Hand Therapy

Help for Arm, Hand and Wrist Pain

Reaching, grabbing, writing, and pinching are simple activities that many of us take for granted. However, for individuals suffering from issues or injury affecting the hand, wrist and arm, these simple tasks can be monumental. The inability to perform such tasks independently is frustrating and debilitating.

Through assessment, exercise, splinting, and overall education for adapting the manner in which these tasks are approached, many of these difficulties can be eased with the help of a Hand Therapist.

If you have injured your hand, wrist, or elbow, Saint Vincent Rehabilitation Services Hand Therapy Department is here to support you on your journey to wellness. Our specialized Hand Therapists will help you to create a customized rehabilitation program to treat your upper extremity and hand.

Here at Saint Vincent Rehabilitation Services, we have Certified Hand Therapists (CHT) on staff who are specialized and have obtained an advanced certification, giving them an increased depth of knowledge for a multitude of injuries and disorders of the upper extremity. Our department uses a team collaboration approach, working together to help meet your individualized needs and goals.

Our Hand Therapists are specialized in treating fractures, tendon repairs, work related injuries, repetitive strain injuries, Orthopedic and Neurological conditions, and a wide variety of other diagnoses including:

Hand

• Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis at the Thumb and MP Joint
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
• Dupuytren’s Disease
• Extensor Tendon Injuries
• Fingertip Injuries
• Flexor Tendon Injuries
• Ganglion Cysts
• Hand Fractures
• Hand infections
• Hand Tumors
• Implant Joint replacements
• Nail Bed Injuries
• Nerve Injuries
• Tendon Transfer Surgery
• Thumb Sprain
• Trigger Finger
• Vascular Disorders

Wrist

• Amputation and Prosthetics
• DeQuervain’s Tendinitis
• Kienbock’s Disease
• Scaphoid Fractures
• Tendon Transfer Surgery
• Vascular Disorders
• Wrist Arthroscopy
• Wrist Fractures
• Wrist Sprains

Elbow

• Cupital Tunnel
• Elbow Fractures including Distal Humerus, Distal Radius
• Joint Replacement
• Nerve Injuries
• Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
• Replantation

Our Certified Hand Therapists will work with you one-on-one to evaluate, treat, and rehabilitate your injury in a way that is specific to your daily needs and goals. Your evaluation will be one hour long, in order to be sure the therapists get a detailed understanding of your history. Treatment techniques vary from patient to patient based on your individualized treatment program. We will work with you at each visit to improve your hand function in order to make work and activities of daily living easier for you.

Your treatment may include:

• Custom splint fabrication (both static to support painful joints or dynamic to help improve mobility when stiffness is present)
• Exercises to increase range of motion, strength and dexterity
• Functional approach for return to work/school/sports
• Adaptations for daily activities with new tools or techniques
• Ergonomic education for work and lifestyle setup to promote wellness
• Pain management techniques
• Wound and scar management

What is Certified Hand Therapy?

If you are seeing a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), you will be seeing an Occupational Therapist (OT) or Physical Therapist (PT) who has an additional certification in Hand Therapy. Both Occupational and Physical Therapists have graduated from accredited programs, passed national registration exams, and are licensed to practice in their state.

Only an OT or a PT with 3 or more years of experience and over 4,000 hours of specifically hand therapy practice is allowed to sit for the certification examination to become a CHT. The certification examination ensure that the therapist demonstrates exceptional knowledge in all areas of the hand. A CHT must renew their credential every 5 years through educational classes and continued practice treating the hand.

If you would like to learn more about Certified Hand Therapy the following resources may be helpful:

Hand Therapy Certification Commission: https://www.htcc.org/
American Society of Hand Therapists: https://www.asht.org/
American Society for Surgery of the Hand: https://www.assh.org/

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about our Hand Therapy Programs, please contact us at any of the following locations: