Hand Therapy Near Me: 5 Amazing Benefits of Receiving Treatment
February 10th, 2020
Our hands are an incredible part of the body. They have the power to hurt and heal. We can use them to paint, draw, play an instrument, and so much more.
Though a small part of the body each hand contains a whopping 27 bones! That fact alone shows us how complex and intricate our hands are.
But what happens when something goes wrong with your hands? Perhaps you have lost dexterity or experience chronic pain from an injury or medical condition. All is not lost, a simple Google search for “hand therapy near me” will turn up some great options.
Wondering about hand therapy and its benefits? Keep reading to learn all about it!
What Is Hand Therapy?
First of all, you may be wondering what hand therapy is. It is a specialized form of therapy designed to address problems in the hands and upper extremities.
Hand therapists have a whole arsenal of techniques they can use to rehabilitate the hands or reduce chronic pain. These include:
- Hand exercises (you may be given homework as well)
- Custom splinting to correct or prevent injury
- Manual therapy
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Retraining
- Stretching exercises
Many therapists also offer guidance on how to manage daily tasks even with limited mobility or use of your hands.
Hand therapists start out as either Occupational Therapists (OT) or Physical Therapists. From there, they can specialize in different forms of therapy, including hand therapy.
Once a therapist has 3 years of clinical experience, along with 4,000 hours of hand therapy experience, they can become a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). To maintain this certification, CHTs must participate in continuing education and be actively involved in hand therapy. Every 5 years they must renew their credentials.
Not all hand therapists will necessarily have this certification. However, choosing one who does will help ensure you experience the best results.
Benefits of Hand Therapy
What is the point of seeing a therapist with this type of specialty? When should you seek out a hand therapist over a regular occupational therapist?
Let’s dig a little deeper.
1. What Hand Therapy Can Do
There are quite a few problems that hand therapy can help treat and ways the techniques can improve a patient’s condition.
These include:
- Rebuild muscle mass/strength
- Help relieve chronic pain
- Help restore nerve function
- Help minimize/manage scarring
- Reduce swelling
- Protect joints
- Improve range of motion
- Desensitizing after an injury to the nerves
- Re-educating the senses after a nerve injury
In some cases, proper hand therapy can actually take the place of corrective surgery. Since you would likely require rehabilitative hand therapy after surgery anyway, why not skip the surgery part and just work with your hand therapist from the beginning?
2. Conditions Hand Therapy Can Treat
There are a variety of conditions that hand therapy can help treat.
These include:
- Carpal tunnel
- Cubital tunnel (entrapment of the ulnar nerve)
- Arthritis
- Tennis elbow
You would also be a candidate for hand therapy after certain types of hand injuries.
These include:
- Burns
- Damaged tendons and nerves
- Fractures
- Amputations
In short, any patient with a condition or injury that affects the use of their hands can benefit from visiting a hand therapist.
3. Adapt to Your New Challenge
Sadly, in some cases, a complete recovery is not possible. But that doesn’t mean that hand therapy doesn’t have a place.
Hand therapy can help you get back as much strength, dexterity, and range of motion as possible. While you are attending hand therapy sessions and improving, the therapist will also be teaching you how to still perform daily tasks.
You may not be able to fully grip your toothbrush, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to keep your teeth clean. Your therapist will teach you how to use alternative methods or adaptive devices as necessary to go about your daily life.
The goal of hand therapy is always to help you regain as much function as possible. If a full recovery is not possible, your therapist will help you to adapt to your new limitations.
4. Faster Recovery
Attending hand therapy sessions after either an injury or surgery can help reduce your recovery time significantly.
As with other forms of physical therapy, the manual manipulation, movements, and exercises stimulate healing in the body. Most patients find that participating in hand therapy and being diligent about the home exercises that their therapist assigns fast tracks their healing process significantly.
This can help save money by reducing your overall medical costs as well as getting you back to work sooner.
5. Comprehensive Care
Medical doctors have their place. When you need medication or surgery, they are the health professionals to see. But medication or surgery are more extreme methods. Hand therapy can help the body heal on its own without extreme medical interventions.
Plus, even when surgery is necessary, hand therapy can ensure a faster and more complete recovery. The therapist will work closely with you and your doctor to provide the most complete and comprehensive care possible.
Searching for ‘Hand Therapy Near Me’
Are you injured or facing surgery? Are you asking Google for “hand therapy near me?”
Search no more!
Here at Nick Roselli Occupational Therapy, our certified hand therapists are ready to help you take life by the horns once again. Having been in business for over 25 years we’ve helped countless patients rehabilitate after injuries or a medical procedure. Many are surprised by how fully they were able to recuperate.
With three locations in Queens, Manhasset, and Bronx, NY we are conveniently located to serve you. Request an appointment today with our convenient online form. In some cases, we can offer same-day appointments!
