just treat a condition—we assess the whole person, identify barriers, adapt interventions in real time, and provide hands-on guidance tailored specifically to individual needs.

What in-person Occupational Therapy offers that technology can’t:

* Comprehensive assessment and clinical observation
* Individualised treatment plans
* Hands-on techniques and therapeutic intervention
* Real-time problem solving and progression of activities
* Emotional support, motivation, and encouragement
* Adaptation to the person’s home, school, work, or community environment
* Professional judgement based on experience, evidence, and ongoing assessment

Google and AI can be excellent tools for education and support, but they cannot observe movement quality, assess function, build therapeutic relationships, or understand the nuances of your daily life.

The most meaningful rehabilitation happens when evidence-based knowledge meets human connection.

Use technology to learn. Use Occupational Therapy to thrive.

04/06/2026

Client testimonial

This patient sustained a wrist fracture and had severe stiffness in his wrist and digits.

Hard work and dedication = progress

Cheering our patients on to continue with exercises at home is a vital part of success.

Last stretch before that full fist is back 🤛

As hand therapists, OTs play a vital role in restoring movement, function, and independence through:

✅ Assessment of joint mobility, swelling, pain, and functional limitations
✅ Custom splinting to protect healing structures while promoting movement
✅ Range of motion exercises to improve flexibility and joint mobility
✅ Scar management techniques to reduce adhesions that restrict movement
✅ Swelling management to improve comfort and function
✅ Strengthening programmes when appropriate during recovery
✅ Functional retraining to help patients return to daily activities, work, and leisure tasks
✅ Education on protecting the hand while maximising recovery

Why is early intervention important?

The longer stiffness persists, the more difficult it can become to regain full movement. Early hand therapy can help prevent joint contractures, reduce pain, and optimise functional outcomes.

✨ Every degree of movement gained can make a difference in your ability to perform everyday activities.

04/06/2026

In Light of hand therapy awareness week. We are shedding some light on some of our patients’ journeys.

This patient had bilateral wrist fractures and delayed healing and he worked so hard to get where he is.

Well done Alex!

30/05/2026

Will I be able to use my hand again?

The first question someone asks if they sustained a hand injury.

Hand injuries as so emotional and difficult and when you meet a patient the first thing we try to do is assure them that it will get better every day.

Not everyone returns to 100% function of their hand post rehab but we work hard to get everyone to function 100% in their work and life roles.

Here we are working on Fine motor skills

Fine motor skills are the small, precise movements of the hands and fingers that allow us to perform everyday tasks such as buttoning clothing, writing, typing, picking up coins, using cutlery, and opening containers.

Following a hand injury, surgery, or neurological condition, fine motor skills can be affected by pain, swelling, stiffness, weakness, reduced sensation, or poor coordination. Hand rehabilitation focuses on restoring these essential skills to improve independence, productivity, and quality of life.

Fine motor activities help to:
✔ Improve hand strength and endurance
✔ Enhance dexterity and finger coordination
✔ Increase range of motion
✔ Improve precision and control of movement
✔ Promote sensory awareness and feedback
✔ Support return to work, hobbies, and daily activities

Muscles Involved in Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor control relies on a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles:

✋ Intrinsic Hand Muscles (located within the hand)
• Lumbricals
• Interossei (palmar and dorsal)
• Thenar muscles (thumb muscles)
• Hypothenar muscles (little finger muscles)
• Adductor pollicis

💪 Extrinsic Hand Muscles (located in the forearm)
• Flexor digitorum superficialis
• Flexor digitorum profundus
• Extensor digitorum
• Flexor pollicis longus
• Extensor pollicis longus and brevis

These muscles work together to provide the strength, stability, precision, and coordination needed for intricate hand movements.

Occupational therapists play a vital role in assessing and treating fine motor deficits, helping individuals regain the hand function needed to participate fully in daily life.

23/05/2026

A relative motion splint (aka yoke splint) is a hand splint used to position one finger differently relative to the others to help protect or improve tendon movement after injury or surgery or increasing the work of flexion/extension to reach a goal.

How does it work:

• Holds one finger slightly more extended or flexed than the neighboring fingers
• Reduces stress on healing tendons
• Increases work of flexion / extension by redirecting the force of a tendon
• Allows controlled movement while protecting the hand
• Helps improve tendon glide and functional hand use

Conditions:

• Extensor tendon repairs
• Sagittal band injuries (“boxer’s knuckle”)
• Boutonnière deformity management
• Stiff joints after a ligament / volar plate injury (like in this video)
• MCP joint support
• Post-operative hand rehabilitation

Contact us if you want more information

22/04/2026

Seasonal changes can be tough on our older loved ones.
A few small habits.
Staying active - Hydrated - Keep warm!
That can make a big difference in keeping you
healthy and independent.
Take care of your body, it takes care of you.

Ready to make a booking!
📞 Faerie Glen/Centurion: 012 361 8387
📞 Silverlakes: 012 809 2238
💻 Book online: www.justphysio.co.za

Meet our lovely team Send us a WhatsApp on 0796936371 to book with any of our therapists
21/04/2026

Meet our lovely team

Send us a WhatsApp on 0796936371 to book with any of our therapists

Address

166 Duvernoy Street
Pretoria East
0181

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:30 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:30 - 16:00
Thursday 08:30 - 16:00
Friday 08:30 - 16:00

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