Hands play an essential role in our daily lives, and impaired or lost function can be debilitating.

Utilising a client-centred and occupation-based approach, our occupational therapists will assess what you want and need from rehabilitation, which will inform their individualised treatment program.

Physical Therapy

Hand therapy provides rehabilitation for conditions, injuries, and surgeries affecting hands, wrists and elbows. It may be used to treat acute and chronic injuries like arthritis. Physical therapy aims to relieve symptoms and regain function; when selecting a therapist with expertise in this area.

Hand therapy physio Salisbury provides expert hand therapists who will collaborate with you to meet your recovery goals. Your therapist will use various techniques and evaluate your range of motion, strength, posture and nerve sensation at every session – then provide specific exercises tailored specifically for you and your condition between visits.

There are various paths to becoming a hand therapist, including completing an MSK rotation and shadowing one or doing clinical placement within this specialty in the NHS.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) aims to assist those who experience issues with their hands in performing daily activities or “occupations”, including cooking, cleaning, washing, dressing and using the toilet, and driving safely and comfortably. OT helps individuals adapt their processes or adapt to the environment they live in to achieve this aim.

An occupational therapist (OT) will assess your skills and the effect of your hand injury or condition on you before creating a plan to help you get back to your daily activities as quickly as possible, providing safe ways of performing them if needed.

Hand therapy physio Salisbury may modify your environment, teach new skills to you or suggest equipment that could assist. They might suggest exercises and other treatments to improve movement and hand-eye coordination.

Occupational therapists (OTs) provide more than just hand therapy – they also assist in treating schizophrenia, dementia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), severe burns and trauma injuries, and complex chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Certified Hand Therapists (CHTs) are physical or occupational therapists with advanced training and clinical experience who specialise in treating disorders affecting upper extremity joints such as shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands. A CHT must pass an intensive exam before being granted this specialised credential.

Speech Therapy

Hands are vital tools, and suffering an injury or condition in one can significantly impede daily activities. Therefore, seeking hand therapy physio Salisbury treatment as soon as possible is paramount for patients to achieve greater independence and quality of life. Hand therapy offers excellent solutions that promote positive results that foster independence.

As a physiotherapist specialising in hand therapy, you’ll employ occupational and physical therapy methods to treat the upper extremity. These may include splinting, wound care and injections administered via needle, joint mobilisations exercises with active or resistive resistance and ultrasound imaging as part of treatment plans.

Hand therapists are also adept at conducting various dexterity tests to measure fine motor control loss in their patients, such as cerebral palsy, dyspraxia or sensory processing disorder. Dexterity loss may also result from trauma injuries to wrists or hands and neurological conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathies.

Individuals generally cover training to become a hand therapist; however, some trusts offer static band five positions open to both physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Neurological Therapy

Neurological physical therapy (NPT) is a hand therapy physio that can assist patients suffering from certain injuries and conditions. The goal is to enhance the range of motion, reduce pain and promote healing – sometimes even prevent future issues! PPT also addresses psychological and social concerns for each patient by providing education on their injury or condition before developing a personalised treatment plan tailored to each person’s needs.

Hand therapy is a subspecialty of occupational or physical therapy designed to aid those suffering from conditions affecting the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulder girdle. Such issues could include injuries, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and cerebral palsy – occupational or physical therapists can help these individuals return to daily activities more comfortably.

Hand therapy may be required when difficulty moving fingers, stiffness in hands and arms, numbness, or tingling are present. A hand therapist can diagnose their source and treat symptoms accordingly by offering guided exercises such as tendon gliding or joint blocking to address these concerns.