Hand Therapy

What is Hand Therapy?

Hand Therapy is a type of rehabilitation performed by an occupational or physical therapist on patients with conditions affecting the upper extremities including arms, hands, elbows, and shoulders.

This service rehabilitates patients who have experienced trauma to their hand or forearm, often resulting in surgery. The therapists also work closely with the plastic surgery and orthopedic surgeons to rehabilitate patients after elective hand surgery, and treat patients who have long standing rheumatologic conditions.

The Hand Therapy Service provides hand assessment and therapy to maximize hand function following injury, surgery, or disease. A Hand Therapy program for a patient commences with a thorough assessment of hand function, edema, scars, joint range, strength, and dexterity.

The following interventions are provided by Hand Therapy:

Splinting (for immobilization/protection/function/pain relief/mobilization)
Edema control
Scar management, including pressure garment prescription if appropriate.
Hypersensitivity reduction/desensitization programs
Sensory re-education
Mobilization programs
Strengthening program
Functional and return to work advice

Our team takes great pride in their work and uses a variety of specialist skills to allow people to return to optimum function to their hand, wrist, and arm within their own lives.

In our clinics, we employ both occupational and physical therapists and we do not make a distinction between them. Occupational Therapists help patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. Physical Therapists provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, and prevent or limit permanent physical disability of patients suffering from injury or disease.

Patients (adults & children) are referred from Hand Management Unit (HMU) immediately after surgery and from plastic surgery, hand trauma and elective surgery clinics in the hospital. These patients are followed up as appropriate.

Back to Services