Kezia D. Santo, OT-RL, PTA

Physical Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist

Mrs. Kezia D. Santo is a Physical Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist in York, PA with special training and skill in helping patients regain lost mobility after an illness, injury, or impairment. As a Physical Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist, Kezia D. Santo, OT-RL, PTA performs physical exercises centered on helping patients regain physical strength, mobility, flexibility, and independence while reducing or eliminating related pain. Physical Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy is a medical specialty focusing on helping patients regain physical strength and mobility lost or impaired due to illness or injury. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Physical Rehabilitation Occupational Therapists include injury or impairment after traumatic illness or injury such as stroke, brain damage, and spinal cord injury, post-surgical recovery, athletic injury, impairment from congenital birth defects, and chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS). Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Physical Rehabilitation Occupational Therapists include diagnostic imaging, mobility and pain assessment, physical exercise planning and execution, assistive devices and technology, medical massage, and patient education.

Occupational therapists are experts at helping people lead as independent a life as possible. Occupational therapists bring an understanding of the physical and psychological implications of illness and injury and their effects on peoples' ability to perform the tasks of daily living. Occupational therapists provide interventions that can aide a person in completing ADL and IADL tasks, such as dressing, bathing, preparing meals, and driving. They also may fabricate custom orthotics to improve function, evaluate the environment for safety hazards and recommend adaptations to remove those hazards, help a person compensate for cognitive changes, and build a persons' physical endurance and strength. Occupational therapists' knowledge of adapting tasks and modifying the environment to compensate for functional limitations is used to increase the involvement of clients and to promote safety and success.

Physical Therapy Assistant

Physical therapist assistants are skilled health care providers who are graduates of a physical therapist assistant associate degree program accredited by an agency recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education or Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, who assists the physical therapist in providing physical therapy. The supervising physical therapist is directly responsible for the actions of the physical therapist assistant. The PTA performs physical therapy procedures and related tasks that have been selected and delegated by the supervising physical therapist. Duties of the PTA include assisting the physical therapist in implementing treatment programs, training patients in exercised and activities of daily living, conducting treatments, and reporting to the physical therapist on the patient's responses. In addition to direct patient care, the PTA may also perform such functions as patient transport, and clinic or equipment preparation and maintenance. Currently more than half of all states require PTAs to be licensed, registered or certified. (2) An individual who works under the supervision of a physical therapist to assist him or her in providing physical therapy services. A physical therapy assistant may, for instance, help patients follow an appropriate exercise program that will increase their strength, endurance, coordination, and range of motion and train patients to perform activities of daily life.