Therapy Apps

Using the iPad to Make Your Travel Therapy Life Easier

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Therapy Apps

With the recent release of the fourth generation iPad and the much-publicized iPad Mini, more and more travel therapists are utilizing the Apple device not only for daily living but also for clinical work. No surprise there since there are hundreds, if not thousands, of apps in the Apple Store that prove to be helpful to physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and other allied healthcare professionals.

Here are some useful apps that you might want to download, divided into two sections. The apps you can use to make traveling to a new city less stressful and more fun, and therapy-related apps that you can use for clinical work:

For the Traveling Life

  1. Skype – Who hasn’t heard of Skype? One of the biggest challenges travel therapists encounter is loneliness and missing their loved ones. The Skype app is an awesome tool for setting up a video and/or audio chat. Skype can be used wherever and whenever you’re connected to Wi-Fi so it’s a great way to talk to your family and friends face-to-face for free.
  2. Yelp – Being in a new city you really have no idea where to go. Good thing there’s Yelp to the rescue. Check out reviews for restaurants, movie houses, shops, cafes in your area. Plus, Yelp can access your phone’s GPS to display options near you.
  3. Wi-Fi Finder – This is a great little app to help you locate places that offer free Wi-Fi. You can actually download a list of establishments with Wi-Fi onto your iPad so that you can use it even if you’re not connected. A must-have for all travelers, whether you’re traveling for pleasure or work.
  4. Goby – One reason why you chose to take on travel therapy assignments is probably the opportunity to sightsee. Goby gives you access to some 350 categories of sightseeing possibilities, depending on your interest. Tours, outdoor recreation, arts & culture are just some of the categories that you can browse with this amazing app.
  5. Dropbox – Dropbox is a great tool in general. You can work on all your files from any computer and from your iPad. There’s an option for a free account that gives you a storage of 2 gigabytes but if this isn’t enough space, you can upgrade your account to get additional space.

For Clinical Work

  1. Clinical Orthopedic Exam (CORE) – this app gives travel therapists access to over 200 tests and references to help them with clinical orthopedic tests. Treatment techniques are demonstrated via images and videos, which is a tremendous help when you want to see them in action.
  2. Muscle Trigger Points – just as the name of the app implies, this app provides resources on muscle trigger points. Select a muscle and it will display detailed explanation and images of trigger points as well as referral patterns. How cool is that?
  3. Kinesiocapture – this app allows you to record videos of your clients’ body movements for analysis. It has tons of features like the ability to measure angles, assess movement quality and apply posture grids so that you can use it to assess fitness, sport performance, and biomechanical fields. You can show your clients progression over time.
  4. VisibleBody – VisibleBody takes advantage of the iPad’s amazing visual capabilities. You can zoom, pan, rotate and manipulate any muscle in any direction so you look at the anatomy from any angle. This app is a gem to behold.