Hand TherapyIn Louisville, Evansville & Southern Indiana
Hand therapy is defined as the science and art of assessment and rehabilitation of the upper limbs.
Experiencing pain or discomfort within your hand or wrist can make simple tasks and day-to-day life difficult. Whether it's caused by a sudden injury or overuse over time, physical therapy can be an excellent course of treatment for regaining strength and range of motion. The exercises and stretches that a physical therapist guides you through can help you achieve a pain free life. Beyond helping you heal and recover from a condition or injury, physical therapy gives you the knowledge and training to help prevent any further injury or worsening conditions. It can change your life and help you get back to being active.
Common Causes of Hand and Wrist Pain
A variety of conditions can cause pain within the hand or wrist such as arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. Often sports that require repetitive wrist or hand motions such as tennis or baseball can result in stress on the wrist and hands which can lead to pain or more serious injuries. This can also occur with patients who have jobs that require repetitive hand motion such as typing or painting. Additionally, wrist and hand pain is often the result of a sudden injury like a fall that can sprain the muscles or cause bruising. If the injury is serious it can even cause a fracture which can sometimes be difficult to diagnose in the hand and wrist.
Exercises for Hand/Wrist Pain
Whatever the cause of your hand or wrist pain, a physical therapist can give you exercises and stretches to help heal and strengthen your hand. Simple hand motions such as practicing a thumbs up or squeezing a ball can help with mobility and building strength after an injury. With a physical therapist, they can guide you through more complicated exercises like resistance training for better strength and range of motion.
When to Get Physical Therapy Treatment
While some hand or wrist injuries can be healed with rest and ice, if the pain is persistent or there is swelling or loss of mobility, it is important to seek out medical care. Physical therapy can be helpful in both the diagnosing and treatment of any hand or wrist problems. Whether you are recently injured, looking for post surgery rehabilitation, or wanting to improve your strength or mobility, Prorehab can help.
ProRehab's Certified Hand Therapists (CHT) have a minimum of five years of advanced clinical skills and therapy, including over 4,000 hours in hand therapy practice, and also have passed a comprehensive test in advanced clinical skills. The CHT credential offers assurance that our therapists have achieved the highest level of competency and maintain their CHT credential through extensive recertification.
Hand Therapy works to relieve pain in the hands, wrist, or shoulder due to:
- Traumatic injuries
- Fractures & dislocations
- Sports injuries
- Tennis elbow/lateral epicondylitis
- RTC tendonitis
- Arthritis
- Carpal & cubital tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, & other nerve entrapment disorders
- Amputations
- Burns
- Wounds
- Tendon & nerve injuries
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Complex regional pain syndrome/RSD
- Shoulder, elbow, wrist & hand pain
- Postoperative care of shoulder arthroscopy
Watch this video to learn more about Certified Hand Therapy at ProRehab:
Splinting
Our therapists custom fit hand, elbow and shoulder orthotics that can be remolded as your condition changes. Individual treatment plans can include a combination of wound care, range of motion and strengthening exercises, edema management, scar and soft tissue massage, arthritis management, sensory re-education, joint protection principles and more.