Interview with Baptiste, occupational therapist
at Les Capucins
How did you become an occupational therapist?
Baptiste Mourant, occupational therapist: I've always wanted to work in the paramedical field! At first, I was attracted to orthoptics, which is the rehabilitation of visual function. Then I had the opportunity to do an internship in occupational therapy, and I realized that I really liked it.
I've been in the business for 7 and a half years now. Yes... it goes by fast! (laughs). After my studies in Paris, I was lucky enough to go straight to Les Capucins and I haven't looked back since.
What's your day-to-day life like in a rehabilitation center?
I work in rehabilitation in a day hospital. Patients come for treatment during the day, then go home in the evening. My role is to help them become more independent in their daily lives. I take their occupational difficulties as the starting point for a personalized rehabilitation program. Sometimes, rehabilitation alone isn't enough. In such cases, I also intervene in the environment: this may involve assessing the need for technical aids, housing, workstations, driving positions, or making orthoses.
How did you discover that virtual reality could help you in your practice?
I had already tested virtual reality (VR), but only in a personal context. I didn't necessarily see it as a therapeutic tool. It was when I discovered H'ability that I realized just how important VR could be in functional rehabilitation.
We tested the solution at Les Capucins and were quickly convinced of its benefits. We found the tool intuitive and easy to use, whether for launching a session or programming exercises. Our dealings with the H'ability team are fluid, and we know they're there if we need anything.
Today, H'ability has been an integral part of our rehabilitation tools for several years. We have two devices at our facility, mainly used by occupational therapists in adult rehabilitation. It has become a tool in its own right, naturally integrated into our practices in the same way as any other therapeutic aid. We've even chosen to leave the headsets directly on the occupational therapy technical platform, for easy access. We use them almost all day long (laughs).
There are exercises that I simply couldn't offer patients without virtual reality. So what I'm doing with the headset is precisely what would otherwise be difficult to implement with such a high level of immersion and engagement.
How do you integrate H'ability into your sessions?
As an occupational therapist, I use the H'ability solution to help my patients improve their ability to perform everyday activities. I use it during my sessions to work on everyday activities in adapted immersive environments, such as the supermarket, the vegetable garden, the music room or the canteen.
I often include a VR session during the session. I program 3 or 4 exercises, varying the types of movement or their intensity. For example, after an exercise that mobilizes the upper limbs in large amplitudes, I propose a sequence of more repetitive movements with smaller amplitudes.
Since we can modify an exercise live, whether in terms of intensity or amplitude of movement, we can modulate it according to the patient's feelings, so that the exercise remains relevant and pain-free.
At the end of the session, I discuss the patient's feelings with them. I sometimes show them the data from the tablet, or even film them in full movement, so that they can see the progress they've made. It's a great motivator.
Then I make sure that what we've learned is transferable to real life at home. We repeat the same gestures... without the helmet this time.
Who are the patients you accompany?
I work with adults with a wide range of pathologies. Many have neurological disorders: stroke, tetraparesis, brachial plexus, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's... I also work with chronic pain sufferers, such as those with low back pain or RSI.
The length of follow-up really depends on the situation. For some, it's quite short, a month, a month and a half, especially in cases of chronic pain such as low back pain. For others, it can be much longer. For example, for a patient recovering from a stroke, the intensive rehabilitation phase can last three, four or even five months. So it's a diversified job, in terms of patient profiles, follow-up times and approaches. We work with patients on what makes sense to them in their daily lives.
How are these virtual reality sessions received by your patients?
First of all, there's a lot of curiosity. Most patients have never tried virtual reality before, let alone in a therapeutic setting. And then, very quickly, they become interested!
What's even more astonishing is that they don't always realize how far they've come. Caught up in the immersive universe, focused on the exercise or the game, they forget about the execution of the movement as such, whereas in reality, they can sometimes go further than they thought they could.
So for me it's really a unique solution that has helped me maintain a good level of motivation in my patients.
Do you see any impact on their motivation?
Yes, completely! When we start a session, their objective isn't necessarily to succeed in the movement itself, but simply to play, to do the exercise. It's this playfulness that gets them on board.
Beyond the functional benefits, there's a real fun dimension. For patients who have been in rehabilitation for a long time and are beginning to tire of conventional exercises, the headset brings a new lease of life. It's a real motivator. However, it's important to make the link with the benefits of the activity in order to achieve greater autonomy on a daily basis.
It is also particularly useful with patients who have kinesiophobiathat is, a fear of moving because of pain. I'm thinking of some who keep their elbows glued to their body, for fear of triggering pain... and with VR, you can see them go further, move more freely, without even realizing it. It's really encouraging.
What gets you up in the morning?
What motivates me is seeing patients progress. They arrive with specific difficulties, which prevent them from doing what they like or what they need. And little by little, they regain their abilities and their confidence. It's extremely gratifying.
I'm thinking, for example, of a post-stroke patient who kept his arm wrapped around his body. He couldn't get it off because it was too painful. Then one day, in the middle of a helmet session, he managed to lift his arm behind his head! He didn't even realize it at the time. But the progress was there: more amplitude, more fluidity... It was very impressive, both for him and for me.
So I'd say that participating in and witnessing these advances is really what drives me. Patients in these phases of progress are often very enthusiastic. We share a lot of positive things, moments rich in emotion.
Of course, it's not always linear, but the work atmosphere remains very stimulating, geared towards well-being. It's all this that gives meaning to my job, and makes me want to get up every day.
Thanks Baptiste!
🏥 About Centre Les Capucins
Image: Centre des Capucins
Located in Angers, the Centre Les Capucins is a private healthcare establishment specializing in medical care and rehabilitation. It welcomes children, adults and dependent elderly people, with personalized care in full, day or week hospitalization. The facility boasts a highly-equipped technical rehabilitation platform, mobilizing a multidisciplinary team of over 450 professionals (doctors, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, speech therapists, etc.). It also offers specific care in long-term care (LTC) and EHPAD, as well as a unit dedicated to patients in a chronic vegetative or pauci-relational state.
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