Hand and Occupational Therapy
Our hands are vital to our ability to perform activities of daily living. An injury that restricts hand function can therefore be particularly frustrating as well as debilitating.
Hand therapists have specialist skills in helping injured people restore function to hands (and upper limbs). They may also help with relief from pain with treatment such as desensitisation. In addition hand therapists also provide advice on exercise programmes, preventative care, aids to daily living and ergonomics (for example using things such as computer keyboards).
A hand therapist is likely to have come from either a physiotherapy or occupational therapy background. They will have undergone additional and specialist training in hand therapy.
The number and availability of hand therapists in private practice is relatively limited. In the course of their training (or career) a physiotherapist may have worked in hand therapy. It’s therefore possible a private practice physiotherapist may have some knowledge and skills in hand therapy but may not term themselves a hand therapist.
When hand therapy is recommended careful consideration must be given to the extent and nature of the injury, disability and likely therapy required. This must be measured against availability of therapy that the patient can practically attend for.
The TraumaCare team is pragmatic in their approach to provide options to patients, whilst still ensuring treatment needs are well met.