People with painful injuries and conditions of the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow need very special attention and highly specialize therapists.
OSI's hand therapy program is one of the biggest and best in the area. Our physical and occupational therapists who specialize in hand therapy have had extensive specialized training in evaluation, treatment, and management of conditions of the arm and hand. They take many hours of continuing education each year, have an abundance of experience with many arm and hand patients, and focus their practice on the treatment of these often difficult problems.
Ginny Peulen, PT, CHT Hand Therapy Coordinator
Our hand therapy staff has a great reputation and strong relationships with many physicians in family practice and hand specialist physicians. All of OSI hand therapists are physical or occupational therapists who have either attained their Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) designation or are pursuing that level of professional expertise.
What treatment can you expect from an OSI Hand Therapist?
A hand therapist will:
Perform a thorough evaluation of your condition, providing quick identification of complex problems involving the joints, nerves, and soft tissues of the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand.
Implement a treatment plan including manual therapy, exercise, and modalities to manage pain, restore motion, dexterity, strength, and endurance with an emphasis on education, self management and return to function.
If needed, provide a pre-fabricated splint/brace or a custom made splint to provide protection, stabilization or mobilization for the injured area.
In situations involving soft tissue, scarring, and tightness, use a hightly effective manual therapy approach called ASTYM .
What results can you expect from Hand Therapy?
In most cases, your hand therpaist will help you realize a decrease in pain and an improvement in mobility, strength, movement, and use of the involved area.
You'll have a self management program including proper posture, exercise, and other self managment tools to take care of your problem at home.
Because our hand therapists treat such a wide array of diagnoses, the average range of visits is variable. Your therapist will provide you with a specific number of visits you will need. You can refer to our clincial outcomes section for number of visits per condition.
