- Hand Therapy
- Work Rehabilitation
- Medicolegal Assessment
- Home Assessment
- Neurological Rehabilitation
- Burns and Scar Management
- Lymphoedema Management
- Soft Tissue Injury Management
- Optimising Recovery Post Mastectomy
Hand Therapy
What is Hand Therapy?
All of our therapists are active members of the Australian Hand Therapy Association, continuously striving to achieve and maintain the association's requirements for full membership. Hand Therapy is a specialty area of Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy practice in which the therapist focusses on the rehabilitation of clients with conditions affecting the hands and upper limbs.
Our therapists are experienced in evaluating and identifying problems relating to the fingers, hands, wrists, forearms and shoulders. The therapists use their expertise to accurately assess and provide effective treatment with the goal of hastening the clients return to productive lifestyle which in turn results in decreased medical costs, reduced time off work and minimises the impact on home and leisure activities.
Upon beginning therapy, an upper extremity assessment is performed. It may include measuring individual joint motion, hand strength, sensation and swelling. It may also include evaluation for customized splints or adaptive equipment. Information obtained from these evaluations are important in setting specific individualized clinical goals for your treatment or to assist your medical specialist in calculating a final evaluation.
Frequency of therapy will be determined after your evaluation by the therapist, with due regard to your treating doctors' recommendations.
Cairns Occupational Therapy offer therapy programmes for diagnoses such as:
- Amputations
- Arthritis
- Burns
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
- Crush injuries
- DeQuervain's Tendonitis
- Dupuytren's Contracture
- Fractures
- Joint Replacements
- Myofascial Trigger Points
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Stiff hands
- Tendonitis and Tendinosis
- Tendon or Nerve Injury
- Weakness or Paralysis
Therapy may include one or more of the following:
- Wound care - management of open or sutured wounds to prevent infection and assist with healing.
- Scar care - management of keloid / hypertrophic (raised and thickened) or hypersensitive scars.
- Graded exercise programme - individually tailored home programmes to improve range of motion and/or strength of affected limb.
- Splint fabrication - for prevention or correction of injury, postoperative care, or conservative treatment.
- Preparation to return to work or home responsibilities - training in the performance of daily life skills or work modifications through adapted methods and equipment.
- Education - regarding your condition to help you better understand how to help yourself.
- Oedema management - it is vital to good recovery to minimise the amount of swelling as quickly as possible. Prolonged exposure to swelling increases the likelihood of stiffness and loss of function.
- Pain management
- Trigger point release
- Sensory re-education
Our aim is to rehabilitate the client so their condition no longer affects their function, or if that is not possible then teach compensatory strategies to overcome any limitations.
