When we consider rehabilitative care, hand therapy would become a compulsory part. We cannot ignore hand therapy exercise because this medical therapeutic intervention deals with all kinds of hand related anomalies. Hand therapy focuses on the upper extremity, forearm muscles and wrist. It also targets the thumb, thumb, fingers, and the thumb. Hand therapy was used to treat upper extremity injuries, diseases, and other conditions. Hand therapy is a non-invasive procedure that helps patient to restore their functionalities and ROM ( The range of motion)
If you have any upper extremity issues, you should contact a hand therapist in your area to receive proper treatment.
Before getting deep into the topic, let’s introduce hand therapy professionals, or aka Hand therapists.
What is a hand therapist?
We are all familiar with the terms Physiotherapy and Para physiotherapist. However, we often confuse them with hand therapists. Hand therapy and physiotherapy, however, are two different things. The hand therapist treats ailments that affect the hands or upper extremities. A hand therapist can be either a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or a physiotherapist depending on his training and internship. Hand therapists should have a specialization in the upper extremity and clinical training in hand therapy.
Which prospect or therapist can you help?
Most people search the internet for answers to their most pressing question: “How can a hand therapist help me with my pain?” Hand therapists work in their own clinic, hospital, rehab care center and offer sports medicine. They are closely associated with orthopedic surgeons in order to treat chronic pain and other post-surgical conditions. Therapists can reduce swelling and pain through in-depth diagnosis. They aim to improve strength and dexterity and to regain motion in order to live a functional and pain-free life.
Hand therapists can provide the best care for osteoarthritis, fractures, sprains, fractures & dislocations, nerve and tendon injury, tendonitis and shoulder pain. They also offer treatment for elbow pain, finger pain, elbow discomfort, and many other conditions.
What type of treatment is possible with hand therapy?
Hand therapy is more than a single treatment. It is a combination of several rehabilitative therapies. Hand therapy is generally non-surgical and non-invasive. It can also speed up recovery time or be used as preventative measures. After assessing your hand condition, a certified hand therapist will talk with you and your surgeon to provide a detailed report. They create a customized rehabilitation plan that suits your needs.
A hand therapist will ask you questions about your problem and any pre-existing conditions. He may also perform a variety of tests to determine your muscle, nerve, joint, hand and finger range, wrist flexibility, pain intensity and grip strength.
Hand Therapy Treatment includes:
- Repetitive injury prevention & pain management
- Rehabilitation of range related to motion activities
- Training session for grip strengthening
- Participate in the mobility exercise
- Nerve desensitization
- Soft-tissue procedure
- Strength training
- Scar Management
- Iontophoresis.
- Dexterity training
- Tape or scrapping
- Both hot and cold therapy
- Mirror therapy techniques
Hand therapy sessions are the best for achieving maximum results. Rehabilitative care requires that patients follow the treatment plan and engage until the end. Failure to follow the advice of a therapist will result in a loss of hand function. In rehabilitative care patient adherence and engagement to treatment is very important. If a patient lacks it, then he must start from scratch which is time consuming, and costly indeed. To make your therapeutic session more effective, you should follow the medical advice and adhere to the rehabilitation program.
What injuries and ailments can hand therapy treat?
Although hand therapy is not a solution to all orthopedic hand problems, it can be used in certain cases. In these cases, an orthopedic doctor may be required for additional medications or surgeries. Hand therapists can work with your surgeon after surgery to manage pain, regain function, and restore mobility.
Hand therapy is eligible to treat following conditions including;
- CTS or specifically said wrist pain, fracture, or feeling of numbness due to pinched nerve
- Benign tumor, Ganglion cyst developed in hand, wrist, or forearm joint
- Chronic hand pain from overwork, figure fatigue caused by prolonged use of fingers, and lack of functionality.
- Repetitive movement injuries, sports injury in hands and finger joint, tennis elbow, hand pain & swelling due to regular friction
- Tingling sensation, tenderness, stiffness in hand joints
- Trigger finger is a tenderness in the fingers that can be accompanied by clicking, popping, and stiffening in the finger tendon. It developed when one put excessive pressure on his fingertips
- Other orthopedic hand anomalies such as De Quervain’s Golfer’s elbow,& Osteoarthritis, Dupuytren contracture
- Dislocations, hand bone fractures, and sprains
- Inadequacy of fine motor skills
- Amputations in the upper extremity. It’s the removal of a limb because of disease, illness or injury.
Be prepare when you book a hand therapy appointment
Main goal of a Hand Therapist is to restore your hands’ natural functionality in order for you to live a happy life. To do a deep diagnosis, a hand therapist assesses your hand grip strength & nerve sensation with a hand held. After assessing your condition, he will create a therapeutic rehabilitation plan that includes multiple movements and hand therapy exercises.