What are the benefits of occupational therapy in stroke rehabilitation?

Regaining the skills for everyday living is the goal of the widely established practice of occupational therapy. Working with an occupational therapist in stroke rehabilitation can help you learn practical techniques to make dressing, washing, driving, gardening, and other routine activities more manageable. For example, one method is to break down a complex activity into small parts, then practice each part in sequence until you can coordinate them. Occupational therapists also teach you ways to compensate for your physical disability -- for example, by using Velcro closures instead of buttons on your shirts, or using walkers, wheelchairs, or other devices as needed.

As a rule, you stand a greater chance of regaining gross motor movements, such as grasping a fork or shaking someone's hand, than fine motor movements, such as typing or playing piano. Gross motor movements are easier and require less control from the brain.