Ergo Therapy (Occupational Therapy) – There has been miscellaneous studies carried out by occupational therapist – music therapist Azize Güvenç and Dr. Rahmi Oruç Güvenç in unison with Turkish Music and Movement Therapy and Occupational Therapy.
Ergo; comes from the Greek word ‘ergon’. Its meaning is ‘to compose’, ‘to produce’; and Ergotherapy means to compose and apply a method for improving the health of the patient. Considering the idea that the ability of being healed is a potential that every person has, the aforementioned method intends to help the people through this aspect.
After the World War II, some programs were introduced for the rehabilitation of the wounded veterans who were returning to their homes and their adaptation to the daily life . Ergotherapy developed a lot especially in Germany during this time frame. Today, many ergotherapists are working in hospitals, rehabilitation centers and clinics all around the world.
In contemporary ergotherapy understanding, the patient has a loss of balance. This imbalance can be physiological, psychological or sociological. Generally, these kinds of people, both adult and children, are in a situation where they cannot continue their lives normally. A therapist working with children knows that she/he is different from the adults. Likewise a patient with a cut feet needs a different education and treatment than a patient with brain damage.
The middle of the brain is the oldest and the best protected part. All the sensations come to the brain stem and are organized here. Ergotherapy works on developing the sensations that have been analyzed and that are being organized. The reactions of the brain towards the stimuli are involuntary, they happen spontaneously. Anyway, the brain stem filters these stimuli before using them. As these reactions happen involuntarily, they reflect on us as feelings and thoughts. When problems arise in separate parts, the brain gets either excessive or poor information. For example in hyperactive people the brake mechanism doesn´t work enough. Since there is an excess of stimuli the brain cannot filter them and answers all the stimuli at once. On the contrary, in autism cases the brake mechanism works more than necessary.
The most profound difference between ergotherapy and physiotherapy is that; in ergotherapy observation takes place however in phsyiotherapy exercise is carried out.