What is Hand Therapy?
Hand therapy is the discipline that addresses injuries and conditions of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Certified hand therapists are either occupational or physical therapists who have specialized training in treating upper extremity conditions through advanced study.
Evaluation and Treatment
- Wound care
- Range of motion and strengthening exercises
- Control of swelling
- Moist heat and cold therapy
- Neuromuscular re-education
- Ultrasound, iontophoresis, and electrical stimulation
- Scar and soft tissue massage
- Desensitization and sensory re-education
- Customized splint fabrication
- Joint protection principles
- Therapeutic activities
- Home exercise programs
Conditions Treated
- Traumatic injuries
- Fractures and dislocations
- Sports injuries
- Tennis elbow and other types of tendonitis
- Carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, and other nerve entrapment disorders
- Repetitive motion syndromes
- Amputations
- Burns and frostbite
- Arthritis
- Tendon and nerve injuries
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Complex regional pain syndrome / RSD