When we experience hand-related injuries, our lives can easily get thrown off track. Injured arms and hands can keep you from working your job and generally living a pain-free life. Without optimal hand use, partaking in society can be extremely difficult. When you experience sports-related injuries or musculoskeletal disorders, hand therapy is not just recommended, it can change your life for the better.
What is Hand Therapy?
Hand therapy refers to various treatments and rehabilitation techniques used to help patients regain as much hand function as possible. Certified hand therapists (CHT), professionals with over 4,000 hours of valuable hand therapy experience, focus on upper extremity rehabilitation.
Hand therapy is one of many specialty services provided by occupational therapists (OT), with certified hand therapists having more extensive training.
What Is Hand Therapy Used For?
Hand therapy is effective for people who have undergone a hand, arm, or upper extremity injury. Whether caused by chronic conditions such as arthritis, physical trauma, or surgery, hand therapy can reduce pain and rehabilitate your extremities.
Some examples of common symptoms that hand therapy can help alleviate are:
- Swelling
- General pain
- Stiffness of joints, tendons, and ligaments
- Fine motor problems
Having traumatic hand injuries can cause daily life to come to a standstill, so restoring various motor functions is crucial for rehabilitation.
Do I Need Hand Therapy Services?
If you're experiencing chronic pain in your hands, arms, and upper extremities, you could benefit from hand therapy. More importantly, if this pain is preventing you from completing simple tasks or if it's interrupting your daily life, hand therapy can be an excellent option for rehabilitation.
If you have trouble using various pieces of equipment like computer keyboards or cellphones, hand therapists can teach you invaluable techniques and resources to decrease or manage pain.
The Benefits of Hand Therapy
A considerable benefit of hand therapy is that the process is non-surgical. No surgical procedure or medication is needed during a patient's therapy.
Some of the most prevalent hand injuries and disorders that hand therapy can help you with are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Fractures and dislocations
- Tendinitis
What Does Hand Therapy Entail?
If you've undergone a severe hand or upper extremity injury, the rehabilitation process involves a few steps.
At Summit Health, our CHTs have patients undergo various exercises and functional activities to restore normalcy and function.
Here are some notable activities and processes you'll experience:
- Hand exercises
- Manual techniques to help reduce swelling, promote scar healing/management, and increase mobility
- Further education about preventing future injuries, pain management, and other protective measures
- Customized splints
- Home programs
"There can be multiple barriers that prevent patients with hand injuries from living their normal lives. Our hand specialists address these issues with functional activities, orthotics, and activity modification, along with other interventions. We want patients to get motivated by successes and be part of the team effort put into recovery,” says Certified Hand Therapist Ellen Weinman.
Our team of specialists will evaluate your personal injuries and issues, creating an in-depth, tailor-made hand therapy program. We craft this treatment plan for optimal results, depending on your level of injury.
Can Hand Therapy Help?
Absolutely. Hand therapy and upper extremity rehabilitation takes recovering from an injury and goes a step further to bring back your mobility and range.
At Summit Health, we offer comprehensive hand therapy services. Consisting of functional exercises, sensory education, activity modification, ergonomics, pain management, and injury prevention, Summit Health's occupational therapists help patients return to society with as much hand function as possible. View our multiple locations and schedule an appointment today.
Summit Health hand therapist Rachel Mendelsohn, MS, OTR/L explains the basics of hand therapy and demonstrates some easy ways to care for hands and fingers at home in this short video.