Below is a list of just a few of the conditions commonly treated by Hand
Therapists in Alphabetical order:
Arthritis – Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Treatment may include pain relief,
protective/supportive splinting, joint protection advice and exercises.
Burns – depending on how severe the burn, treatment may include splinting, pressure garment
measuring and fitting, range of movement exercises and scar management.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – splinting of the wrist at night can make a big difference to night
symptoms and reduce night disturbance, nerve gliding exercises, advice and education. We see many patients for rehab post carpal tunnel surgery. We will remove their sutures, prescribe tendon gliding exercises and provide scar management and work hardening.
De Quervains Tenosynovitis – is a condition affecting the tendons that extend the thumb and cross the radio-dorsal side of the wrist in the 1st dorsal compartment. When these become inflamed, it can be very painful and debilitating. Hand therapists can help by splinting the wrist and thumb for a period of time and advising on activity modification. Rest combined with treatment +/- cortico-steroid injection (CSI) usually settles this condition.
Ligament Injuries to the joints of the thumb (eg. Skiiers’ thumb), fingers and wrist usually occur as a result of some sort of trauma (injury). Ligaments help to stabilize joints, so a period of splinting to immobilize or to protect the joint is necessary. Range of motion exercises ensure that the joint does not become stiff during the time the joint is splinted.
Muscle tear, sprain or haematoma (bruising) – protect, soft tissue massage, stretch,
strengthen.
Overuse injuries – also referred to as OOS (occupational overuse syndrome) or repetitive.
strain injury. Treatment includes activity modification and worksite or workstation assessment.
Pain Management – pain may be caused by a number of different factors. Understanding the
underlying pathology and having an in-depth knowledge of pain mechanisms at a central
nervous system level will make a big difference as how effective a hand therapist can be in
helping to reduce pain. A sound knowledge of pain medications and pathways of action is also
important when guiding a patient with acute or chronic pain. Modalities such as TENS, acupuncture, heat and massage are just a few examples of techniques that can be called on depending on the level of skill of the therapist.
Scar Management – there are a number of good products available to hand therapists which
are effective in improving scar appearance and texture. Treatment may also include soft tissue
massage, pressure, stretch and even acupuncture if the therapist has training in this area.
Tendons – may be sprained or strained, torn, avulsed or lacerated (cut). Lacerated tendons
require surgical repair, splinting and a controlled exercise regime implemented by an
experienced hand therapist who is familiar with the surgical technique and tendon rehab
protocol used by the referring surgeon.
Wound Management – many post-operative patients require dressings, suture removal, and
wound debridement. O Hands has the necessary wound care products available in the clinic to optimize wound healing.