Hand Therapy

What is Hand Therapy?

Hand therapy is a rehabilitation technique recommended to improve the strength and restore functional activity of hands in patients with upper extremity injuries. Hand therapy also helps in preventing injury.

Rehabilitation and Preventive Hand Therapy

Hand therapy, based on the rehabilitation programme or preventive therapy, will be initiated within a few days of the injury or surgery and continued until you can restore your normal activities.

Rehabilitative hand therapy aims at minimising swelling and managing sensitive scars whereas preventive therapy is recommended for minimising pain, decreasing repetitive firing of sensual impulses in injured nerve, improving motion and strength, preventing or correcting injury using specially designed splints, teaching to cope with pain and new techniques for performing regular activities, and ensuring complete recovery.

Hand therapists also help in modifying the workstations and developing appropriate training programmes to minimise injuries at workplaces.

Indications of Hand Therapy

Hand therapy is recommended in various conditions:

• Trauma: Accidents or trauma, burns, injured tendons or nerves, fractures, and amputations of fingers, hands or arms.
• Sports injuries: Carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow
• Disease conditions: Arthritis and neurological conditions (stroke)

Where can I avail services of Hand Therapy?

Hand therapist’s services can be availed in different settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centres, private clinics, sports medicine centres, and industrial medicine centres.