Your hands — they’re easy to take for granted. Nearly every action you take during the day requires their grip, strength, flexibility and coordination.
“This is my passion and niche in the occupational therapy world,” said Andrea Ransom, CHT, OTR/L, about working with people to regain function in their hands after a surgery, injury, or for those facing a chronic condition like arthritis.
“Hands play a vital role in jobs and daily activities,” she said. And she’s right; prior to an injury, a person easily applies makeup, plays piano or drums, cooks a meal, texts a friend, uses a computer keyboard and much more with their hands.
She is part of the specialized team at Avera Therapy – Hands, inside of Avera Specialty Hospital in Sioux Falls. As the only hand therapy clinic in Avera’s system, they collaborate with physical and occupational therapists throughout the region.
What is hand therapy?
Hand therapy cares for the upper extremities — the shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists and fingers. Your therapy and exercises will focused on your needs, which aims to restore strength, range of motion and dexterity of the affected bones, muscles and joints.
Scar management, edema control and care for skin grafts may also be components of your care.
Once you receive your personalized therapy program, you work on these exercises at home with follow-up appointments with a certified hand expert.
They help you practice real-life activities.
Like any therapy program, you most likely will do some work with traditional treatment components, such as kneading balls and stretching bands. However, hand therapy also incorporates actual activities with your hands simulating your activities of daily living.
For example, you might handle small objects like coins, pretend to brush makeup on your face, handle cooking utensils, or use nuts and bolts or levers to replicate tool use. These help refine delicate movements with accuracy. Your may practice grasping a drawer or bucket handle to help gauge appropriate depth perception and increase strength.
A variety of patients can be referred for hand therapy.
Hand therapists treat a variety of patients. Some of the conditions they offer therapy for include:
- Broken fingers
- Arthritis in the hands
- Golfer’s elbow
- Carpal tunnel
- Hand burns
- Tennis elbow
- Tendon injuries
- Radius fractures
- Tendonitis
- Amputation
Our Avera experts are specially certified in hand therapy.
“We are therapists credentialed in the art and science of hand therapy,” said Ransom.
Hand therapists start out as a physical or occupational therapist, practicing in this capacity for at least three years. Over time, they must accrue at least 4,000 hours of upper extremity care before receiving their hand certification.
Custom orthosis, or hand braces, can be made right there on the spot.
Stores offer a lot of options when it comes to hand braces/splints, also called an orthosis. Our custom orthoses, fit each person’s unique shape of wrist, fingers or hands. This ensures a secure fit during the time of healing and/or need for protection.
A low temperature orthoplast material is used to make these in-clinic, custom orthosis from a larger sheet. The hand therapist cuts the material into the appropriate size and shape for you. It’s soaked in water that’s 155°F, making the material softer and more malleable.
The piece is then wrapped around your hand, finger or wrist to firmly hold it in position. Velcro is added so that you can remove the orthosis if allowed by protocol.
Your physician can prescribe a drop-in session with the hand therapy experts.
If you received surgery or treatment at Avera Specialty Hospital, your doctor may recommend you see the hand therapy experts before you leave the facility. This is especially convenient if you live outside of Sioux Falls and coordinating care with an occupational or physical therapist closer to your home if this is appropriate. You can implement these exercises right away to jump-start your recovery.
“Perhaps you need an orthosis, or your doctor thinks you may benefit from some hand therapy exercises,” said Ransom.
Your Options for Therapy
Hand therapy is a referral program. If you are concerned about the mobility of your hands, ask your primary care provider for information about local therapy options. You could be referred to physical therapists across our region or Sioux Falls-based hand therapy specialists.
