Hand Therapy (Occupational Therapy)

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Hand Therapy with our Occupational Therapist

 

“Your body wants to be healthy and its ability to heal itself is remarkable. The question is, are you giving your body the opportunity to do so?”   –Andrew Weil, M.D.

TREAT YOUR HANDS WELL

You want your hand, wrist, forearm and elbow to be pain free and efficient in order to carry out all you daily living and work activities. After all, we do most everything with our hands and arms. Treatment of these areas is a specialized and diverse service due to the complexity of the structures which are all interrelated.

Did you know…?

  • There are 30 bones in the arm, not including most of the shoulder
  • At least 29 muscles function to move our fingers and thumb
  • The tendons of our hands connect the muscles to the bone and have a sheath surrounding them. For        our joints to be able to move, the tendons glide freely within this sheath
  • Our bones are held together, and our tendons are held to the bones with numerous ligaments for              stabilization

All of these are in close proximity and often when one structure is injured or painful, others are also involved. Without all of these structures working in unison, we are not able to perform our day-to-day activities without various degrees of interference or limitations. At Agape Therapy, our hand specialists are trained to determine the source of the problem, the secondary effects and treat them with an individualized plan of care.

When is Hand Therapy a Good Idea?

You may require treatment after surgery, for conservative management in order to avoid surgery, or to assist in the recovery from an injury. The treatment you receive will be determined according to a detailed evaluation and established protocols for your diagnosis. An individualized plan of care will be developed just for you, which will take into account your specific needs. Your first session will be an initial evaluation. When your specific plan of care can be established, your treatment initiated on your first visit.

How can Hand Therapy Help Me?

  • Reducing inflammation and pain
  • Influencing and minimizing scar formation
  • Controlling edema or swelling
  • Improving motion and flexibility
  • Improving strength
  • Improving fine motor and gross motor coordination
  • Increasing functional use of your hand(s) and arm(s) for use in everyday activities

Types of Diagnosis That Hand Therapists Treat:

  • Fractures
  • Tendonitis
  • Tendon repair/surgery
  • Arthritis
  • General or specific strengthening
  • Neuromuscular diseases
  • Pain syndromes
  • Ligament repair/surgery
  • Joint contractures and limited mobility
  • Pain management
  • Reconstructions