Our hands do hardwork for us. We can’t even start our day without using our hands. Hands are an integral part of our everyday tasks. Thus our hands are highly exposed to regular wear and tear. Multiple conditions can injure your hands, thereby functionalities. Hand pain is a pretty common problem. It can affect people of any age, from children to older adults.
So, if you are suffering from a hand injury that persists for more than one week, you must consult with a certified and experienced hand therapist. They professionally trend you to reduce and completely relieve your hand pain and help you to regain hand strength and functionalities.
Before deep diving into the topic, let’s introduce “What does a hand therapist do?“
Firstly, a hand therapist must have five years of certification. The certified hand therapist should have a minimum of 4-5 years of clinical experience treating upper extremity ailments, especially the forearm, finger, and wrist. They used to offer the best treatment for hands after detailed evaluation and in-depth diagnosis. They design a personalized treatment program for every patient and deliver preventive care for post-surgical patients, known as post-surgery rehabilitation.
They design treatment techniques that help the patient regain functionalities and alleviate hand pain.
Hand therapy’s latest techniques involve:
- Stimulation and mobilization of soft tissue joints
- Manual therapeutic technique
- Heat-cold therapy
- Hand exercises that involve stretching and bending
- Dry needling
- Electrical stimulation
- Bracing
- Splinting
Leverage the benefits of hand therapy and minimize hand pain
Hand pain can make life difficult because you can not do a simple task without using both hands. Pain may develop due to sports injury, accident, trauma, or specific conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, median nerve injury, and osteoarthritis, which restrict your hand movements and minimize hand functionality. Thankfully hand therapy is there to relieve your hand pain.
Hand therapy often amalgamates with physiotherapy to maximize the treatment outcome. Hand therapy is a holistic alternative to the invasive-surgical treatment procedure.
Just check out the benefits of hand therapy in hand pain:
- With physical therapy treatment, hand therapy professionals offer alternative treatment to invasive treatment
- Hand therapy opens up the avenue of pain management for chronic and acute hand pain
- Hand therapy consists of a range of exercise programs made to increase ROM or range of motion and strengthen the particular area of the hand
- Help patients restore functionality and regain their range of motion.
Hand therapy: An excellent alternative treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Journal of orthopedic and sports physical therapy reviewed that carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated by hand therapy instead of surgery. They performed a study by considering two groups of women suffering from hand pain.
One group was selected for hand therapy to reduce hand pain, whereas another group of women was selected for hand surgery. Researchers found equal improvement levels after one year for both groups of patients who have gone through surgery and hand therapy.
But researchers concluded that hand therapy is apt for patients with time and patience for recovery, but surgery is suitable for patients looking for faster recovery.
5 Reasons to choose hand therapy; A great way that can help patients struggling with hand pain, discomfort
Protect the affected area from further injury: undergoing surgery for your hands and upper extremities requires a long-term recovery. When you come up with a hand therapy technique, certified hand therapists provide a hand therapy program to manipulate hand movements and promote quick healing that is quintessential for surgery recovery.
Pain management: Acute or chronic pain both can be managed through hand therapy. Pain management is an essential part of hand therapy. The pain management process includes hot therapy, cold therapy, and electrical stimulation that minimizes the stress level from the hand and motivates you to become independent again.
Weakness after trauma: If you have recently come across an injury in your hand, wrist, or elbow, then your hands will become weak. In these cases, hand therapy is the best option to bring their effectiveness to overcome a serious trauma.
Home exercise programs: when you start your journey in hand therapy, they will provide you with personalized home exercise programs. These programs are made to develop a range of motion, boost dexterity and thereby predominate the strength of your hands. You can continue home exercises from your comfort zone. You don’t need to attend clinic always for that.
Just get back your old robust version: living with any pain is detrimental to personal and professional lives. Our certified hand therapists help you to regain hand functionality. Our hand therapist always motivates you and makes you eligible to move with independence. Hand therapy exercises are an essential part of upper extremity healthcare interventions. However, patients need to be consistent and patient in their journey. The treatment is non-invasive but delivers long lasting effective result.