Leading Edge Hand Treatment
Our hands are the most important part of our body for interacting with the world around us. We greet people, cook, and care for ourselves and others using our hands. When a person has hand pain, they are greatly affected by what they are able to do on a day-to-day basis. We see a variety of reasons for hand pain, such as arthritis, EDS, neuropathy, carpal tunnel, or trigger finger, just to name a few. Finding a great occupational therapist to help with your hand pain can change the way you interact with the world around you. Learn more about Freedom’s leading edge hand treatment.
Why should I choose an OT?
Occupational therapists have specialized training in the upper extremity, and more specifically hands. This training allows us to have a detailed understanding of the hand and what the best treatment plan is for each specific injury or issue. Along with our specialized treatment, we are able to fabricate custom orthosis for the upper extremity. These splints are used for a variety of reasons such as carpal tunnel, fractures, thumb arthritis, or hypermobility. Some of the most common splints that we fabricate are wrist cock-up, thumb spica, and CMC joint stability.
What are common diagnoses we treat?
We see a variety of different diagnoses which each come along with their own unique treatment plan. The most common diagnoses we see are thumb arthritis (or arthritis in general), fractures, trigger finger, hypermobility, and tingling in the hand.
What are some treatment interventions?
We use a combination of different treatment techniques and interventions depending on the diagnosis. These techniques include but are not limited to soft tissue massage, stretching, strengthening, nerve glides, dry needling, laser therapy, or shockwave therapy. Soft tissue massage is great for helping loosen tight muscles throughout the upper extremity. We often combine this with stretching and strengthening to ensure that we are increasing tissue extensibility and then helping strengthen those muscles. Strengthening will increase stability and overall strength during functional tasks.
Dry needling is a technique using monofilament needles, which are inserted into a trigger point (more commonly called a knot) in the muscle to elicit a “twitch” response allowing the muscle to “relax.” Dry needling can be very useful to target stubborn trigger points that are causing increased pain. Laser therapy is a tool we use to help decrease inflammation in the body through the use of wavelengths of light that pass through your skin and into your cells. This technique helps to reduce inflammation and improve circulation, promoting faster healing. On the other hand, depending on the diagnosis, we can also use radial shockwave therapy. The process behind this therapy is that sound waves are applied to the affected area to create new inflammation, which stimulates the body to heal the affected area.
If you are experiencing hand pain, an occupational therapist will be able to help you determine what the best course of treatment is and develop an individualized treatment plan. If you have questions about your hand pain, please contact us at Freedom Physical Therapy Services .
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