Hand therapy

The outpatient hand therapy program provides a wide variety of services, including the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of upper extremity dysfunctions by a certified hand therapist.

Certified hand therapists are skilled in evaluating:

• Atrophy
• Deformities
• Dexterity
• Edema
• Endurance
• Home management
• Neurovascular status
• Pain
• Range of motion
• Scars
• Sensation
• Skin/nail conditions
• Stiffness
• Strength
• Vocational/avocational tasks
• Wounds

The skilled therapists provide one-on-one care, and are attentive to each patient’s individual needs and goals. They are trained to provide a variety of treatment techniques that will help maximize recovery potential, including:

• Edema control
• Electrical stimulation
• Functional activities related to joint mobilization
• Manual lymph drainage (Glen Cove location only)
• Massage activities of daily living
• Myofascial release
• Neuro-developmental treatment (Glen Cove location only)
• Neuro-muscular re-education
• Patient education (e.g., energy conservation, work simplification, adaptation, joint protection principles)
• Scar release therapy
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Splinting
• Therapeutic exercise
• Thermal modalities (hot/cold therapy)
• Trigger point therapy
• Wound care

Hand therapy is typically provided for the following conditions:

• Amputations
• Arthritis
• Burns
• Cumulative trauma
• Finger/wrist joint replacement
• Fractures
• Lymphedema
• Neuromuscular weakness
• Peripheral nerve injuries/repairs
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
• Skin grafts/flaps
• Sprains/strains
• Tendinitis
• Tendon and ligament injuries and repairs
• Tumors