Self-Care: Shoe tying, grooming, dressing, etc.
Bal-A-Vis-X
Handwriting Without Tears
Sensory Integration
Fine Motor Control
Autism Spectrum Interventions
Brain Gym
Therapeutic Listening programs
Vision Therapy
Neuropathies
DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis
Dupuytren’s Contractures
Ganglion cysts
Elbow tendonitis
Repetitive stress injuries
Trigger Finger
Wound care
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Hand Therapy is for anyone experiencing pain in an upper extremity (hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder). Conditions treated include:
Fractures of the hand, wrist, and elbow
Post-operative, acute, and chronic injuries
Tendon and ligament injuries
Boutonniere’s and Swan Neck deformities
Hand therapy is rehabilitation of the hand and upper extremity. We will evaluate the issue you are facing and together find a reliable therapy solution. The purpose of therapy is to restore optimal function. A hand therapist is an occupational or physical therapist who specializes in rehabilitation of the hand and upper extremity. Hand therapists are extensively trained and educated in this specialty, and many receive advanced certification in hand therapy. We focus on evaluation and treatment of the hand, wrist, and elbow and have specialized training in hand therapy.
Static splints are often used to put part or all of the elbow, wrist and hand at rest so that injured tissue or disease can be supported and undergo uninterrupted healing. Dynamic or static progressive splints are used to add mobilizing tension to influence tissue healing and scar maturation, minimizing the development of restrictive scar tissue that is so detrimental to tendon excursion and normal joint motion.
Often times treating an upper extremity injury requires the use of a custom splints. Our Certified Hand Therapist can properly match splint material and splint design to your specific injury. Splinting techniques are used to influence healing, minimize the development of restrictive scar tissue, maintain hand function and reduce pain.
Activities of Daily Living is a term used by healthcare professionals to refer to the basic self-care tasks an individual does on a day-to-day basis. These activities are fundamental in caring for oneself and maintaining independence. An individual's ability or inability to perform ADLs is often used by health professionals as a way of measuring an individual’s functional status, especially that of older adults or those with disabilities. When a patient is diagnosed with a disease or upper extremity injury preventing them from performing their daily activities, Hand in Hand Occupational Therapy will work with them to regain independence.
We will train you on the use of durable medical equipment and/or adaptive equipment including but not limited to:
Grab Bars
Shower Chairs
Wheelchairs
Dressing Equipment
Modification to Computer Devices, etc.
We can also make recommendations to modify objects/equipment for easier use to increase independence in meal preparation, medication management, money management and much more.
These techniques are used to relieve pain, improve circulation, decrease swelling, reduce muscle spasm, and deliver medication in conjunction with other procedures. Typical types of modalities include electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, heat, ice, and traction.
Our trained occupational therapists will evaluate your hand or upper extremity issue to determine which solution fits you and how to treat you in the best way possible.
Depending on your specific diagnosis, our home exercise programs differ from case to case. Our occupational therapists take the time to sit down with you and create a home exercise program that can be performed easily and effectively. We want to make this as pain-free as possible for you during your healing process.
Home exercises are key to a successful rehab program.
Edema is an accumulation of excessive fluid in intercellular spaces. It is a natural byproduct of the healing process that changes as an injury advances through the stages of healing. Decreasing or managing edema, especially in the sub acute or chronic stage, is of great importance to the therapists at Hand in Hand Occupational Therapy.
MEM is a specific treatment technique that targets the lymphatic system through gentle stimulation to facilitate the flow of excessive tissue fluid and plasma proteins away from an area of edema.
Whenever your skin is injured – whether by accident or from surgery – your body works to repair the wound. As your skin heals, a scar may form, as this is a natural part of the healing process for an upper extremity injury.
To ensure an effective healing process, Hand in Hand Occupational Therapy will work with you to try and reduce the appearance of scars and keep wounds clean to prevent infection.
Kinesio® Taping Technique is a therapeutic taping method that allows for treatment for all types of clinical conditions such as orthopedic, neurologic, and even autonomic pathologies in age groups. The application guidelines allow for and assist normal circulation/lymphatic flow, normal muscle function, remodeling of fascial tissue, and can improve joint balance. The Kinesio® Taping Method is designed to guide the body toward homeostasis. Our occupational therapists are certified in this technique and have performed it on a regular basis for our patients.
Nerve compression syndrome occurs when a nerve is squeezed or compacted. It typically occurs at a single location within the body. This can consist of nerves in the torso, limbs, and extremities may be affected. In our case, we help with NCS in the upper extremity, hand and wrist region. Common symptoms include pain, numbness, and muscle weakness at the site of the nerve.
We will determine the best healing technique dependent on the severity and pain level of the injury.
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts therapeutic cups on the skin that create suction and negative pressure. Many individuals seek cupping therapy for a number of medical reasons. Cupping is very helpful and quick when it comes to releasing muscle tension and sedating the nervous system. The cups are depressurized using different techniques depending on the type of cup and size of the cup that's being used. For instance, some practitioners that use glass cups will use fire to heat up the air inside the cup just before placement to extract oxygen and create a vacuum effect. No worries, these cups are not hot and do not burn you. If anything, they’re to relieve you.
