Visit Opt Ortho for Physician Recommended ProductsLearn More

Texas Orthopedics
(512) 439-1000
(512) 439-1000
  • Online Bill Pay
  • Patient Portal
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Refer A Patient
  • CAREERS
(512) 439-1000
  • Online Bill Pay
  • Patient Portal
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Refer A Patient
  • CAREERS

Texas Orthopedics

  • Home
  • Providers
  • Locations
  • Specialties
  • Resources
  • Contact

Rehabilitation - Hand Therapy

Back to Patient Education
  • Introduction

Introduction

Hand Therapy is a specialized area of rehabilitation. Your doctor may refer you to an occupational therapist with advanced skills or a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) for hand therapy.  A CHT is an occupational or physical therapist that has completed continued education, supervised training, and testing to earn credentials beyond a therapy degree. Hand therapists focus on rehabilitation for conditions that affect the hand and arm.


A hand therapist provides continuing care for individuals with hand conditions resulting from medical conditions or following hand surgery or injury.  Medical conditions, such as arthritis; neurological conditions, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury; and disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome; can affect the way hands move and function. Hand therapy can be helpful for people with trauma, burns, and amputations.  Additionally, hand therapy is common following hand surgery to restore tendons, nerves, and joint function.  A hand therapist may be consulted for preventive consultation, especially in the manufacturing industries.


Treatment

 

Your hand therapist will work with your doctor to determine treatments that are appropriate for you and that are designed to meet your goals.  Hand therapy can reduce pain and swelling.  It can help to restore strength, endurance, coordination, and movement.  It can also promote healing and reduce scar formation.  You should tell your hand therapist about your symptoms, concerns, and goals.  Your therapist will create a treatment plan that incorporates your goals for functional improvement.


At your initial evaluation, your therapist will examine your hand and take measurements.  Your hand and finger strength, coordination, and sensation will be tested.  The therapist will measure how far you can move your joints.  He or she will look at your hand for any sores, deformities, or swelling. 


Hand therapy treatments vary and depend on the type of condition you have, the extent of your condition, and your goals.  It is common for therapy to include hand exercises, splinting, and modalities.  You may need to wear hand splints while your hand is at rest, during work, or both.  Hand splints can help your hand heal, reduce pain, and improve function.  Modalities are treatments that can help relieve pain and promote movement. These include heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and others. Additionally, hand therapy can include wound healing treatments and burn debridement.  Your therapists can suggest adaptive devices, such as eating or writing utensils, to improve your functional independence.


In industrial settings, hand therapists perform workplace evaluations for injury prevention.  Hand therapists can recommend alternative work methods or work station changes to prevent injuries and cumulative trauma disorders.  They can also help an individual with a hand injury return to work by making workplace modifications.

Back to top

Copyright ©  - iHealthSpot Interactive - www.iHealthSpot.com

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on February 16, 2022. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.

Footer

    Blog Post by Category

  • Arthritis
  • General
  • Rheumatology
  • Sports Medicine
  • Spine
  • Shoulder/Elbow
  • Hand/Wrist
  • Hip
  • Knee
  • Foot/Ankle
  • TX Ortho News

    News and Blog

Patient Education

From orthopedic injuries to physical therapy, our patient education library explains many of the conditions and treatments you may want to read about. Learn More

Patient Stories

Our doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and professional staff are what truly make Texas Orthopedics so great. See what our patients are saying about us. Learn More

Why Choose TX Ortho

Why Choose TX Ortho Learn More
  • Services
  • General Orthopedics
  • Sports Medicine
  • Spine Care
  • Joint Replacement
  • Trauma and Fracture Management
  • Physical Therapy
  • Electrodiagnostic Testing (EMG & NCS)
  • Imaging Services
  • Infusion Therapy
  • Surgery Center
  • Pediatrics
  • Telemedicine
  • Specialties
  • Hand & Wrist
  • Elbow
  • Shoulder
  • Hip
  • Knee
  • Foot & Ankle
  • Neck
  • Back
  • Rheumatology
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Locations
  • Patient Education
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Testimonials
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Refer a Patient
  • Careers
  • TX Ortho News
  • Patient Login
  • Online Bill Pay

Doctors

  • › W. Parker Abblitt, MD
  • › Abed Abdelaziz, MD
  • › Robert E. Blais, MD
  • › Kenneth Bunch, MD
  • › Christopher M. Danney, MD
  • › Robert A. Foster, MD
  • › Peter M. Garcia Jr., MD
  • › Brian T. Hardy, MD
  • › Austin D. Hill, MD
  • › Vishal Kancherla, DO
  • › Robert J. Koval Jr., MD
  • › Kamen Kutzarov, MD
  • › David C. Laverty, MD
  • › Zachariah Logan, MD
  • › Michael D. Loeb, MD
  • › Joseph R. Martinez, MD
  • › Benjamin A. McArthur, MD
  • › John E. McDonald Jr., MD
  • › Ai Mukai, MD
  • › O. Atilla Onan, MD
  • › Mark S. Parrella, MD
  • › J.P. Rodriguez, MD
  • › Claire Ryan, MD
  • › Vilas Saldanha, MD
  • › Blake Schultz, MD
  • › W. Randall Schultz, MD
  • › Scott A. Smith, MD
  • › J. Brannan Smoot, MD
  • › Joseph H. Snowden, DPM
  • › Jason R. Somogyi, MD
  • › Daniel T. Stewart, MD
  • › Kristopher G. Stockton, MD
  • › Ryan M. Taylor, MD
  • › Ryan M. Tibbetts, MD
  • › Blake Turvey, MD
  • › Todd Walker, MD
  • › Greg L. Westmoreland, MD

INFORMATION ABOUT THE NO SURPRISES ACT AND GOOD FAITH ESTIMATES

Copyright © Texas Orthopedics, All rights reserved.

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

Texas Orthopedics provides comprehensive orthopedic care by offering on-site X-ray, MRIs, bone density scans, physical and occupational therapy, general orthopedic services, sports medicine, spine care, joint replacement, fracture and trauma care, infusion therapy, and a Joint Commission-accredited outpatient surgery center. In addition to orthopedic surgeons, we have physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists at our locations in Kyle, Round Rock, Lakeway, Northwest Austin, Leander, Central Austin, and South Austin, TX.