Hand Therapy

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H&D Hand Therapy

What is Hand Therapy?

A certified hand therapist (CHT) is an Occupational Therapist (OT) or Physical Therapist (PT) who, through years of advanced study, experience, and passing a national exam, specializes in treating individuals with conditions affecting the hand and upper extremity.  A CHT provides post-operative rehabilitation, therapeutic management of various injuries and conditions, customized splinting, as well as ergonomic and industrial consultation.

Who can benefit from Hand Therapy?

Hand Therapy is for individuals of any age who have pain or limitation in the use of the hand, wrist, or elbow. Symptoms can be a result of accident or trauma, but also repetitive use or chronic problems such as arthritis.

Symptoms that may be treated by a Certified Hand Therapist include:

  • Hand pain, wrist pain, elbow pain
  • Stiffness of hand, wrist, or elbow
  • Loss of motion, strength, or functional use of elbow, wrist, hand or fingers
  • Loss of sensation in hand or fingers

Diagnoses we treat include:

  • Fractures and dislocations
  • Ligament and sprain injuries
  • Tendonitis
  • Repetitive strain injuries
  • Sports injuries
  • Nerve compressions
  • Tendon and nerve lacerations
  • Deformities and contractures
  • Various types of arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, and psoriatic
  • And more...

Treatment Provided

At H&D, we provide a comprehensive evaluation with an individualized therapy program in which a variety of the following techniques are employed so the patient will receive their optimal outcome:

  • Activity/exercises individually designed to increase motion, dexterity and strength with the ultimate goal of improving function
  • Edema control techniques
  • Wound management
  • Scar management
  • Desensitization, sensory re-education or sensory compensatory techniques
  • Modalities of heat, cold, ultrasound and electrical stimulation
  • Ergonomic modifications and prevention techniques
  • Work conditioning/hardening/retraining
  • Industrial consultation
  • Joint protection and energy conservation training
  • Adaptive techniques and education in adaptive/assistive devices
  • Manual therapy
  • Orthotic fabrication for post-op surgical protection/immobilization, correction of injury or deformity, facilitation of ROM and conservative management of common upper extremity conditions
  • Pain management
  • Patient and family education
  • Wellness education

Who treats wrist and hand conditions at H&D Physical Therapy?

Assessment and treatment are performed by a Certified Hand Therapist. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, or have received any of the above diagnoses, schedule an appointment today. 

Hand Therapy @ Midtown

Esther Milina, OTR/L

Hand Therapy @ Upper East Side

Lena Steinberg, OT, CHT

If you have questions regarding treatments available, or whether Hand Therapy is appropriate for you, please contact us. We would be happy to discuss your situation in advance of an evaluation session.